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2013 Irish Retriever Championship

Go to Magazine Page 32-40  for a colorful and informative Online Article on the 2013 Irish Retriever Championship presented by the Magazine:  Irish Country Sports and Country Life - Spring 2014

The retriever trialling season that was, is now just a Memory.

And so it is right for us to look back and honour those handlers and their dogs that achieved the accolade of Field Trial Champion (FTCh). The title FTCh is one that every handler who trials, strives for. It is not easily achieved. In fact, I would hate to put into ‘man-hours’ the time it takes in training to raise up a Champion. For those who do, one has to recognise the dedication they have to their sport.

Retriever Trials and Hunting in FINLAND

What is a good Retriever for us in Finland? Game finding ability is most important. The Dog must be able to hunt by swimming. Most of us respect initiative + independence in marking and hunting. Ability to handle the dog close to the retrieve makes working effective. In training we believe that the hunting instincts must be given a proper chance to develop. Obedience means that the dog is willing to work in cooperation with the handler. The use of electric collar is forbidden in all dog training. We don’t like forced retrieve methods because we suspect negative impacts on breeding if this spreads. We like to see a spontaneous retrieve developed because in this manner the dog has the best chance to use its own initiative in situations where the handler cannot help.

I suppose training starts the minute your pup is born or the moment you get your pup. It is all about conditioning that young impressionable mind that is your dog. You may ask, “well how important is that?” Let me tell you about a couple of instances that I came across.

I once went to view a litter of Springer Spaniels

When a new litter is born I try to raise them in those first 8 weeks as fearless and as bold as they can be.

The litter is born and the pups are nursed by their mother inside my home. They are raised with the constant noise of family life, right there in the background (we are a family with 3 boys).

Can we over train our dog? I feel we must allow our dog a certain amount of independence. That independence will one day come into its own. So the question is: does training take that independence out of your dog?

In my experience, training my own dogs and seeing other dogs work, and judging dogs

On my last post I talked about over handling to the point of losing the natural game finding ability of your dog. I know when I first started training dogs many years ago, there was something magical when my dog first stopped and looked back for help.

He was running out for a retrieve when he stopped, spun around and stood and looked at me. As if to say 'right Dad, we are a partnership now, what do you want me to do?'