Recent content by NigelM

Best of luck. Hard work but very rewarding.

I started the thread to give people an honest opinion and try to be helpful to those trying to decide between the breeds. Most of the feedback has been really helpful and helped those thinking about it build a picture of what they might expect. If you want Labs, good on you. Nothing wrong with...

Nice looking pup :)

He's not a wee lad is he! I thought mine was a good size. He has to be 40kg.

Each to their own. You're wrong though. Look for the right lines and you can find a good dog. Same as any other breed. A very different dog to a Lab and not for everyone.

There are two (or more) distinct lines of GWP. You are absolutely right on the German bred lines. They are bred for boar and are hard dogs. I've stood on a boar stand and watched 3 GWP's take down and kill an 80kg sow 30 yds away - she came out of the undergrowth with them attached and I...

Another year, another update. We ended up doing 12 days on the grouse moors last year, 11 days of training and a walked up day over him and 3 other dogs. I even shot over him myself which was a great moment. We've done another 6 days so far this year, training again, and will do another 4 days...

He's pretty locked on. Very funny to watch him at full tilt quartering and then full handbrake on to full point. He will set like that for as long as it takes me to get to him - left him for 10 minutes before by the time I have the guns rounded up and in place, not even a glance round to see...

Did it with my HWV and now doing the same with GWP. They get used to the difference. GWP will be a much better bird dog than the HWV but mainly because I'm able to put much more time into him early on. Now 2 1/2 and you would struggle to find a much better pointing dog to shoot over. He tracks...

Can't help I'm afraid. Not seen this before. My guess is that you're on the right track with the detergent vs Nikwax issue and somehow they have reacted. I'm sure it's not a disaster. The waterproofing is in the Gore-Tex membrane, not the surface finish. The surface finish just prevents...

The wife has a Cockerpoo dog. Much more Cocker than Poo and rules the house, at just 10.5kg it keeps my 36kg GWP in order. Very funny to watch. As for working, bloody useless. Whines endlessly in the field when birds start flying and guns start going off. Totally self employed and untrainable...

No idea, it's bred into them, they learn it from their parents...

I joined a local HPR club. I was sceptical having not done the club thing before but it's been great for socialising the dog and the basics of dummy work. There have also been a few like minded individuals who have opened up other opportunities. Much depends on the dog. Mine is bat**** crazy...