In this section you will find guidance on training, aspects of working, and the working standard.  Details on training opportunities provided by the ISCGB and other clubs are listed. If you would like some details placed here please contact us.

ISCGB WT Special Beginners

 ISCGB WORKING TEST Special Beginners – 25/06/2006 Article by Keith Wain & Julie Kelly

We wanted a gundog.  Had a Spaniel and they are hard work and barmy. Lets have a retriever.  Julie had had a Golden Retriever called Candy for Christmas when she was just nine years old and loved her to bits. She had Candy for fourteen years and didn’t want to spoil the memory, so she wanted something different.  We had started to settle on a Chocolate Lab when a friend introduced us to the world of Spinone.  We read it all, Kennel Club website, ISCGB website, and all the others, and the more we looked, and the more we read, the more it became apparent a Spinone was for us.  This was spring 2002.  We searched around and found two litters of puppies. One in Hampshire, and one in Conway in North Wales, which is about an hours drive for us.  Before we knew it, we were on our way to view the puppies.  Only looking mind! Should never buy from the first litter you see!   Four weeks later we were driving home from North Wales with a little blonde bundle on Julie’s knee.  Iolyn Porth Llwyd, or Dino to his friends, had arrived.

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North West Spinone Gundog Training

Welcome to the North West Spinone Training Group Page on the ISCGB website.
This Group was set up in early 2016 as a result of a passion of mine to have a local training group specifically for Spinone and following discussions with the clubs Field Trial secretary, which lead to it being supported by the ISCGB Committee. The background to the reasons for my passion for such a group to exist can be found in two articles, the links of which can be found below if you are interested.

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NWTG Lou and Buddy

I have been asked to put a few words together to tell you all about my experience of the North West Spinone group.

Having a busy boy who needs plenty to do I thought it would be a good idea to have a go at a bit of gundog work.

I went to a couple of groups but to be honest I felt a little out of my depth and then I heard about the North west group and felt that as it was more focused on working the Spinone and HPR’s it may be more suitable.

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Working Tests Uncovered

Working Tests Uncovered

 

Working Tests are run from spring to late summer (out of the shooting season) using dummies, and occasionally dead pigeons, or caged game for the dogs to point. No live game is ever shot (blanks may be used). These tests are organised according to the age and standard of the dogs – Puppy (6 -18 months), Novice and Open; and you would start in the Puppy or Novice and then qualify to move up to Open. Occasionally there is a Graduate or Intermediate test to bridge the gap between Novice and Open.

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First Day on a Shoot

Alfie’s First Day on a Shoot

By Colin Elliot 2007

 

Alfie and I turned up on Sat morning not knowing what to expect and found a farm yard full of people and dogs of all ages and breeds, it seem that half the local village was there. There were 8 guns and about 20 Beaters some with dogs and 2 Pickingup teams not including Alfie and myself. When we arrived at the shooting ground I was told to stand with one of the Pickingup teams and watch how Alfie behaves and if he is not happy with the sound of the guns to move further away from the sound of the guns.

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