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Rivermeadow Labradors:  Latest News: 2014

 

9th September 2014

I am thrilled to report that Oak won grade 4 agility this weekend and is now in the amazing heights of grade 5! This outstanding dog has gone from grade 1 to grade 5 in 2 years, in a Collie orientated sport - he is utterly amazing! Oak loves agility as much as I do, and we are having such fun together. I am so terribly proud of him!!!

 

15th April 2014A black bitch with her 12 new born pups sired by Oak

Oak is the proud dad to a litter of 12;  6 boys and 6 girls. This is the second litter with the lovely Maisie, last time they had 10!

Fig had his first camping experience this weekend at Shuttleworth Agility show. He was amazingly good and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the whole caravan scene. The poor boy is still teething badly so training involving toys has been put on a back burner for a bit longer - it's not worth rushing ahead and risking him hurting himself and associating the toy / retrieve article with mouth pain. We have a lifetime ahead of us, there's no rush!"

 

2nd April 2014

Wow! It looks like we have a potential water dog here! I was playing with the big boys and tossed a soft dummy into the lake for Oak to retrieve. Off he swam, rapidly followed by little Fig in hot pursuit! Quickly overcoming the puppy tendency to swim with front legs flailing around ears, within a few moments Fig levelled out and powered after his dad. Oak grabbed dummy and, to prevent Fig trying to take it from him, I tossed another out. Fig changed direction, swam to the second dummy, picked it, swam all the way back, got out and came straight to me without shaking or dropping, and delivered to hand!! To prove it wasn't a fluke, and to try and instil the basic idea of steadiness, we had a couple more slightly more controlled retrieves, each one as powerful and bold as the first, even when he didn't have his dad to give him a lead. For a pup who has barely held a dummy on land, I am seriously impressed!! Definitely a water baby!!


27th March 2014

Two black labradors, Oak and fig, laying in their bedFig is rapidly growing up into a very nice puppy. He is starting very basic gundog training, but not too much retrieving work yet as his teeth are coming through and I don't want him to associate holding a dummy with tooth pain. So we just do the steadiness and heelwork - a bit boring for him but essential for a well mannered gundog. To add excitement we do tricks which will hopefully help when he starts agility, so training sessions are fun and rewarding even if he does have to do the boring bits too! He is so willing to work, and very quick to understand. Very like his dad at that age, I'm pleased to say!

Oak is having lots of fun working with me at agility, fine tuning the training before the competitions start. We have been to some small shows which we have used as training practise - you can never replicate the excitement of a show in a training class so it's worth "throwing" some competitions just to practise contact points, for example. We have such fun together Oak and I!

Ash is relaxing after the shooting season and being a wonderful uncle to Fig. His patience is boundless and they play together for ages. Ash is also doing a wonderful job of educating young humans not to be afraid of dogs. Many relations have brought their young children to meet Fig as they are scared of dogs. It doesn't take long playing with Ash before his kind and gentle nature has overcome their fears and they want to take him home! Needless to say I am not letting him go anywhere! He does love to play with the children though, and is such a kind teacher of the benefits of loving a dog.

2nd February 2014

Mid Downs Dog Agility Club held their annual Award ceremony for 2013. Oak won best Grade 2/3, best Large dog, best Gundog, and Best Overall dog! What an amazing year for him! He really is a dog in a million! The awards are very special as it’s lovely to look back and see who won them in past years. For example, Fife won best Grade one dog in 2006, Oak won it in 2012, and this year my husband Tom won it with Fife’s grandson Sam. The best gundog trophy was presented in memory of Fife, and the first year it was awarded it went to a nephew of his, and this year to his son Oak. It’s really rewarding to see dogs of our breeding doing so well in a sport they enjoy so much

27th January 2014

Fig has now been with us for a month, and is well settled in the pack. He has at last outgrown the biting stage, thank goodness, and Dad Oak and Uncle Ash now enjoy playing with him. He is a joy to train, very quick to catch on and wanting to learn and please.

Obviously training is only a “game” as far as he is concerned, and is very treat orientated at the moment. Fig is a real “piggy Figgy” so treat based lessons are very popular! He travels well in the car, is confident meeting other dogs, people, and horses, is not worried by traffic or unusual noises and, at 12 weeks, takes everything in his stride. Sometimes initial puppy confidence can wane, so I am trying to give him as broad horizon as possible, in the hope that if his confidence does slip when he hits his teens, he will have been so brave to start with that he won't slip too far back. Currently he is bold without being too gun-ho! Long may it last!

The shoot season has finished for us now, so the “big boys” will have their end of season check up with the McTimoney Chiropractor to make sure they have no hidden injuries, and then the countdown to Agility shows will commence. Can’t wait!


9th January 2014

Hello, I am Fig! I moved into the Rivermeadow household a few weeks ago, and I have made myself right at home! I am a confident little boy, nothing worries me, but I am respectful when I need to be. I respect my Dad, Oak, for example. He will let me cuddle up with him, but he won’t let me bite him.

Uncle Ash is a pushover though! I hang off his neck with my sharp little teeth and he just says “ouch, that hurts, please stop Figgy!”

Black puppy Fig at 9 weeks oldI haven’t had all my injections yet, but I have been taken to all sorts of places – to towns, beside busy roads, to the farm, to my Grandparents, to the vet, to have my tattoo done, and of course to work with Mum. I love the car! Lots of humans have visited us too, with plenty of little humans who play with me. When we go out I am carried if there is a risk of germs, and I get loads of fuss wherever I go! At work there is a queue of people wanting to look after me when Mum takes Dad and Uncle Ash for their lunchtime walk! I am getting the hang of this toileting lark, and they tell me I am very bright. I have quickly learnt my name and to sit, lay down, come when called, walk on the lead without pulling, and I’m learning tricks too. But I do bite and it makes Mum squeak! Apparently I will grow out of that and Mum says the sooner the better!

 I’m told I am progressing very well for a 9 week old puppy, but I have a lot to live up to if I am going to be anything like as good as my Dad. So I have booked into two puppy training courses to help me teach Mum to be as good as I need her to be. I’m looking forward to them. Dad and Uncle Ash are busy picking up on the shoot at the moment, so I wait quietly in my cage in the kitchen when they are out. It’s a chance to catch up on some sleep, and I know that it is never long before someone comes to let me out and make a fuss of me, and before I know it the family are back.

 All in all, I think I am going to be very happy here as a Rivermeadow Labrador!

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