Update on Iris at 10 months the Springer Spaniel

It was great to see Charlie with his young Springer Spaniel, Iris, for their monthly training session. Iris is making steady progress and it’s obvious the work that Charlie is putting in with her. She’s a good dog, eager to please her handler and picks up on new skills quickly.

This weekend we worked on the stop whistle. This needs to be a really clear command so that the dog is left in doubt as to what to do. We also did a lot of work on directional retrieves, moving from two to three dummies. With encouragement and direction, Iris was able to retrieve each dummy and deliver it to Charlie. More work on delivery to hand is needed and I gave Charlie a few tips to make sure his dog comes straight to him, rather than running behind.

Charlie works on several shoots. As part of his homework, I’ve asked him to bring a partridge or pheasant hen home from his next beating day. It’s time to introduce Iris to feathers for when she starts picking up. Iris at 10 months is a strong dog, happy to cover any terrain. In time she’ll be a great help to Charlie as he works.

Posted: October 11, 2021