This was Luna’s 2nd working test.  Because she has progressed a bit more in her training I decided to give her a go just to gauge her training so far.  Even though she has recently began to swim, I wasn’t worried whether she would go in or not and knew we would have to forfeit points for that part of the test.

Test One – Seen Retrieve

A simple enough retrieve down a track, verge on one side and bank to the lake on the other, both sides had very high grass.  Dummy thrown up and over the track from the verge side to a marker near the edge of the lake.  A few dogs in front of me had  struggled with this test and the dogs were hunting the bank instead of retrieving the dummy.  I set Luna up, a little concerned she would do the same as the other dogs.  She marked the dummy and I released her, she shot out for the dummy and was coming up to where the dummy had been thrown.  As she turned into the area, I blew the stop whistle! Now, I wish I didn”t and can’t even explain why I did! She stopped and I directed her to the dummy.  Luna searched around for the dummy and then went off hunting the bank.  I stopped her numerous times and directed her back to the dummy but by this time she wasn’t interested.  I walked forward and set her up nearer, she set off and continued to hunt.  I went further towards her and she rushed over to the dummy and picked it up! She knew it was there all along!! I really thought we were over her ‘issues’ with other people’s dummies but maybe she wasn’t! But, I also feel IF I hadn’t have blown the whistle she may well have continued on to it as she had marked it.  Handler Error! Points: 5

Test Two – Hunting

It was a lovely area for hunting, tall grass and there was word of game and deer being on the ground. Me and two other competitors went off with the judge.  I was 3rd to run.  As the 1st competitor set their dog off, Luna began to track and was then indicating, I just thought it may have been where something had got up previously.  All of a sudden a hen pheasant flushed! Luna wasn’t on the right side of the wind to have pointed but she definitely knew something was there! This obviously fired her up for her go.  In some way it was a bit of a pain as she was being a little ‘deaf’ which is my main issue with Luna.  As she was keen to find something I began to whistle her more to try and keep control.  I hate doing this but if I kept quiet, she takes advantage of that and will bog off! The wind was all over the place so I left her to work it out herself.  Thankfully there were no deer on her run.  I was asked to stop her and call her in.  Overall, I was pleased with what she did. Points: 29

Test Three – Water

As I expected, Luna did not complete the water. I was not concerned about this at all,  the judge was very helpful and let me throw a dummy in close to the edge to encourage her in, she did wade but didn’t swim.  An area we are well aware needs work! Points: 0

Test Four – Blind Retrieve to Shot

As Luna’s first retrieve was quite unsuccessful, I was a little apprehensive she would mess about on this one too.  It wasn’t a particularly long retrieve but the track leading to the dummy went round a bend so the dog would be out of sight.  What concerned me more was the wood beside the track as  Luna would be tempted by this on her way to the dummy!  I set her up and she was quite eager to go as she had been hearing the shots while we waited.  I did tell her a few times to ‘wait’ before sending her incase she ran in.  I set her off and she went like a shot!  Within a few seconds she returned with the dummy and retrieved to hand! I couldn’t have been happier! Points: 17

Overall, I was pleased with what she had achieved.  Although disappointed with the first retrieve I knew getting hung up on it would get me nowhere!  I was partly to blame so something to note for myself! A great day anyway!