Italy won the European Cup for British Pointing Breeds (Grande Quete),  the European Championship for English Setters and the European Championship for English Pointers (other results are still pending at the moment).  Everybody is happy, but many rumours started and the social media went crazy. I read every sort of rumors, polemics, attacks and accuses, which I do not want to spread further, but two topics deserve a deeper analysis, especially the second one. People complain about dogs whose nationality changes to make them able to enter the competition. Right? Wrong? I think this is a grey area. Italy has a huge number of dogs whose natural qualities make them suitable to these high level competitions. There are dozens, or more likely hundreds, of Italian English Setters and English Pointers that, potentially, could do very well. No other country can claim the same but… Some dogs have been seen and campaigned more than others because there are big fishes and small fishes. If you are a sardine, forced to swim among tuna, you will soon realize you cannot afford the trendiest trainer, nor the amazingly expensive travels all over Europe to stay on the top the circuit. Your dog will not have the same opportunities of a “richer” dog, you are perfectly aware he is unlikely to be asked to represent Italy. Maybe it is a good dog but, to compete at certain levels, being good is only part of the package.

So, let’s imagine you gave up any hope to compete in the European Cup but, let’s say, Transilvania proposes you a place in its team, would you accept? And if you, Mr. Sardine, accept, are we entitled to persecute you? I don’t think so and, let’s be honest, what would any of us do, if offered such an opportunity? What would I do? I do not know, but I might say yes to a country I feel connected to ( I am not very patriotic, I know…), whereas I would probably decline the offer if  it were coming from a country I don’t know anything about, nor I speak the language. This said, I do not think I have any rights to be judgmental about other people choices.

The second, more important, topic I am going to discuss still relates to foreign countries, but in another way. When I published the article on training problems in Italy and on the scarcity of game at Italian trials, someone suggested me writing something on Italians going abroad for hunting, training and trialing. Well, the truth is that, as far as small game, Italy is in a bad place. These animals are poorly, if ever, managed, and if you want to hunt or train your dog, going abroad can be a good choice. Can you train a dog in Italy? Of course you can, but it is going to be way harder, and your risk to pay in fines the same amount you will spend for a nice training holiday abroad. There is nothing wrong in going abroad to offer a dog more opportunity. If you have the time and you can afford it, why not? Serbia, nowadays is very popular, but before Serbia, Italian hunters and trainers had colonized other countries. I am not concerned about going abroad, I am perplexed about being dependent on “abroad”.

Many important Italian field trias (with CAC valid for the Italian Championship) are now run in Serbia. If you ask why, you hear different answers and some, the most convincing ones, pertains grounds, game and laws/local realities. Let’s start from grounds. Giacomo Lugari (an Italian famous hunter and video maker) , answering a post on Facebook remembered the European Cup run in 1999 in Tollara, Piedmont, Northern Italy. So the grounds… we have some suitable ones! I think so, but what about the game? The answer, this time , sadly is a no. I have never been to Serbia, but many, many Italians routinely go there and come back with happy tales about grey partridge. You cannot imagine how many partridges are there! You cannot believe! This is what they tell me and, yes I can believe them. I know what happens with grouse in the UK and I know that good wildlife management can produce tremendous results. Proper wildlife management is demanding, time consuming, costly and forces farmers, hunters, wildlife experts, gamekeepers and politicians to work together. Something must be sacrificed and people must learn to negotiate good meeting points, this is difficult but not impossible.

Someone justify Italy stating that Serbian agricultural techniques are 50 years older than ours and that this is a good thing for greys. Probably but… If we truly are 50 years ahead, we should be able to use our more advanced knowledge to recreate an habitat that might suit greys. I refuse to believe this cannot be done: do you remember Reinaissance? Italy gave birth to Leonardo da Vinci and other geniuses and now, their descendents, cannot successfully manage four birds?

And what about the money? In Serbia up to 500 dogs run in a day. Each entry costs 30 euros, multiply them for 500 and subtract something for “expenses”. Accessing training grounds costs about 100 euros a day (regarldess of the number of dogs you have with you), so remember about these money as well. I am a terrible accountant, but I came to the conclusion that Serbian grey partridge are producing quite an income. The Serbians have been smart in recognizing this and I think that grey partridge are improving the lives of those living there. There are the training grounds money, the field trials entries, people staying in hotels, people dining in restaurants… The Serbians are doing the right thing, and the Italians? What shall we do, besides thanking them for the opportunities they provide us? I think that maybe we shall get inspired and consider the grey partridge an excellent business partner: some more determined people would resuscitate dinosaurs for similar amounts of money!

The laws, adds someone else, we have more bureocracy and more rules than Serbia. We have animal right activist and an outdated law on wildlife management and hunting. This law must be changed , says someone else, but in Italy is hard to be proactive, each time you try, obstacles get thrown in the way. This is true, but is this enough to give up the hope in a better countryside, for better fieldsports? I truly don’t know.

L’Italia ha vinto la Coppa Europa per Cani da Ferma Inglesi in Grande Cerca, il Campionato Europeo Setter Inglesi Grande Cerca e il Campionato Europeo Pointer Grande Cerca, altri risultati devono ancora arrivare.  Tutti contenti ma anche tante polemiche. In questi giorni ho letto di tutto sui vari social e vorrei riflettere su un paio di punti, mi preme soprattutto il secondo. Il primo punto riguarda il fatto che alcuni cani cambiano nazionalità per entrare nella competizione. Giusto? Sbagliato? Condannabile? E’ un’area grigia. Il numero di cani italiani potenzialmente in grado di ben figurare in manifestazioni di grosso calibro è immenso, forse decine di soggetti, forse centinaia, chi può dirlo. Il numero di esemplari di “livello” non ha probabilmente pari in alcuna altra nazione al mondo. Però, ci sono pesci grandi e pesci piccoli, ovvero proprietari che hanno potuto (anche in virtù dei mezzi economici) dare ai propri cani maggiore visibilità e che, anche grazie a ciò, entrano in squadra. Il proprietario sardina, che nuota tra i tonni, che non può permettersi l’addestratore di grido, né un infinito numero di trasferte in tutta Europa, sa che probabilmente il suo cane non entrerà nella rappresentativa azzurra. Così vanno le cose, peccato, magari è persino un buon cane, ma occorre essere realisti. Poi, un giorno, alla nostra sardina, viene proposto di “prestare” il cane alla rappresentativa della Transilvania e la sardina accetta. Dobbiamo dargli addosso? Cosa fareste voi al suo posto? Cosa farei io? Boh, rispondo, il mio patriottismo si è ridotto ad un lumicino da un bel pezzo, se me lo chiedesse un paese a cui mi sento legata, forse direi di sì, certo se me lo chiedesse una nazionale di cui non parlo la lingua e di cui non so nulla, probabilmente direi di no, questo non mi mette comunque in condizione di giudicare le scelte altrui.

