work all day

[welshboy454 3]

This is my 2p worth but I am no expert.

I have two springers . The older one has a lot of trial blood in him but it is Badgercourt and his build is stocky -a bit like a welsh cob in style.

When he was young he used to race around a bit but had good stamina and was frequently the last dog still hunting on our syndicate shoot. He is now old and has arthritis, a bit overweight but he still comes out and puts in a full day. What I seem to have noticed is as he has matured he uses his nose more and I use the whistle less just letting him get on with it unless there is some patch that needs working out. He still finds game and maybe my memory is wrong but I think he is a better game finder now than in his athletic prime.

Another dog in our syndicate is the same age was a faster more frenetic worker but frequently had to be carried home.

He no longer works.

I do not think it has anything to do with the amount of red in the pedigree but certain hereditary deficiencies such as hypoglycemia which would not show up in a field trial . The danger is a FTCH with such a trait passing it on and destroying the gene pool by multiple matings. There does not seem to be any safeguard against that risk.

[samearl14 11]

Its interesting you mention hypoglycemia as one of my friends springers has suffered from this. We were out workingit hard one day and it started fitting or so we thought. Turns out it was hyperglycemia. Dont know much about it at all but does anyone know if its a hereditary problem? The vet told him just to change his dog food.

[welshboy454 3]

Its interesting you mention hypoglycemia as one of my friends springers has suffered from this. We were out workingit hard one day and it started fitting or so we thought. Turns out it was hyperglycemia. Dont know much about it at all but does anyone know if its a hereditary problem? The vet told him just to change his dog food.

Depends what caused it. If the dog had fasted before hunting it may not be hereditary.

I know of a dog and his daughter that suffer from it badly and despite being good workers I would never buy a pup from that strain.

Try Google Addisons disease

[samearl14 11]

Ok il take a look cheers mate

[hily 379]

ok started this topic and explained why i used two dogs on a hard day .promised a keeper friend that i would beat for him as he was short on men and dogs could'nt take both dogs as one is in season so took my youngest along as i hav'nt beat here before i did'nt know what sort of day it would be .Turned out to be a bloody hard day both for me and the dog working very steep valley coverd in windfall and brambles proper spaniel country to make it that bit tougher nowts been knocked back with the weather in fact we even came accross lots of snowdrops pushing up anyway the dog worked in top gear all day (i tried to explain to her that it was an allday thing but she took no notice) near mid after noon she was showing signs of slowing down (not pacing herself just tierd)now the dog picked up an injury thats a £160 vet bill injury do'nt know if this happend because the dog was getting knackerd and falling through the cover instead of pushing under it or just happend.But when they are both back on the team i will be useing them as always one at a time and swap when the day warrants it.ps just a thought about trial dogs its been posted on here that they go flat out then have to rest now tell me how old are most spaniels when they retire from field trials .my point is i hav'nt found a way of slowing down a young hard hunting spaniel so is it the age of the spaniel that burns it out on trial dogs or are older dogs enterd in trials as well .I used to go to a shoot years back and one of the guns was working an ex trial dog Buz if simonside although the dog was getting on a bit his name discribed him perfectly he Never stopped

[Dave C 63]

Lad on our shoot trials Cockers, he only works his retired dogs, his youngest retired dog is 6 and a cracking hunting machine.

But he did say it took him a full season to learn to slow down and pace himself for a full days work, when he first retired and started working he about needed carrying home at the end of the day, so i suppose he retired at 5-6 years.

 

Dave.

[welshboy454 3]

Badgercourt Druid finished trialling at 3 1/2 . Not because of stamina but because the handler could not hold him back !

So there will be a variety of reasons for finishing trialling.