Versatile or what🤣

A perfect last week of the season finished on Sunday with Oxo working 7 days flat out ❤️ … 2 Picking up days, 2 rough Shoots, a driven day on the peg and 2 days with pup Mavis on grouse…. finishing in a gale yesterday 😍 Our dogs are truly amazing companions 🐕🐾❤️. Have a great end to the season everyone and I say let’s not ever, let anyone, make us have a last last day !

Mavis - 9 month update

Here is our young dog’s 9 month update. I love starting young dogs and Mavis here, is no exception. Keen to train she enjoys being made to think and on each outing I put as much pressure on her as I can so she gets things right, without causing her to worry and back off.

Mavis 9 months

"Q" Litter 9 months old

Up on the moor a grey muzzled Karat with her 9month old daughter Mavis from our “Q” Litter who is starting to enjoy some more interesting bits of training. Intro’s to bird work through hunting and picking up are going well but being a big pup we are taking it very slowly not wishing to overwork the body as much as the brain!. Thanks so much to owners for the pics of your litter brothers and sisters. It is great to share our pups progress and they are all doing so well. Any remaining owners do send more in and we will post.

Best Present Possible

Bestie Dora at 12 1/2 doesn’t get much of a look in these days with the younger dogs always needing work, but she showed today that nothing has changed, letting me shoot off a lovely HPR and gently retrieving her runner - perfect for Christmas lunch 🎅🏻 Love them more as they get older ❤️🐾🥂. Happy Christmas to you and your dawgs too! ….. Have a good One !

Back with a Bang

Back with a Bang ....After returning from a week away when all the Aytee dogs were in kennels, I took 9 month old Mavis for her first day picking up today. Mainly on the lead, she met more dogs than she has met in her whole lifetime and watched Oxo and Jerzi work all day. She listened to drives, crossed footbridges and burns, enjoyed 2 small off lead hunts and finished with 2 partridge retrieves (put out as blinds in a quiet moment.) It was a most brilliant first day which we will repeat a couple more times before the end of the season. I love to give young dogs contact with something new quite early, but its important they will be able to cope with the day and then be fully managed so that all experiences are positive ones Enjoy your dogs this Christmas !!

Mavis with Oxo watching Jerzi on a retrieve

Away Days

It may not look like their holiday but these guys have settled very well in kennels for a few days while Johnny and I are away. Eight month old Mavis had learnt to kennel on her own beforehand at home and is consequently happy nexto her spaniel neighbours and they can all see other housemates too. It is definitely hard to leave them but as they have all learnt to cope alone at a young age, without being stressed, it is much better in the long run and I always believe an important part of training. Good luck if you are leaving your dogs at all this Christmas, and remember the welcome back is always worth the goodbye. 🤗🐕🐾❤️

Three Wise Dogs

A wee rough shoot at home today by way of a thankyou to Retriever and Spaniel triallers Sarah Miles and Tracy Fergurson of SBS, for their wonderful support of the Scottish HPR Home International Team Training earlier this year 👏👏👏 The rolling fog and a -4 temperature didn’t stop us bagging some nice birds with handy retrieves from Tracy’s Dolly(centre) and Sarah’s Idris(rt), with some birds shot off super points too from Oxo. Thanks again both, it was a great morning sharing our sport and lovely dogs ❤️

Oxo, Dolly and Idris

3 WAY PARTNERSHIP

Thanks to Aytee owner Ian Bell with Ruby - Aytee Lapwing, who along with hunting friend John, gave Oxo and I a great invitation to watch working their goshawks. A first for me … the birds phenomenal speed and precision was impressive and Ruby played her part pointing and flushing the game.  A  really fascinating and enjoyable day watching handler, bird and dog, thanks guys !

AYTEE VISITOR

It’s always good to see one of our homebred's back for a visit and in this case a visit yesterday from one of our “O” Litter, Aytee Overthetop (Oreo) with owners Ian & Sarah Baxter who came for some shootover work and did very well with lovely steady pheasant hunting and a really super points and retrieve. We finished up with both Oreo and sister Oxo working grouse on the local moor, Oreo doing brilliantly given it was his first time. Well done Sarah and Ian, a long way from home but so glad you could all make it!

Sarah and Oreo