Il secondo, e ancor più importante punto, riguarda sempre l’estero, ma con un altro taglio. Quando ho pubblicato l’articolo sui problemi che esistono se si vuole addestrare un cane in Italia, e sulla scarsità di selvatici alle prove, alcuni mi hanno scritto toccare il tasto dell’estero. L’ Italia, al momento, se parliamo di piccola selvaggina, grazie alla squallidissima gestione faunistica, è dipendente dall’estero. Certo, il cane lo puoi addestrare anche in Italia ma fai 100 volte la fatica e rischi di pagare in multe l’equivalente di una trasferta!

Sbagliano gli italiani ad andare a preparare il cane altrove? No, prendono atto della realtà dei fatti e, se possono permetterselo, cercano il meglio per i propri cani, ciò è assolutamente condivisibile. Oggi va tanto la Serbia, ma l’abitudine di andare ad addestrare fuori , è iniziata da prima, lo stesso può dirsi della caccia (trovi cacciatori italiani in ogni angolo del globo) e delle prove. Io non ho nulla contro l’estero (o non avrei preso una laurea in lingue e letterature straniere), mi lascia tuttavia perplessa la dipendenza dell’Italia dall’estero. Molte prove cinofile italiane di alto livello, oggi sono corse in Serbia. Quando si chiede, o si prova a capire il perché, vengono date tante spiegazioni, le risposte più convincenti che ho avuto riguardano i terreni, la selvaggina, i regolamenti/ la realtà dei luoghi. Ma andiamo con ordine, rispondendo ad un post su Facebook relativo alla Coppa Europa, Gianni Lugari, ha ricordato la Coppa Europa corsa nel 1999 in Tollara ma…. Allora… I terreni… Esisterebbero anche in Italia! Probabilmente sì, se parliamo di spazi, probabilmente no se parliamo di selvatici, altro punto molto importante. Non sono mai stata in Serbia, ma tutti coloro che ci sono stati, per caccia, addestramento o prove (e parliamo di un numero elevatissimo di italiani) raccontano di tante e tante starne a disposizione dei cani. Dicono “non puoi crederci”, invece ci credo conoscendo la realtà delle grouse britanniche: avere selvaggina è possibile se sai fare una corretta gestione. È costoso, non è semplice e richiede l’impegno di tante categorie di persone, dall’agricoltore al cacciatore, tutti devono fare qualche sacrificio per un bene “superiore”. Difficile, tuttavia, non è sinonimo di impossibile.

Tanti giustificano l’Italia, asserendo che l’agricoltura serba è indietro di 50 anni e che questo favorisce le starne. Possibile, ma se noi siamo davvero avanti di 50 anni, è impossibile che non abbiamo i mezzi e le competenze per ricreare un equilibrio favorevole alla starna. Scusate ma mi rifiuto di crederlo, vi ricordate il Rinascimento? La nostra nazione ha dato i natali a Leonardo da Vinci e ad altri geni e oggi, i loro discendenti non sanno mettere insieme quattro pennuti! I costi? Facciamo due conti: in Serbia si parla anche di 500 cani che corrono al giorno, moltiplicate 500 per i 30 euro delle iscrizioni (cifra a me riferita), al tutto sottraete le “spese” ma aggiungete i permessi di addestramento che, sempre a quanto mi dicono, sono pari a 100 euro al giorno (cifra elevata se hai un solo cane, ma irrisoria se hai un furgone pieno di soggetti da preparare). Ecco io e la contabilità siamo due entità separate ma, ad occhio, direi che si va su cifre “interessanti” e che i serbi sono stati bravissimi, e lo dico con estrema sincerità, a capire quale ricchezza possano rappresentare le starne. Dalle fotografie che ho visto, le prove si corrono in zone rurali dove la fonte di reddito principale credo sia l’agricoltura. Le starne portano tanti altri soldini sotto forma di iscrizioni alle prove, di permessi per addestrare, di spese che normalmente affronta un turista: vitto, alloggio, la cenetta fuori e qualche altro extra. Immagino la faccia dell’indigeno serbo perplesso, ma felice, dal tanto interesse verso dei pennuti. I serbi sono stati e sono bravissimi ad aver compreso quale ricchezza avessero tra le mani. Noi italiani? Oltre a ringraziarli per le opportunità che ci danno, non potremmo, magari, che so, prendere spunto? I risvolti economici non sono abbastanza interessanti? Per certe cifre, popoli più determinati farebbero risorgere i dinosauri, altro che starne.

Beh, ma obietta qualcuno, da loro è più facile, non c’è la nostra burocrazia, non ci sono tutte le nostre “regole”, non ci sono gli animalisti.  Va cambiata la 157/92 affinché la situazione possa cambiare, tuonano in tanti, e so altrettanto che, in Italia, quando si cerca di essere proattivi e di fare qualcosa fioccano gli ostacoli e gli impedimenti, burocratici e non. Ma è questo motivo sufficiente per rassegnarsi ad una situazione faunistica, e anche venatoria che non ci soddisfa?

Le persone continuano a chiedermi le differenze tra le prove italiane e quelle britanniche. E’ complicato, ne ho già parlato in un altro articolo, ma i punti da toccare sono tanti e, più partecipo alle prove italiane, più differenze riscontro. Ho scritto partecipare perché le prove ho iniziato a “guardarle” nel 2004, ma da poco gareggio e, in ogni caso, in questi 13 anni alcune cose sono cambiate. Il mio ruolo, inizialmente, era quello del giornalista/fotografo, a cui a volte i giudici davano il compito di trascrivere le loro note. Ero un osservatore neutrale e ho avuto la grande opportunità di poter seguire le cose da vicino, pur restando ad esse esterne. Il fatto che io sia scesa in campo ha stupito chi era abituato a vedermi nel mio altro ruolo ma, questa nuova pratica mi consente di comprendere le cose ancor più in profondità. Le miei opinioni, impressioni, sensazioni e preoccupazioni non sono cambiate ma posso dire di poter vedere alcune cose con maggior chiarezza, e questo è un processo ancora tutto in divenire.

