Working cocker - beating

[kenadams86]

I've got a 15 month rescue WCS.

He's ace. I want to give him a job so I've been offered the opportunity to take him beating....... tomorrow. Haven't got a clue what I'm doing, any tips? He's still very young but I know he will love it once we've learned what to do, I just have a feeling we are both going to appear entirely incompetent

I wouldn't go expecting to beat if neither of you have ever done it before. The last thing you want to do us to piss off the gamekeeper! Also if he has never been introduced to gunshot before you don't want to risk making him gunshy. Instead I would go along without the dog, stand and watch and possibly join the beating line yourself.
Then get yourself booked in with a good local gundog trainer and get yourselves trained up.
I completely agree that they are better with a job to do but neither of you are ready yet. There is a hell of a lot of training that goes into making a good working dog who can be useful on a shoot.

I completely agree with what you are saying, I've been chatting to the games-keeper and he is really relaxed about the whole thing. I've reiterated that neither of us have a clue but he just seems so chilled about it. Told us to come along Tomorrow and try it out. I feel nervous

I think he's just expecting us to go along and observe and see what it's all about. I would keep him on a lead but you are right about gun shots and him being frightened, I was more focused on pissing people off who have paid to be there

Just bear in mind that if your dog isn't used to gunshot then it could cause major issues which can then take a long time to fix. I honestly wouldn't take your dog for your first time and if you are determined to then expect to keep it on the lead all day. There is a lot of etiquette to learn on a shoot and taking an inexperienced dog can be very stressful if you are trying to work things out yourself.
I hope you have a good day and learn lots, you might catch the bug and become like the rest of us mad bunch who stand in fields all winter 🙈
Even if you realise you don't want to do it then still book in for gundog training classes, excellent for mental stimulation for your dog with the bonus of creating well trained animals amd handlers!

If I got a dog I want intending to work but who hadn't been exposed to gunshot then I would spend a few weeks desensitising it first with a starter pistol before venturing near a live shoot. Even then for the first few times I wouldn't stand near the peg but at a good distance away for an hour and then go back home. You need to build it up gradually.

Thanks for your help and advice I really appreciate it. I've already got him booked in for a gun dog 1-2-1 trainjng sesh next week so perhaps I will take him to that first. I don't want to jump in too quickly and frighten him. Or piss people off

You're welcome 😊 good that you've booked in a session but be prepared for that to turn into lots of sessions 😄. To give some context, my 20 month old WCS has been going to weekly classes since sge was 14 weeks old + daily training between classes and she is only just going to her first shoot next week.
I would still go along to the shoot yourself so you can see the standard that dogs and handlers need to be at, there is nothing better than watching well trained dogs work in the field that they were bred to do.

Surely if you're beating you're quite a way from the guns? Or are you picking up?

It is a real pleasure to watch a well-trained dog doing its job well, behaving beautifully and thoroughly enjoying itself.

Have fun learning the ropes both of you.

I agree, I am fascinated by highly trained dogs and hope to get my boy there one day.

But thank you for making me take a step back and not get carried away xx

My mum has setters that she works and I agree with the advice above. Just taking them to a shoot can make them gunshy which is so hard to fix.

When I worked my previous dog in the beating line, I was only asked before we started about his recall. For beating your dog doesn't need the same level of training as picking up. To my mind beating is more fun, having done both. My dog would get home, be washed, dried and fed and sleep for twelve hours. We loved it.

Go alone yourself without your dog to see how it works and how the dogs work

I would not take a dog not used to gunshot to a shoot if I intended to work them at some point.

Wouldn’t even consider it

find a trainer who can help get you set up & used to gun shots

go and watch some without the dog, it takes months to get a dog trained if not years ifs not something you can just rock up and do.

the game keeper usually doesn’t get involved with the beating etc so I wouldn’t trust people would be happy with someone just rocking up for fun!

This person I have been in contact with comes highly recommended and I know several friends and colleagues who have worked with him for a long time with their own dogs. He just appears quite relaxed about us coming to see what it's like.

No one is suggesting just "rocking up" he knows we are completely inexperienced. That has been well communicated.

I have taken other peoples useful advice on board and will train him this year and look towards taking him out next winter if training goes well

@kenadams86 I’d love to know how you got on today.

If you’re interested in gundog training, I’d recommend ‘ladies working gundog’. They have a wealth of online learning and lovely online (and in person) community
ladiesworkingdoggroup.com

Another recommendation for the Ladies Working Dog Group. Very helpful online courses, and supportive responses to questions and queries.

Re shot, some gundog clubs do introduction to shot days. Other options are to find a gas gun out in the fields and slowly work your dog closer, or start at a good distance from a clay ground. Just be sure the dog is happy at each stage, and build up a positive association with play or food.

It's wonderful to get a dog working. Mine absolutely loves it. Hope it goes well for you.

As others have pointed out best to introduce this slowly especially with gun shots.

I attended gun dog training for many months but my WCS hates gun shots and never got used to them. We never intended to work him so not a problem but we do hear shoots in the distance where we live and he is terrified and hides behind my legs if we are outside.

That great thanks for that, I will definitely have a good look at that website.

We aren't going today, I'm going to do regular training with him and hope to take him out properly next winter?

I'm glad I posted on here now as I have had some great advice

I'd also try and go beating for the first time without the dog so that you know the ropes. Keeping your dog under control can be taxing in itself without feeling that you haven't a clue what's going on!

Get yourself a stout stick and learn to prep and cook pheasant!