Bird dog training day with the VIPDC

First off I'll apologize that this post doesn't have much in the way of pictures. The few that I quickly snapped happened when it was lightly drizzling and after that it just rained. Much too damp for either my camera (which I did bring) or my phone. Next time, providing the weather is much better I'll get a lot more pictures.

I joined the Vancouver Island Pointing Dog Club in December. They had a training day mid month along with their AGM and I just happened to find them online a few days before, and low and behold it was only a couple of minutes from my house. The perfect way to check it out and to see how my Libby ( Ch LegacyK LibertyReigns Braebrook ) would react to her first birds. She did well, I joined the club, and now we are gearing up for their Field Dog Test and Trials in April.

I was happy to find out that the club was having another training day today as I don't have either my own field or birds to train on (yet…) and every opportunity I can get to work Libby is great experience for both her and I. We are both green as grass when it comes to the bird field...she has good instincts but we both need training.

Today's training was held at beautiful Woodwynn Farms. The fields here are huge and gorgeous, I really wish I had been able to take a few more pictures. I attended a tracking test here a year or two ago, not as a participant but just to watch so I could get a better idea of how they work, and I was so impressed with the fields then. I'm really glad the farm is so open to having people and their dogs come out to train, as areas like this are getting harder and harder to come by.

Unfortunately the pictures I snapped are facing the wrong direction, the big fields are behind me here.

Libby is really showing interest in the birds, especially if they move even a little. She will hold and watch that bird if I'm holding on to her and talking softly but she has a hard time containing herself if it flies up, all in good time. What I'm most thrilled about is how much she wants that bird and that's it's difficult to pull her away. She is also using her nose well….although sometimes she get's distracted by mice, shrews and other scents that are literally all over the field.

I'm really looking forward to the field test in April, a first for both Libby and I. I have no idea how we'll do but it will be a learning experience for the both of us.