Ho spesso affermato che obbedienza e controllo del cane sono fondamentali in una prova di lavoro britannica ma meno importanti alle nostre prove. Dietro a questo approccio ci sono molte ragioni, alcune probabilmente più socio-economiche che non cinofile. La presenza della selvaggina è sicuramente uno dei punti chiave. Sono arrivata alla conclusione, non che ci volesse un genio, che ad essere “colpevoli” siano la presenza, o l’assenza, di selvaggina. Chi ha familiarità con le prove italiane, sa quanta fortuna occorra per trovare un selvatico, In media, direi che circa il 25-30% dei cani, nel corso di una prova, ha la possibilità di fermare e lavorare il selvatico come si deve. Circa il 30-35% dei cani ha invece la possibilità di “vedere” un selvatico ma poi succede qualcosa (compagno di coppia, capriolo, meteorite…) che gli impedisce di completare l’azione. A volte le cose vanno anche peggio: durante una prova corsa lo scorso ottobre non si è visto un selvatico. La mia batteria, se non ricordo male, era formata da 11 coppie, quindi 22 cani e alcuni cani, tra cui la mia, sono stati portati al richiamo per offrire loro una seconda possibilità. In totale si è visto solo UN piccione, come potete immaginare nessun cane è andato in classifica. In Gran Bretagna è tutto diverso, i cani hanno quasi sempre la possibilità di incontrare, poi qualcosa può andare storto ma, di sicuro, il mancato incontro non è in cima alle preoccupazioni dei conduttori.

Per trovare un selvatico in italia devi avere un cane sveglio che si porti addosso uno zainetto pieno di fortuna: purtroppo è tutto vero,  parlerò del perché in altri articoli. Tutto ciò è reale e tristissimo: io amo i cani da ferma e chiunque abbia la stessa passione sa quanto questa situazione possa essere frustrante. Immaginate la giornata tipo alle prove: ci si alza alle 3 del mattino (perché le prove iniziano prestissimo), si guida per 200 chilometri, il cane fa un bel turno ma non incontra. Al giudice è piaciuto e lo porta al richiamo, per dargli una seconda possibilità ma, di nuovo, non incontra e la prova si chiude così. Immaginate questo accadere regolarmente e avrete il quadro completo.

Anni fa, chiacchierando con un giudice, gli ho chiesto perché alcuni allevatori fossero ossessionati dai galoppi: esistono ancora cani senza cervello, né senso del selvatico ma che però hanno galoppi favolosi, tipicissimi per la razza. Volete leggere la risposta? Breve e incisiva: gli allevatori danno molta importanza al movimento perché per il 99% del tempo i giudici lo vedranno galoppare, data la rarità delle ferme. Quindi si ricorderanno soprattutto come cerca e come muove. La risposta ha senso, ma mi rattrista. Le prove erano nate per valutare i cani da ferma e accertarsi che fossero buoni cani da caccia? Quindi per ora abbiamo dei bei galoppi, e poi?

Credo che al cuore delle nostre prove ci sia il trovare il selvatico, meglio se fatto con bello stile e dei bei lacets ampi e profondi. È così difficile incontrare qualcosa, che quello che viene dopo è meno importante. Non sto insinuando che una bella presa di punto e una bella ferma non siano importanti, gli italiani ci tengono eccome, sto dicendo che una volta fermato il selvatico le cose non possono che andare migliorando! Forse è per questo che una volta visto il cane in ferma i conduttori lo raggiungono in corsa trasudando entusiasmo. Cosa succede se è un po’ esitante nella guidata? Se non è immobile al frullo e allo sparo? Probabilmente si chiuderà un occhio, tenendo conto di quanto sia già stato difficile incontrare.

In Gran Bretagna è tutto l’opposto: i cani corrono in luoghi in cui i selvatici sono presenti, a volte troppo presenti, il che rende vitale il controllo sul cane. Non è difficile trovare una grouse, la trovi anche senza cane, diciamo che la selvaggina è data per scontata. Ad una prova di lavoro britannica non sarà difficile vedere un cane in ferma, le ferme sono una cosa normale. Dopo tutto le prove sono nate per valutare i cani da ferma e senza ferma come si fa? Quando un cane va in ferma, da loro, il conduttore lo raggiunge tranquillamente camminando. Colpa di un eventuale regolamento? Dell’indole meno focosa? Può darsi, ma credo che il nocciolo della questione sia la consapevolezza, sanno che la parte più difficile della prova inizia adesso. Dopo la ferma, il cane deve guidare e fare alzare correttamente il selvatico, dimostrare immobilità perfetta al frullo e allo sparo e eseguire il “clear the ground” (ispezionare il terreno per accertarsi che non ci siano altri selvatici), il tutto condito da una buona dose di obbedienza. Le prove britanniche non sono facili!

Quindi… durante una prova italiana l’incontro è al centro della scena (meglio se il cane ci arriva con stile), mentre in Gran Bretagna il cane è controllato a puntino su come gestisce il selvatico dopo l’incontro. Agli italiani importa, eccome, di come il cane fermi e porti il selvatico ad involarsi ma, sfortunatamente, le occasioni per verificarlo sono limitate. A fare la differenza sono l’ambiente la gestione della selvaggina. Se scavo nella mia memoria, le cose che ricordo di più di cani specifici alle prove inglesi, sono il loro lavoro dopo la ferma (soprattutto le guidate) e l’obbedienza. Certo, mi ricordo anche di alcune cerche straordinarie ma queste occupano uno spazio più piccolo della mia memoria. Se cerco di ricordare le prove italiane, le cose sono rovesciate.

Che cosa è meglio? Non ci sono vincitori. Per essere vincente ad una prova italiana il cane deve essere molto determinato, avere molto senso del selvatico (e/o una dose gigante di fortuna), muoversi con stile e essere intraprendente, a volte anche troppo indipendente. Quando si ha il tutto nelle giuste dosi, si ottiene un gran cane, ma se si sbagliano i conti si producono cani che corrono per il solo piacere di correre e che sono inaddestrabili dalla persona media. Il sistema britannico, invece, controlla con pignoleria come il cane tratta il selvatico e obbliga i conduttori a tenere d’occhio l’addestrabilità. Di converso, a volte da loro trovare un selvatico è troppo facile. Se un cane potesse essere verificato attraverso entrambi i sistemi si andrebbe vicino alla perfezione.

People keep asking me which are the differences between Italian and British trials. I already wrote something but, the more I compete in Italian trials, the more differences I notice, they cannot be contained in an article alone. I wrote “compete” because I am not new to Italian trials: I began watching them in 2004, but I am fairly new to competing in them, furthermore many things changed in these 13 years. My initial role was the one of the journalist/photographer, who sometimes helped judges writing down their notes. I was a neutral observer and  it was a valuable experience as it allowed me to see things closely, yet from the outside. Getting into the competition surprised those used to see me in my “other” role, but allows me to understand things more deeply. My opinions, my feelings, my impressions and concerns have not changed but, I can see things more clearly and this is an ongoing process!

