"I am sat on our lorry step at 5.30am at the New Forest Show watching a Cocker pup, Buzz, explore the world. Typically he has the whole park to explore but has instead chosen to play with the laces on a pair of boots that were hidden under the lorry. Buzz has come to the Forest show to try his hand as a demonstrator. I popped him on the arena floor yesterday and to be quite honest the audience didn't really need my commentary, this tenacious little bundle of energy bounced around my feet and when I threw a glove for him he was straight out picked it up and straight back. He is off to his new home on Friday, so fingers crossed that they keep this perfect retrieve going. We did a demo yesterday using Buzz to demonstrate just what you take on when you chose one of the gundog breeds; high energy, high prey drive - to be honest, high bloomin' everything, which is briliant provided you channel all of that drive into something positive.

Guest training

I was fortunate enough to be asked to be a 'guest trainer' at a friend of mines in Hertfordshire last week. Avis Boreham runs a training day that is just so much fun to do; we spent the day looking at and discussing various ways that the handlers could improve and develop both their own and the dogs skills, heelwork, recall and delivery to hand being the most common and difficult behaviours to teach a dog to carry out. Enthusiasm and a real energy for knowledge and success is always evident when working with gundog handlers. I'm sure these high energy dogs and breed types are generally chosen by an owner with similar characteristics; put it this way, take on a gundog puppy with a lacklustre approach to its training and you will be faced with some very stark choices, get up, get busy and 'keep training' or lose control of the little racing snake that's hurtling round your front room.

Poorly Annie

While on the subject of high energy, Annie Buckley, Mullenscotes' Head Trainer, colleage and friend, last week underwent a 'ladies operation'. Annie was told by her surgeon rest, rest and more rest - pfffff! You'd have more chance of a keeping a tigress with a firework tied to her tail still. She was only out of hospital 24 hours before she was on the phone wanting me to send her some work to do. Not being able to do what you live for can weigh very heavily on your whole being. I know that in spite of the cheery smile that right now my friend is really fed up, so any of you like minded gundog geeks out there that have the time please phone, write, send her a text or some flowers. Please, pretty please - anything to stop her phoning and nagging me all the time!"