First shoot with a WCS

[twistyizzy]

I have a 17 month old WCS with a very red pedigree. We have been going to gundog training sessions since she was 5 months old and are hopefully going to our first shoot next month, just to stand and watch to get her used to the enivornment etc. My trainer is excellent but I am a total novice and I know we aren't yet ready to pick up on a shoot but hoping that we will be able to beat towards the end of the season.
Just wondered if there are any more experienced beaters/pickers up who could offer some advice for a newbie?

I’d say go along first without your dog, so you can just concentrate on you. You can also get a feel for how tolerant that particular shoot is to inexperienced dogs. You might have moments in the day where you think your dog wouldn’t have been able to cope with something- so if a rabbit was to run out from the brush accidentally would your dog chase?
id then go along later with your dog.
are you going to a shoot known by your trainer? They’ll be able to let you know the form. I’d also look at ladies working dog group on Facebook, they can give good advice on specific things from what to wear onwards

Thank you, I'm already a member of the Ladies Working Dogs group and yes it has great advice and information in it. I'm taking the dog but she will be on a lead at all times, my trainer recommended it to just go for a morning and have both of us watch. We would do that at least 2-3 times before I even consider asking the shoot if I can beat and she would be on a long line for her first beating day.

There are a lot of helpful gundog groups on FB, aside from LWDG. Beaters and pickers up is a other one (though that is more 'I'm trying to find a shoot for me and my three springers'), and Gundog Training for Novices.

You can ask the keeper (or your trainer if he or she knows the shoot) what you should wear but in my limited experience, nobody cares what the beaters look like even if the Guns are head to toe in tweed. You're going to be bramble bashing and jumping over ditches so get a good stick, waterproof boots and trousers and some gaiters.

The real headache is whether your dog is steady or not. Can you get access to a hare lure/bolting rabbit set up to check?

That's great thank you and yes I'm also on the Gundog Training for Novices page 😊 That's great info about what to wear.
I'm not 100% confident in her steadiness yet as she is very highly prey driven hence why I know we aren't ready to beat yet and even when we do she will be on a long line. We are training hard on that + her retrieve as she has been sticky on bringing it back to hand.

Is your trainer advising you go on a shoot? Our trainer always says the quickest way to undo all your hard work is to take them on a shoot before they're ready.

Yes to get her used to the environment for the first few times, not to actually work her. We are mainly aiming to start working her properly next season but if the opportunity arises to do a line or 2 of beating later this season (if I feel happy that she will cope) then we will do so. The shoots are just little local ones.

The shoots are just little local ones.
That's what you want. IME they're low stress and good-natured. Maybe see if you can go and watch the first two or three drives, which will also give you a feel for what the beaters are like, and the keeper.

Yep good idea I will ask, thanks 😊