I often stated that obedience and control are more important in British trials and not so important in our trials. The reasons behind this approach are many, and some are probably more socio-economical than dog related, game presence, however,  is certainly one of the key points. I came to the conclusion (not much smartness needed here!) that birds, or rather their abundance or absence, are the culprits. Those familiar with Italian trials know that you have to be incredibly lucky to find a bird. On average, I think about, 25-30% of the dogs competing have a chance to point and properly work out a bird. Maybe 30-35% have a chance to “see” the bird but something prevents (a bracemate, a roebuck, a meteorite…) them to actually work it out, as required by the rules. Sometimes things are even worse: during a trial I ran in October no birds were seen, my stake was made up of 22 dogs, if I am not wrong, for a total of 11 braces. Some dogs, including mine, were also allowed to run a second round in the hope to find anything: well the only bird we saw during the whole trial was a (one) pigeon. As you can imagine no awards were given. In the UK, instead, almost all the dogs have the opportunity to at least “see” a bird”: then many things can happen, but competitors are surely not so concerned about a living feathered being on the ground.

To find a bird at Italian trials you need a smart dog carrying on his shoulders a tremendous amount of luck: this  is true, I will discuss the “why” in other articles. Besides being true, this is also very sad: I love pointing dogs and this would be frustrating for any person sharing this passion. Imagine what happens: you wake up at 3 AM (because trials start very early), you drive 200 miles, your dog has a nice run with a nice bracemate, and the dogs cannot find anything. The judge maybe likes him and gives him a second chance, but again no birds show up and the trial ends. Imagine this happening for most of the trials then you get the whole picture.

Years ago,  I was chatting with a judge about the tremendous emphasis some breeders were giving to their dogs galloping style. There were (and there are) brainless dogs with no bird sense who ”move very nicely”. Do you want to know his reply? It was a short and smart one: breeders focus on movement because, 99% of the time, the dog is going to be seen by judges while running, being pointing a rare happening. Judges are more likely to remember how he runs and how he searches, it makes sense and, again, it makes me sad. Weren’t trials created to evaluate pointing dogs and make sure they were suitable to hunters? So we have a nice gallop here and, anything else?
I think that what our trials are focused on is “finding” (that damn bird) , and it is better do it nicely with deep and wide castings.  It is so hard to find a bird that everything that comes later is, somehow, less important. I am not here minimizing the importance of a proper pointing style (Italians are suckers for this) but, basically, once the dog has found and pointed the bird, everything is going to be fine. This is probably why handlers get so excited and run anxiously towards the dog on point. What if the dog is a bit sticky? What if he is not super steady to flush or to gunshot? These errors are likely to be forgiven, given the aforementioned lack of game.

In Britain the opposite happens, dogs run in places where birds are present, sometimes too present, and this makes control vital. It is not difficult to find a grouse, on some moors you do not even need a dog to find one so… bird presence is taken for granted. Of course the dogs are expected to find,a bird, but there are usually plenty of opportunities to find one. If you attend a British field trials you will see many dogs on point, points are not such an unsual sight. After all, field trials were created to evaluate pointing breeds and you cannot really assess a pointer without a point! When the dog is on point, the British handler paces quietly to him. I am not sure whether pacing (vs running) is required by some rules, but I think it is more a matter of culture and awareness. The handler, in fact, besides being used to “keep calm”, is well aware that the toughest part of the trial has yet to come. After the point, the dog must work out the bird properly, demonstrate perfect steadiness to wing and shot, and perform equally well the “clear the ground”, all seasoned with a good amount of obedience.  British trials are not easy!

So… during an Italian trial the dog’s ability to FIND a bird (hopefully in a stylish manner) is under the spotlight, whereas in Britain the dog is carefully assessed on “how he handles the birds”. Italians do mind about how the dog points and works out the bird, but they unfortunately have much less chances to verify this. Environment and game management make the difference. If I go through my memories, the thing I remember most  clearly about specific dogs running in British trials is, the way they roaded and worked out birds, as well as their obedience. Of course I remember a few, exceptional finds and runs but they occupy less of my memory. When thinking about Italian trials, things are reversed.

What is better? We have no winner here. To be successful at an Italian trial the dog needs an incredible amount of determination, good bird sense (and/or a tremendous amount of luck), a stylish movement, some boldness and, sometimes even too much independence. When you get everything in the proper amount you have a great dog but, unfortunately, miscalculating the ingredients might produce dogs who run for the sake of running or are just too wild to be tamed by the average human being. The British system, instead, tests carefully how the dog handles birds and forces handlers to keep an eye on trainability, on the other hand, in Britain, finding a bird can sometimes be “too easy”. If only a dog could be assessed through both the systems we will be close to perfection.

Still curious about British trials? Check the section A Month on the Moor or click here.

Faccio fatica a capire perché, in Italia, debba essere così difficile poter addestrare un cane da caccia. Certo, l’obbedienza la si può insegnare dappertutto (ma a pochi importa dell’obbedienza), e si può lavorare con selvaggina “messa” ma, se si pretende di lavorare su selvatici veri le cose diventano complicatissime.

Iniziamo dalla selvaggina “messa”: la si può usare in alcune riserve di caccia (non tutte) durante la stagione della caccia (terza domenica di settembre – 31 gennaio, o 31 dicembre in talune zone). Quando la stagione di caccia è chiusa, si può allenare il cane nelle zone B (senza sparo) e nelle zone C (con sparo). Per accedere alle zone B e C e alle riserve di caccia, di solito, occorre pagare qualcosina e ovviamente pagare la selvaggina utilizzata. D’accordo, si può fare. Le zone B possono essere anche molto ampie, le C sono solitamente grandi quanto un campo e affollatissime di persone che vogliono uccidere qualcosa anche a caccia chiusa. In ogni caso, queste zone sono rare e i cani non sono stupidi: imparano i posti e imparano il gioco, vanno di sospetto, eccetera. Non va bene allenare sempre negli stessi posti, con gli stessi animali e con le stesse persone, è tutto troppo finto e i cani lo sanno.

Un cristallo non è un diamante, lo stesso possiamo dire della selvaggina. Gli esemplari allevati possono aiutarci un sacco durante l’addestramento, con loro possiamo ricreare situazioni e anticipare mosse, ma il cane ha bisogno di incontrare anche selvatici veri, in contesti selvaggi e imprevedibili. Quando la caccia è aperta si può andare in riserva e lavorare su animali semi-selvatici o sui terreni degli ATC, terreni quasi sempre deserti a causa della cattiva gestione, nonché del bracconaggio cronico. Però, chissà, magari si può incontrare la beccaccia occasionale, il beccaccino che si è perso, o il fagiano scaltro che l’ha avuta vinta su tanti cacciatori. Ma, c’è un altro problema! Si può allenare solo da metà agosto alla terza domenica di settembre poi, quando apre la stagione della caccia, si è costretti ad andare a caccia! Le nostre leggi non consentono, a caccia aperta, di addestrare, solo di andare a caccia, il che significa che dovete pagare la licenza, l’ambito, le tasse e andare in giro armati di tutto punto anche se non vi importa nulla di uccidere qualcosa. Mi adeguo alla legge, anche se non ha senso.

