Stone,
You are spot on there, when training a cocker you need a good sense of humour. They are cheeky little buggers.
I remember some time ago now training Pep, some days it was a joy, then other days it was like training a circus act. I would get him to sit and stay, then he would drop to his stomach and slowly crawl towards me with those deep brown eyes starring at me, well how can you bollock that look?
When I first introduced Pep to deer I was pleasantly surprised. At first he wanted to hunt with his nose to the ground constantly. After a while he learnt to stay to heal and every time I stopped he would sit, sometimes with a gentle sssssss.
His first experience at the bottom of high seat was yet another circus act as he tried ever so hard to climb up to me. After a couple of outings he soon realised he just has to sit and wait. Now he will roll up and go to sleep.
It was not a smooth transition to the Deer, we have had laughter and frustrations along the way. He is getting on a bit now and his ability to mark birds down at a distance is beginning to fail him, however he has still got a very good keen nose. He loves the Deer, for a small dog he has the heart of a Lion, he has tried to retrieve every Deer that he has found. He will always return with pins and blood showing.
Where I stalk you need a dog, when the animal drops and you mark the area it is still Nye on impossible to walk to the area and see it laying there, the ground is undulating and rough, that’s where the dog comes into its own. Personally I do not like to stalk without my dog, or without a dog on the area. I suppose I am lucky as we all have dogs where I stalk. Various breeds but they are all as good as each other.
