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View Full Version : Lower Mainland Gun Dog Club??



Tonto
03-13-2008, 07:24 PM
I have been unable to locate a local gun dog club around the lower mainland for flushing and pointing breeds (I have both a E.Springer Spaniel as well as a German Wiredhaired Pointer) and would like to get involved with a group for either of them.

I have seen that there are several Retriever Groups available locally, but could only locate a flushing/pointing group on Van Island.

Anybody know of anything in the Mainland?

Thanks.

ROEBUCK
03-13-2008, 07:59 PM
sorry not sure of any clubs in LML for gundogs, ive got 2 springer spaniels there both liver and white and love to hunt ,what colour is your spaniel?is it a dog or a bitch?I have a 9 month old dog and a 4 year old bitch there a lot of fun!

Tonto
03-13-2008, 10:22 PM
Daniel,
My springer is liver and white with some "ticking" thrown in as well.
She is now two years and we got her out of "Huppers Kennels" in Ontario.
She loves to play the hunting game, but I have yet to get her out into the field for some live bird action.

Thats why I am trying to find a club or even a group of likeminded people in the mainland to offer her (and myself) more exposure and training help.

Our GWP is a 14 month bitch that we got from a couple in vancouver several months ago. She was allowed to show some dominance at her old place and I am finding her to be very head strong and a bit of a challange right now.

The big problem from a training aspect is that I now have two very different style of hunting dogs and with the limited time that life allows us sometimes I am finding it hard to work two different training programs.

Any adive on how to field ready the Springer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Garett

ROEBUCK
03-14-2008, 08:37 AM
when i first got into spaniels i wa lucky to have some good friends who were experts and were semi pros on commercial bird shoots in the uk. the biggest and best advice i got was to consentrate on discipline and not on teaching them how to hunt,, that should come natural to a spaniel so should retrieving,at four months my new pup was chasing rabbits out of the bush outside my dads home back in england were i bought both our dogs. IF your going to duck hunt with your spaniel you need to make sure its ok in the water and he will need a neoprene coat and make sure he eats something before you take him on the marsh as they can be succeptable to the damp, i always take a couple of cookies for my dog which gives her a energy boost, they are not the best dogs in a blind as the buggers cant keep still for long. Spaniels are at there best on upland game and should work endlessly naturaly quatering flushin and retrieving. buy a retrieving dummy or a tennis ball works ok and practice retrieving on land and in the water, if he dont like water wait til the warmer weather and go in the water yourself the dog shoulld soon follow. try him on grouse this fall that should be good practice on flushin and retriving.will he hunt for birds while out in the bush?PM sent with my phone number

Tonto
03-14-2008, 10:57 PM
Thanks for the advice daniel (recieved your PM will call at a later time when your not having a baby....)

Zena (the springer) loves to retrieve, absolutely loves the water, and is very bird crazy (chasing after anything that flies over the yard)
I am not worried about her natural hunting ability.

I just really need to get her out in a hunting situation with some birds involved.

Right now I started having her hunt blind for a retrieving dummy with a grouse wing attached. (still only in the yard) I put her away in the shop and hide the dummy in the yard, I then let her out and have her "Fetch it up" She loves it and is pretty good so far.
I do have a couple of fields in town that I take and run her in when I get the chance (ones a corn field bordered by a creek and flooded woodlands - really nice area, she gets a little too excited when we jump ducks in the flooded woodlands and tries to chase them through the 2 feet deep water),

I usually take the starter pistol along and fire it as we work through the field trying to get her usd to it as well.

She still needs to learn to quarter (trying to work it into the blind dummy hunting) as well as not ranging out to far, which I think will resolve itself when we start working birds in the field.

I keep looking at pigeon traps to at least get her started on pigeons but have not picked one up yet.


The GWP (Zoe) needs alot of work. The basic obiedience is there but I need to work on hunting skills.
She loves to retrieve, but I am still having a hard time getting her to point. I just started to work her "Whoa" over a grouse wing on a fishing pole - so far its not going to well.
I thinks its a combination of her stubberness and my inexperience with the breed (pointers in general)

Again I think live birds would be a help.

I noticed that there is a NAVHDA chapter in Alberta but nothing in BC....

Why is there no local clubs??????

If I had more knowledge and free time (not much of that available with two young kids at home...) I would see what it takes to get a lower mainland club/chapter going.

Any other volunteers......;)

ROEBUCK
03-14-2008, 11:31 PM
yeah i found the same thing when living in lml but there is plenty of good waterfowling available, sounds like your spaniels gona make a good hunting dog.Im tryin to train my pup to work with hand signals at moment hes not doin to bad but does lose interest after a while, so ive been doing short training sessions with him, he did well today he tends to copy my older spaniel which helps a lot, she learnt hand signals right of the getgo i was lucky with her.with the quartering it will probably help to go were there is some grouse to find and your spaniel will then start naturaly quartering once its found some good game trails and flushed a few,i had the same problem with my older dog working to far away she was busy flushin game 200yards away when i was first training her which frustrated me no end , i was working in to much open country were she could see for a long way, when i started consentrating on thicker cover that helped so did the elecric coller i bought for her! dont think im gona need to use it with my pup as he seems content to be close by me, i hope!

Tonto
03-16-2008, 10:32 AM
Thanks to daniel for taking time out of his baby watch to share some info.

Does anybody else have any info regarding a working flushing or pointing group in the lowermainland??

Thanks

Jimsue
03-18-2008, 12:21 PM
Tonto, Conway Kennels is an hour south of the border from the lower mainland, you will not be disapointed!!!! give Bucko a call 1-360-815-1813 he is a wealth of information, lots of live bird work, 80 acres, and shooting to boot. I'm going down in the next day or so and you are welcome to tag along.

1/2 slam
03-18-2008, 06:56 PM
Jimsue........say hello to Bucko for me (Rod and Dixie)

Tonto.Jimsue is right about Conway. I'm taking my dog back this summer for a tune-up.

Jimsue
03-19-2008, 04:10 PM
1/2 Slam, didn't get your message in time, I took my son down there last night, he's Bucko's gofor boy for spring break. He's also learning how to work with our choclate bitch that has been there a while.

I'll pass on your regards

Jim

dakotawinters
08-14-2008, 03:23 PM
I'm in the club on the island we meet once a month.... if that would work into your sched. at all.... :razz:

Wolfman
08-14-2008, 03:38 PM
I'd be up for involving my 8 month old Chessie/Goldie cross. He's absolutely nuts about water and retrieves just about anything pointed out to him.

It would be great to have him hang with other hunting dogs and learn a few things.

Wolfman

dakotawinters
08-14-2008, 04:51 PM
http://www.vancouverislandpointingdogclub.com/

just for dogs that point though... but we had a guy at the last
meeting who was teaching retrieving.