Alla fine della stagione della caccia, non si può più sganciare il cane. La legge è chiara: gli unici cani che possono stare liberi sono i cani da caccia, detenuti da persona con regolare licenza di caccia. Ma i cani possono stare liberi solo dalla fine di agosto alla chiusura della caccia, quindi il fatto che io ora liberi il cane dietro casa, su terreni vuoti, fa di me un bracconiere, giusto per rendere complicate le cose semplici. Per trovare dei selvatici, però, bisogna essere più coraggiosi e fare i “bracconieri avanzati”, cioè andare nelle zone protette, come i parchi e le zone rosse. Ci sono animali? Può darsi, non credo che queste zone siano molto curate, sono quasi sempre lasciate a se stesse. I nostri politici trattano tali zone come musei e si scordano che esse devono essere curate, la selvaggina deve essere assistita, un parco non è un soprammobile! Così, mentre noi con il cane da caccia non possiamo entrare, queste aree sono in balia di famiglie, ciclisti, runners e a volte anche di motociclisti, ah.. mi stavo dimenticando i cani di famiglia! I cani da caccia disturbano e uccidono la selvaggina, ma nessuno fa caso al cane da pastore della Signora Rossi. Sì dovrebbe essere legato anche lui, ma è un cane da pastore, chi poteva pensare che prendesse una lepre o un capriolo. I cacciatori hanno una reputazione bruttissima, uccidono gli animali e, automaticamente, qualsiasi cosa ad essi connessa, diventa negativa e pericolosa.

Non mi piace fare cose illegali e non ho mai grande successo in queste esplorazioni. Se vado in una zona proibita, mi rimpicciolisco in formato gnomo e mi fermo al massimo 10 minuti, nel frattempo arrivano orde di famiglie con bambini e cani da compagnia. Però, quelli che rischiano la multa siamo io che mi muovo in silenzio e il mio cane da caccia, anche se è ubbidiente, fermo al frullo e si blocca a comando, noi disturbiamo. Essendo imbranata, non ho storie di “bracconaggio” da raccontare, ma posso raccontarvi del declino che vedo in tante aree protette: sempre meno selvaggina, sempre più spazzatura, sempre più gente fuori posto. Altri addestratori mi hanno raccontato storie assurde, come l’essere inseguiti dai carabinieri alle 7 del mattino per aver sganciato il cane o di  fughe dalle guardie fatte a nuoto. Bel modo per sprecare denaro pubblico. Tante persone, soprattutto la gente di città, non riescono a capire la differenza tra l’addestrare un cane e l’andare a caccia: se gli parli di “cani da caccia”, capiscono solo caccia, e se vedono un cane da caccia libero, vedono anche un fucile che non esiste. Ovviamente sono indifferenti a cani di altre razze liberi. Mi è stato raccontato di un uomo, un addestratore per altro in gamba, che allena indossando scarpe da calcio: per fuggire più velocemente in caso qualcuno chiami le guardie.

Eppure, chiunque abbia un cane da caccia “addestrato” e decida di allenarlo, non fa del male alla selvaggina. I nostri cani non inseguono gli animali e non li uccidono: vogliamo solo trovarli e lì finisce il gioco. Disturbiamo molto meno di un gruppo di ciclisti. Molti di noi sarebbero felici di pagare qualcosa per addestrare legalmente su “selvaggina buona” e sarebbero disposti a sottoporre il cane ad un esame che ne certifichi l’ubbidienza. Se vedete qualcuno che con fare “sospettoso” si aggira per la campagna con un cane da caccia libero, fermatevi a guardare quel che fa, andate a scambiarci due parole. Non andate in panico e non generate altro panico chiamando carabinieri, polizia ed esercito.

Circa 15 anni fa era possibile, pagando una piccola tasse annuale, addestrare in un parco regionale. Ci andavo, c’era qualche fagiano e c’era sempre qualcuno, l’intera area era monitorata da cinofili e cacciatori, ti faceva sentire al sicuro. Arrivavano persone da diverse parti del nord Italia, poi i permessi sono stati revocati e la qualità della zona è drammaticamente scesa: nessuno ci va più. Chi andava lì ora è probabilmente tra i tanti che vanno a preparare i cani all’estero, i loro soldi ora vanno altrove e non all’economia locale. Non un lieto fine.

I cannot stop wondering why, in Italy, shall be so difficult to train your pointing dog. You can train basic obedience everywhere (but none is really interested in teaching obedience here) and you can legally plant birds in specific places but, if you want to train on wild animals, things get incredibly complicated.

Let’s start from planted birds: they can be released in some (not all) private estates during the hunting season (3^rd week of September to Jan 31^st – or until December 31^st in some areas). When the hunting season is closed, you can still run you dog on B training grounds (these are no kill areas) and on C training grounds (killing is allowed here). To enter estates and B and C training areas, you usually have to pay a fee and pay for the birds you are training on. I am fine with that and B areas can also be quite wide, while C areas are usually no bigger than a “field” and overcrowded with people wanting to shoot something when the hunting season is closed. These areas, moreover, are quite rare and dogs are not stupid: they learn to recognize the place and know what is going to happen there so… they sometimes are not really very serious about finding birds, they act suspicious and so on. You cannot train always in the same place, with the same people and with the same birds, is simply too artificial, dogs are smarter than we think.

Crystals are not diamonds, the same is true with wild birds and released birds. Released birds can help you a lot during training, they allow you to set up specific situations, but your dog needs to meet some truly wild birds, in wild, unpredictable settings. During the hunting season, again, you can go to estates and work on semi-wild birds or hope to find something on public/unkept grounds which makes up 99% of Italian hunting grounds. These grounds, unfortunately, due to poor wildlife management (& chronic poaching) are usually empty but maybe you can find the occasional woodcock, the snipe which got lost, or the smart pheasant that defeated many hunters. But, there is another problem here: you can train your dog on public grounds from late August to the opening of the hunting season, after the season opens…. Our laws say that you cannot longer train your dog, only hunt with him. This means you have to pay high taxes, get a hunting license and go around carrying a shotgun pretending to be out to kill, and not to train. I adhere to the law, again, but it does not make sense.

When the hunting seasons ends, you are no longer allowed to roam around with your dogs. Our law is clear: the ONLY dogs allowed to run off lead are hunting dogs, owned by a hunter (aka person who pays hundreds euros in taxes, year after year) and only from the end of August to the end of the hunting season. So, the fact I now let Briony run on an empty ground by my house, with nothing nesting there and almost no wildlife, makes me a poacher. How to make simple things complicated!

