Ruff Seasons End
Posted 05-03-2009 at 06:26 PM by gundogs
It has been a while since my last post but with good reason. As the upland tournament season nears its' end and summer weather begins, we are back in California just in time to make another competition. It has been busy to say the least this past month. Guided hunts and the tournament events have left little time to blog.
Competition at this years North American Gun Dog Association national finals in Rocky Ford,Co. began with absolutely perfect weather days before the event was to take place. Cold mornings with frozen ground and sunny but breezy days during our exercise days and practice sessions. This is a three day event where the total score of the first two days determines the top five of each division for the finals on day three.
My newest puppy Traveler (9 months old) two days before the event slipped in the mud and hyper extended his left knee. Off to the local veterinarian for and exam and medication to reduce swelling. One day later he was examined by the N.A.G.D.A. Vet. of record and again I heard "I don't think you should run him". This finding was quite a disappointment for me but he has an entire life ahead of him and many days to hunt so I had to scratch him from the competition. Travelers' long trip had just become two weeks of confined rest. Let the competition begin.Two more GSPs for me to compete with and two English Pointers for Doug Richesin and one BdB (Braque) for Claude Trincale.
Claude and Fletcher are part my doubles team with Bullet.
The first day was unusally warm with light or no wind making scenting conditions poor at best. The second day was cold in the early morning and by 10am the snow began to fall and all of the practice at higher elevations began to pay off and our scores bagan to rise. Unfortuneatly we did not make the final five but some of the dogs I have trained did. Nick Alexander with Abby and Ivan had some good luck and high scores.
When we returned back home it was time to get ready for the next event. The Western Chucker Classic a BDC sanctioned event in Lemore,Ca. hosted by the Guns & Roosters club and held at the Rio Vista Farms HC.
Natural cover was low in the area chosen for the field layouts and resulted in running birds.
Dry and Hot ! Lots of fun but hard on both the handlers and the dogs.
In an article last year I did a bit of review on a product which may have saved a dogs life at this BDC event. Dan Hanum and his setter Rocky had a great run but as they were leaving the field Rocky began to show signs of stress and the beginnings of heat prostration. Dave Hamilton (Birddog3) the event director asked if Rocky was ok? Dan is part of our tourney team and made a straight line to our camp with Rocky. Dan said "he is hot" Claude broke out the water sprayer and a cool bath for Rocky while I prepared the Ruff Wear - cool down vest, a simple wetting of the vest material and we strapped it on.
The cool vest works like an evaporative cooler and soon Rocky began to stop panting. At that point we started to offer water with electrolytes and his recovery was on the way. A day later and Dan thanked everyone for the help with the emergency and said that Rocky was just beginning to act like himself. I know this is a long story but if it serves as an example to help in a simular situation then it is worth while. Many thanks to the folks at Ruff Wear for outfitting us with some outstanding gear.
So now it is time to guide turkey hunts and hog hunts. Train more dogs and continue the training with work outs in preparation for the Wild West Shoot Out and Outdoor Show in Sept.
Bryce
Competition at this years North American Gun Dog Association national finals in Rocky Ford,Co. began with absolutely perfect weather days before the event was to take place. Cold mornings with frozen ground and sunny but breezy days during our exercise days and practice sessions. This is a three day event where the total score of the first two days determines the top five of each division for the finals on day three.
My newest puppy Traveler (9 months old) two days before the event slipped in the mud and hyper extended his left knee. Off to the local veterinarian for and exam and medication to reduce swelling. One day later he was examined by the N.A.G.D.A. Vet. of record and again I heard "I don't think you should run him". This finding was quite a disappointment for me but he has an entire life ahead of him and many days to hunt so I had to scratch him from the competition. Travelers' long trip had just become two weeks of confined rest. Let the competition begin.Two more GSPs for me to compete with and two English Pointers for Doug Richesin and one BdB (Braque) for Claude Trincale.
Claude and Fletcher are part my doubles team with Bullet.
The first day was unusally warm with light or no wind making scenting conditions poor at best. The second day was cold in the early morning and by 10am the snow began to fall and all of the practice at higher elevations began to pay off and our scores bagan to rise. Unfortuneatly we did not make the final five but some of the dogs I have trained did. Nick Alexander with Abby and Ivan had some good luck and high scores.
When we returned back home it was time to get ready for the next event. The Western Chucker Classic a BDC sanctioned event in Lemore,Ca. hosted by the Guns & Roosters club and held at the Rio Vista Farms HC.
Natural cover was low in the area chosen for the field layouts and resulted in running birds.
Dry and Hot ! Lots of fun but hard on both the handlers and the dogs.
In an article last year I did a bit of review on a product which may have saved a dogs life at this BDC event. Dan Hanum and his setter Rocky had a great run but as they were leaving the field Rocky began to show signs of stress and the beginnings of heat prostration. Dave Hamilton (Birddog3) the event director asked if Rocky was ok? Dan is part of our tourney team and made a straight line to our camp with Rocky. Dan said "he is hot" Claude broke out the water sprayer and a cool bath for Rocky while I prepared the Ruff Wear - cool down vest, a simple wetting of the vest material and we strapped it on.
The cool vest works like an evaporative cooler and soon Rocky began to stop panting. At that point we started to offer water with electrolytes and his recovery was on the way. A day later and Dan thanked everyone for the help with the emergency and said that Rocky was just beginning to act like himself. I know this is a long story but if it serves as an example to help in a simular situation then it is worth while. Many thanks to the folks at Ruff Wear for outfitting us with some outstanding gear.
So now it is time to guide turkey hunts and hog hunts. Train more dogs and continue the training with work outs in preparation for the Wild West Shoot Out and Outdoor Show in Sept.
Bryce
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