TRAINING
Our training sessions are normally Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings Spring to Fall but check the property schedule for club activities which may require us to train elseware for a given day.
As soon as the snow melts we begin training our dogs. The action is fast as these dogs really enjoy these outings and seek game with as much ambition as they can muster. As mentioned before, these are hunting dogs and birds are used in order to give them as much experience as possible. Depending on your goals, training your Spaniel could be vigorous or occasional depending on your schedule.
Generally our training session begins with the older and more mature dogs. We call them the open dogs. Two dogs will run parallel (brace), separated by a flag line. Birds are flushed, shot, and retrieved to hand. At this stage the handlers don't do any of the shooting as they are concentrating on the dog and his performance. We take turns shooting, handling our dogs and planting birds. Any new members who come out are encouraged to watch each dog and see how the dogs react when detecting the presence of a bird. This gives a person an understanding of what their dog is doing while hunting.
Next we take out the puppies. Younger puppies are introduced to feathered birds while the older and more mature pups are taught to hunt and flush live birds within gun range. With the guidance of our more experienced handlers new members are taught what to expect from their spaniel and the importance of proper introduction to the gun.
Safety is our main concern and we are ever vigilant of proper gun safety and only safe shots are made ensuring the well-being of spectators and dogs. Any person on the training field while a training session is in process must wear hunter orange for obvious reasons.
After the puppies are finished some of our members prefer to handle their dogs and shoot their own birds. This is encouraged and the field is cleared, giving them all the room they need in order to shoot safely without being crowded.
After the training session there is usually a tailgate gathering where encouragement and helpful hints are given along with explanations as to what someone's dog did or didn't do are discussed. Nevertheless the outings are enjoyable which is the reason some of us have been doing this for twenty years or so.