If you want to find some useful game, you have to be bolder and become an advanced poacher entering protected areas like parks and the so called “red areas”. Are these rich in birds and other animals? It really depends, I do not think these places are well cared, in most instances they are not cared at all. Our politicians treats these areas as they were museums, forgetting they need to be taken care: a park is not a figurine you can place on your furniture, wildlife needs nurturing. So, while us, with our dogs, cannot legally set foot on these areas, families, bikers, joggers and often bikers,  I was forgetting pet dogs! So, while gundogs are not allowed, because they disturb, scare and kill game, none notices Mrs Rossi off lead shepherd who had just retrieved a hare or taken down a roe buck, because he is not a “hunting dog”. Hunters have a bad reputation “because they kill animals” and anything associated to them becomes automatically negative and dangerous.

I do not like doing illegal things, and I am never successful at exploring protected areas: I shrink to gnome size and stay maybe 10 minutes, then go away while other loud people arrive with packs of kids and dogs. But, of course, my obedient/steady to flush/droppable on command dog… is the nuisance! Not being good at “poaching”, I do not have any interesting stories to tell, but I can tell you I witnessed some protected areas’ decline: less game, more garbage and more “un-respectful people”. Other trainers told me funny stories about being chased by police at 7 AM (such a waste of public money!), or being forced to swim away from guards because they had a hunting dog off lead. There are people, city people usually, who clearly cannot grasp the difference between dog training and hunting. They skip the dog in the “gundog” word, the can see invisible shotguns and panic as soon as they see a hunting dog running free (other breeds are fine!). I was told about a man, quite a good handler indeed, who trains setters wearing football (soccer) shoes to run faster in case police get called.

I would like to make it clear than I, nor anybody who has a pointing dog under control, are damaging wildlife. Our dogs do not chase animals, we just need to find animals, then the game ends: none gets hurt and my dog is surely less disturbing than a group of loud cyclists. Most of us would be happy to pay a fee to be allowed to train where some wildlife exist and, I think, would also be happy to pass an exam to prove our dogs are under control. So if you see anyone suspicious with an off lead gundog, watch what they are doing and maybe go to talk with them, don’t panic and don’t generate further panic, please don’t call the army!

About 15 years ago, it was possible, paying a small yearly fee, to train in a regional park. I used to go there, there were a few pheasants and the whole area was continuously patrolled by dog trainers coming from several parts of Northern Italy. As big as it was, you always ended up finding someone with another pointing dog and… feeling safe! Now, for some mysterious reasons, this is no longer possible and, again, game presence and place itself, dramatically declined. People who used to come here, now go training abroad and their money is no longer going to local restaurants, hotels and service stations, not a happy ending.

Just in case folks think I have forgotten about training dogs😊

Do you click with your dog?

It normally took years for trends to reach African shores, that was until Africa discovered the worldwide web. Information and training techniques spread like wildfires over a sun-dried African savannah, for good or for bad these techniques were spread like the gospel and seen as the miraculous training method. This, unfortunately, does not only apply to Africa, but to many parts of the world.
To break it down, you need to have a comprehensive understanding of how a dog’s mind works.

A dog understands his name by repetitive training and positive reinforcements. A dog understands commands several ways, you can force it like with force fetch training (negative – positive response training) working on a leash is something I consider force training too, although a more positive less negative form of training. You can also use condition training like with a clicker and treats. Then there is the method I believe in, as taught by Jeppe Stridh, the 95% positive reinforcements /praise and 5% correction method, using the red light- green light principles. Although during the initial training phase it would be more correct to say it is a combination of the order of the principles. Right at the start of the training, the very beginning, treats may be used to teach a sit command to a puppy, but it is also the only phase they may get used in. This initial treat is more a bonding exercise, than a treat training exercises as you are replacing the bitch in the feeding cycle.

I could have titled this article How to confuse your dog and frustrate yourself because this is exactly what we are doing blending training methods and techniques. The secret, that is no secret at all when training a dog, is and always will be consistency. Besides the verbal and whistle commands a dog responds to tone and body language (as well as hand signals) of the handler too. Keeping everything consistent is what turns a good dog into a better one. Why do I not use the clicker method? Read for yourself and decide.

It is my belief and opinion that a dog that works for respect and affection (praise) within a pack type environment will in the end outclass and outlast any dog trained by clicker and or treats. If you use a clicker and treats, the only reward your dog receives is the treat and limited freedom. My preferred method rewards the dog with unlimited freedom, praise and a understanding of where it fits into the pack, it also teaches the dog respect. Besides all of the above, it builds confidence and trust in both the dog and the handler while forging a stronger bond between them. Contrary to what people believe my hunting dog is not kept in a kennel and then cut loose every now and again. My dog lives with me, on the couch, on the bed, in the car, but I can at anytime give my dog a command when I no longer wish for him to be on the bed or couch and he will comply!
You do not need skills to train with a clicker, neither do you need confidence or ability. You are solely relying on the clicker and treats to train the dog. With limited skill and ability, you are no leader to your dog, you are a treat dispenser! When a dog lives in the wild, there are no treats to teach him, there is a pecking order within the pack environment to which every dog adheres or gets rebuked by one of the pack members. It is a simple and common language that dogs have developed over hundreds of years, why change what the dog understands?

It is common knowledge that the level of control/discipline during trial competitions have decreased over the past 40 plus years, the reason has nothing to do with the ability of the dogs but rests solely with the trainers who either train using “new” methods or prescribes to the philosophy that wilder dogs hunt better. A multidiscipline hunting dog needs a multidimensional training method using consistent commands and corrections executed at exactly the right moment.

A good trainer, or handler, will plan every single detail of his training sessions down to the finest details. He will know exactly which commands to use, when to apply more correction or when to give more encouragement. He will have a confident body posture and language, he will anticipate an error by the dog and correct it at exactly the right time. His tone will be steady and simple without repeating commands or physically touching the dog. There will be no confusing, or contradictory, commands given. The dog will clearly understand what is expected from him during these sessions. If you lack the confidence and ability seek help, training in front of the mirror by yourself is a good start, so is writing down your commands and memorizing them.

Many clicker trainers find themselves frustrated and confused once they have to work a dog in a uncontrolled environment. Dogs that run after rabbits and chase cats are common. Dogs that do not socialize well with other dogs and people are not uncommon either. Once the dog reaches a distance away from its handler where the clicker is no longer effective, it is pure chaos. Making it even worse is that now the handler tries to “speak” to the dog using other methods with disastrous results. You cannot speak Afrikaans to a Chinese dog and expect it to understand you! Why start training with the clicker if you know it will not be effective once the dog reaches a certain distance from you, why go and teach a whole new language to the dog if you could have used one language right from the start?

