Yes and No

Zelda and I had good success at the ESS Hunt Test in Bowman, Georgia, but not so at the Bokin Spaniel Test this past weekend in Batesville, SC.

We hunted a thorny, close area on Saturday at the Boykin test.  The field provided a good test of a clumber spaniel's steady, nose-oriented hunting style.  Zelda was steady to her birds, but had the misfortune to flush a sucker bird - - a 20-foot flier that landed on a line between me and the dog.  As Zelda sat, I hesitated to send her for the bird or even call her back because I did not want to be flunked due to "encouragement."   In the few seconds this goes through your head, Zelda resolved the condition by pouncing after the bird.  The bird flushed, Zelda sat, and then was sent for a nice retrieve.  After deliberation the judges determined that the self-dismissal was a break.

On Sunday, Zelda flushed three birds that flew in directions that precluded a shot.  She was steady on each and was passed on her land effort.  We did not fair well on the water blind, which was set at a very obtuse angle of about 140 degrees.  This primed the dog for bank-running.  Worse still, was that a bucket of birds was positioned on the bank (180 degrees) about 20 yards from the dog.  Confused, Zelda entered the water but would come ashore.  She finally ambled to the bird bucket and fetched a bird for me.  Amusing, but not what was wanted, so we were dismissed.

At both the Boykin test and the prior-week's ESS test, Zelda hunted with me.  Coming around to my whistles and hand signals.  A genuine hunting experience.  My improved skills are reducing the volume of bees buzzing about my head as I manage the dog in the field.  I am now eager to try my improving capabilities on Larsen, and hope to have him in the field this coming weekend.