This morning was the best frost I have seen in a really long time so I was almost desperate to head to the training ground and see who was in the first lesson in the hope of setting up some really lovely photo opportunities, as well as the training itself of course. I managed to wrestle the little boy into the outfit of choice for the day, the Joules number that combined warmth with a waterproof layer and subsequently ensured that no matter how much wallowing in the mud he did, and he does love to wallow in the mud, he would still be successfully peeled out of it clean underneath. I arrived to discover that my favourite girlie pair, Jane and Willow were emerging from their car dressed for the cold and all ready for some action. Willow has been a firm favourite of mine partly because she was one of the first dogs I took to photographing, but mostly because when she goes for it, and I mean really goes for it, her lovely long cockerdor ears take on a life all their own and it makes for some totally amazing action shots. (Don’t take my word for it, have a look through the photos!!)
Willow was sat up on the bank and her first task was to retrieve from the train line, a short retrieve, but Willow has not been in a while and it would not do to over face her early on. Willow leaves Jane like a thing possessed and is instantly flying up the bank, her cocker nature showing as she hunts round for the dummy, eventually with a little guiding she is on it and heading back to Jane, still travelling at quite a pace. Willow makes short work of this exercise; it seems the break has not been at the detriment of her passion for work. We head up to the ravine and Willow is given a seen left and right, again she is away, and flies down the side propelling herself up the other side reaching the dummy in record time. Willow does spend a little time hunting, she is so keen to get there that she almost forgets where she is going to, but soon enough she has the dummy and foot perfect returns to us delivering to Jane’s hand. Willow completes this task so well that we next head to the quarry to give her some different terrain to work over. Although it is very steep and she has not been for a while, once more Willow proves she has not lost the drive to succeed as she is instantly flying up the side and this time she has marked the dummy well as she finds it almost instantly, she returns with yet another improvement in the delivery.
Willow is taken further into the woods to try some blind retrieves, these can be tricky, in particular for a dog that has not been in a while as the dog needs to rely on the handler for direction and trust that the dummy is actually out there. This trust comes after the dog has been successful a number of times and they learn that the handler is directing them correctly. Once more Willow proves what a dog she is, with only a little hesitation to begin she is off and returns victorious, the tail going like the clappers and almost a smile on her face, she is really starting to enjoy herself now.
Lastly we make out to the field; Willow is set up with two directional dummies, with a blind to follow. Having made short work of this Adrian decides to try her stop whistle work as thus far this is the only thing she is not so confident on this morning. Willow is sat up and Adrian and Jane walk halfway between her and the dummy that was thrown out. Willow is sent for the dummy, but when she gets close to Jane, Jane walks out as asks her to stop using both her hand signal and the whistle. Darling Willow sits on the spot. She is then allowed to go and retrieve the dummy. Each throw after that, Jane is further from Willow when she gives the command, and each time Willow is super-fast in her response. Despite some interference from the little boy who insisted on walking in the way, and generally providing the most distraction possible. Well Willow, if you can work through that then you can work through anything.