Working a dog out to 300-400 meters takes more than skill. The invisible lead that runs between dog and handler is woven from skill, ability, respect, praise, trust and glued together by the bond of interaction forged by hours and years of work. I have unfortunately seen more dogs getting trained with e-collars after clicker training. I will be humble and say this, if a dog is happy and you can control his three basic instincts (to hunt, to mate, to fight) when the dog is off leash then no matter what method you have used, you have succeeded.

Next article here.

Tok Mostert, a Professional Hunter from South Africa, now living in Sweden,  is sharing his writings on dog training with us. You can start reading them from Part 1 here.

British Field Trials: What’s Inside – Originally Published in Sentieri di Caccia December 2016

Disclaimer: This is the second of a series of articles I wrote for the Italian press. I wrote this article for Italian readers, this means that British people are not going to learn anything new from these pages and, whereas I did my best to be accurate, they may even find some inaccuracies. If so, please notify me. The first article of the series can be found here.

Italy breeds the best English Setters in the world, so presumably Italy also organizes the best field trials in the world, if so… why go to compete in Great Britain?

What you just read above is the widespread Italians opinion on the matter. Are they right? Are they wrong? This is an “opinion”, hence I do not think it can be right or wrong, it is simply an opinion. The true, or presumed,  supremacy of the Italian English Setter is rooted in our culture, our believes and our tradition about hunting and shooting. Is my choice to compete in the UK an expression of dissent? No, or rather not completely, as I firmly believe that experiencing different methods and traditions can enrich dogs, hunting and trials.

But why the UK? For a whole bag of reason, some objective and some subjective; some widely accepted and some widely ridiculed. Some accused me of taking a shortcut,t as if British trials were much easier than ours. Wrong assumption! British field trials are NOT easier than Italian ones! I first met this reality in 2015 when I had the opportunity to watch the Champions Stake for Setters and Pointers. This was an awakening, James Joyce would have called it an epiphany, it was one of a kind experience which opened my eyes about field trials and training. Some of my readers probably remember what I wrote at the time, underlining that despite the lack of “professional” handlers, everybody was very “professional”.

A few hints

The first problem you have to face, if you want to compete in the UK, is entering a trial. Before you can even send your application, you have to get an ATC (Authorization to Compete) number from the Kennel Club. Then you have to understand when the trials take place: in Great Britain, trials take place only in specific period s of the year. There are two weeks of grouse trials in March; one on partridge in April; four on grouse in July/August and, finally, one more week on partridge in September. This is how things are organized for British Pointing Dogs, HPRs (Continental Pointing Dogs) follow a different calendar. Being the number of trials fairly limited (at least if compared to the hundreds of trials taking place in Italy each year), it often happens that there are more perspective competitors than available places. Each trial features only one stake (in Italy many stakes can take place simultaneously, on nearby grounds) and it is judged by two judges who can evaluate up to 40 dogs. As you can imagine, waiting lists are common and so are dogs put on “reserve”, ready to run if a another competitor retires. To enter a trial, competitors must contact the organizing club before the deadline and send the entry form together with the money (prices can range between 10 and 30 pounds). The club secretary will take care of everything and create a list giving priority to the club’s members and to dogs who had already had placement in British trials. As you may see, it is not easy for a foreign newcomer to get a run. In my limited experience, however, I learnt that usually Scottish trials are less popular and that the Novice Class is sometimes easier to access. When possible, moreover, is always good to show up at the trial venue because some competitors might retire their dogs right before the trial. As for becoming a member of the clubs, it can be done but it might take up to a year the formal sponsorship by two former members and meeting you face to face. Each club usually organizes two days of trials, one for the Open Stake and one for the Novice or for the Puppy Stake. The latter is open to dogs under 2 years of age. Dogs who had never placed 1^st or 2^nd but are older than 2 years can run in the Novice Stake. The Open Stake, instead, is open to any dogs (and compulsory for dogs who placed 1^st or 2^nd ) but dogs who had previously been graded are more likely to get a run. I managed to compete both in Novice and in Open and I watched some Puppy Stakes: rules are identical for any of these stakes but judges can be “kinder” towards dogs competing in Novice and Puppy.

I liked almost all the dogs competing in the Open Stakes: most of them were good and well trained specimen, the overall level was high. As for the Novice Stakes, I saw good and perfectly trained dogs but also some dogs who still needed more experience and more training, some of these dogs, nevertheless, possessed the natural qualities to do very well in a Open Stake. As for the Puppy Stakes, they were quite unpredictable but I really loved seeing people being brave enough to run young pups, some of them were not even one year old: I really enjoyed watching these stakes.

Obedience is extremely important

To compete in British trials (even in the Novice and Puppy Stakes), it is vital to have a good control on your dog. Dogs who ran away and disobey are not appreciated, they might make organizers and other competitors unhappy but, most of all, they will alarm gamekeepers. Dogs must be very steady to flush and shot and drop on command. Judges can also ask you to drop your dog while his bracemate is on point: some British dogs are not naturally backers, so the judge can ask competitors to drop dogs on command. These skills are not negotiable and it is not easy to obtain these behaviour when a dog is surrounded by grouse. Game density can be incredibly high, the dog must be under control and have quite an amount of self control. If we want to compare these trials to the Italian ones, judges pay much more attention on obedience: steadiness to flush means not moving at all, a dog cannot even attempt to step forward or jump on himself; turn left means turn left and so on. The same is true for steadiness to shot, I have been eliminated a couple of times because Briony moved or jumped on herself after the shot, excitement can lead to this, but does not make it more tolerated. During a trial you are not allowed to yell, nor you can touch the dog. You can moderately use the whistle to direct or drop the dog, but you cannot touch him unless and until the judge orders you to put the lead on. You cannot encourage your dog to road and produce the bird by touching him: this behaviour would lead to an elimination. The judge tells you how to interact with the dog: you have to wait for him to tell you that you can let your dog produce the bird; that you can pick him up or that you have to drop him. The biggest difference between our trials and British trials, however, is likely to be the behaviour judges expect after the dog has been shot over. In our trials we usually put the lead on and then maybe cast the dog again, if there is still time (our runs last 15 minutes), in Britain, after the birds have been flushed and a shot fired, the dog is supposed to “clear the ground” making sure there are no grouse left. Given the amount of game (you can read more about this here), it is unlikely that the dog pointed only one, or a few grouse, more grouse, maybe part of the same covey, might still be there and the dog has to work them properly. He should road and flush them, keeping his enthusiasm at bay but, most of all, without hesitation. This is not easy, many birds sitting tight together can produce a strong scent which can confuse the less experienced dogs, at the same time they might be incredibly tempting. Clearing the ground is not always easy, it happened to me to find several grouse during a clear the ground some of which were bold enough to fly straight into the dog’s face, a tough way to test for steadiness.

