So the shooting season may be at an end, but for many of us that means we can concentrate on training our dogs for the next season and start looking at Working tests, Scurries and Field Trials.
With 3 working cocker spaniels ourselves of varying ages from 10 months to 11 years, we are trying to get our younger dog into the swing of things so she can start to go out next season and hopefully do a few working tests during the spring and summer so we are busy training her and exposing her to all the sights and sounds she will come across once she starts working.
Now I keep being told she is a “Ferrai” model of a cocker spaniel (aka mad as a box of frogs and into everything and very fast as well! lol) which for a middle aged woman with dodgy knees makes for some fun times and my older dog just looks on as if to say you wouldn’t catch me doing that! – Oh how we forget what they got up to when they were younger!
So we have been in a perfect place to test out some of the dummies, dog coats and training vests etc that we supply which has been great.
We supply all of of Sporting Saint products and have just taken on products available via Muntjac Trading as well which is mainly the Mystique range which are proving to be really great well made dummies.
Our favourites so far are:
Mystique Snipe Marking Dummy – these dummies are 85g in weight so small enough for a pocket so great for any training whilst out and about and super for puppies. They have a great colour range and great for directional training as well.
Rabbit Ball Dummy – my spaniel loves this and its really helped her on days when she can sometimes get a bit sticky on retrieving or hunting and giving that extra high prize value of a rabbit ball soon gets her enthusiasm up again. Its also great for my older 2 as its heavy enough to bury in grass etc so they can really hunt it out.
Cold Game Wrap – these are super for introducing a dog to picking up game – simply wrap it around a bird tucking wings in etc and the dog still feels its picking a dummy and then you can gradually let more of the bird out and finally take wrap off altogether. This has really helped my middle spaniel as she has never shown any interest in picking birds but with the help of this she finally picked her first partridge.
Mystique 1/2lb Canvas Marking Dummy – these come in various sizes and are great for getting your young dog picking up heavier dummies and again come in great colour options.
I’ve also found the Mystique Dummy Training Skirt really good for me as I’m a slightly curvy lady I prefer not wearing a vest and on warmer days these training skirts are great as they have full adjustability and simply go round your waist and loads of room for dummies, leads or bottles of water and as I can adjust the belt its easy to wear over a coat when its cold or just with a top when its warmer.
We mustn’t also forget our four legged best friends either and I’ve been super impressed with the Dedito Waterproof Dog Coat – its a great fit even for long slim spaniels and lovely and warm and fully waterproof and Jess, our puppy, has fully tested its ability to still let her bomb around like a loony and not restrict her or slip. Its only £29.50 but we have the Red and Blue ones on offer for this month at only £14.75 so an absolute bargain.
So here’s to happy dogs and owners and hope you all enjoy whatever you do with your dogs and maybe see some of you at the country fairs over the summer.