Each stake is judged by two judges and a dog, in order to be graded, must run twice: this, together with the clear the ground (that does not exists in our trials), increases the likelihood of mistakes being made. If you are still thinking that British trials are “easy”, let me tell you that the mistakes made during the run’s first minute – which are not taken in account in our trials – can lead to an elimination in the country ruled by Queen Elizabeth II. Hare and rabbit shall not be forgotten and, together with the abundance of grouse, make obedience incredibly important. The Italians main focus are the dog’s natural abilities and, therefore, they might be shocked by seeing so much importance given to obedience. Some of my countrymen think that focusing so much on these kind of details you risk to forget the whole picture. It can happen, indeed, but at the same time, obedience and trainability shall never been undervalued. While discussing the Italian version of this article with a British handler told me that, whereas he understood and partly agrees with the Italian point of view, “not selecting for a trait, in the long run, leads to a selection against this trait”. These were his exact words and I agree on them, my ideal evaluation, indeed would be something in between the two systems.

Let’s now talk about practicalities: you are expected to reach the venue ON TIME and drive a proper off road 4×4 car. Nobody has a huge van, it will not be of any use; people with many dogs have a pick up truck and a dog trailer. You might have to cross streams or drive on rocks, a normal car cannot do that. Lunch is eaten on the moor and you have to bring your own lunch (in Italy the venue is usually a restaurant and you go to eat there after the trial). Once the stake starts, people are allowed to follow on foot with the dogs kept on lead. As you can end up walking for hours in a mutable – and often windy- weather, it is advisable to carry with you all the clothes you might need. High heather, cracks and quicksand make the grounds demanding for the dogs and for you as well. All competitors are expected to remain until the end of the trials, when the awards are given. If, for a valid reason, you need to leave the ground in advance, you have to ask permission to the organizers and let them know when you are leaving. A steward of the beat coordinates what happens on the ground supported by one or more gamekeepers and a gun (the person who shoots the produced bird – without killing it). The gamekeepers present at the trials are the same people who take care of the moor all year round, hence they want to be sure that dogs and people do not harm the wildlife they protect. Trials are run in private estates which are generously lent to the clubs, competitors must respect the grounds and the wildlife: dogs out of control are not welcome and can put you under a bad light as well as put organizers in a bad position.

More on the differences between Italian and British trials can be read here.

The Puppy Derby and the Champion Stake 2016

In the summer of 2016 I watched and ran in many field trials that took place in Northern England (Durham County and North Yorkshire) and Scotland (Highlands & The Borders), here I am telling you about the Puppy Derby and about the Champion Stake only. Those who want to know more about dogs and grouse can follow my blog www.dogsandcountry.it , the section “A Month on the Moor” is entirely dedicated to my month among heather.  In 2016, the Puppy Derby and the Champion Stake were organized by the SFTA (Scottish Field Trials Association), a big club whose president is Wilson Young and whose secretary is Jon Kean. Jon is a journalist as well and writes on dogs and shooting, he trusted my skills enough to let me follow both the trials closely, I am grateful for that. The Puppy Derby took place on 9th August at Tollishill Estate, owned by the Duke of Northumberland, and located near Lauder (a small village not too far from Edinburgh, on the Borders between Scotland and England). Whereas the catalogue listed 30 dogs, only 9 actually ran in the Puppy Derby. This trial is open to dogs under 2 years old: I do not know why the numbers dropped so dramatically, it might have been caused by a kennel cough epidemic or by the fact that some pups were still not ready to compete. Many of the competitors were about one year old and certainly paid a high price for their lack of experience; hare coming from every direction further complicated things. Billy Darragh and Colin Forde (Ireland), who judged the trial, could only grade one dog,  Ballyellen Tango, English Setter dog aged almost two, owned by Billy Connelly (Ireland) and handled by Gerry Devine (Ireland), Gerry is one of the few professional handlers. Whereas only one dog could be graded, I saw some interesting specimen as far as natural qualities, I especially liked two English Setters and I hope to have a chance to see them at work again when they will be more experienced.

On 10th and 11th August, we moved to Byrecleugh Estate, still close to Lauder, kindly offered by the Duke of Roxeburghe. The Champion Stake is a special trial that takes places every year: only the dogs who had gained a 1st or a2nd placement in previous trials (Open Stake) are allowed to run. This year something new was going to happen: the trial would have been judged by three judges, no longer by two. The chosen ones were Meryl Asbury, Shaun McCormack and Michael Houston, the latter two were from Ireland. They were going to see 37 dogs, less than expected due, again, to the kennel cough epidemics. On the morning of the 10th, many dogs made mistakes which lead to their elimination. The first braces ran in very high heather, grouse were well hidden and walking away from them, flying from a distance; later in the morning grouse density decreased and things became slightly easier. In the afternoon we had a torrential rain, but many dogs did extremely well in those conditions (Photogallery for the day here). Only 14 dogs “survived” day 1st and 7 of them, I allow myself to be partial sometimes, were English Setters! On the 11th, all the survivors exhibited outstanding performances, confirming to the judges that they had made wise choices (Photogallery for the day here). I really appreciated how the judges directed the trial, they worked together in harmony and always sided with the dogs, never against them. They were incredibly supportive and really did their best to give the same opportunities to all the dogs and sometimes closed an eye on minor details. Having three judges (one on the left, one on the right and one in the centre) made this trial slightly different. The dogs were allowed to run further and wider and what happened was not much different from what I am used to see here in Italy. When allowed some more freedom, these dogs were still doing very well and were not inferior to most of the Italian dogs I routinely see at our trials.

Once back at the venue, Allan Neill, a very reputable trainer and handler from Ireland, asked me to tell him which dog was going to win in my opinion. You were close to the dogs, he added, so you should have seen everything well and have an opinion. Without hesitation, I made a name, Allan agreed upon the fact the winner was going to be an English Setter, yet he was not sure it was going to be the dog I named. But… I was right! FT.Ch. Ballyellen Cara (mother of Ballyellen Tango, who won the Puppy Derby) placed first: her run was unforgettable and she surely possesses some great qualities, I remembered (and liked) her from Champion Stake 2015, at the time she was eliminated but given awarded as the most stylish dog on the ground.

Champion Stake 2016

I° FT. Ch. Ballyellen Cara English Setter bitch owned by Billy Connelly (Ireland), handled by Gerry Devine (Ireland)

II° Frosted Elfin at Fleetstalk English Pointer dog, owned by Steve e Sharon Lound and handled by Steve Lound

III° Hunshigo Donard Irish Setter bitch owned and handled by Mark Adams (Ireland)

IV° Bownard Cherry Cherry Irish Setter dog owned by Donna Clark and handled Colin Forde (Ireland)

Certificates of Merit: Upperwood Clover and FT Ch. Upperwood Hera English Setter bitches owned and handled by Dom Goutorbe and Upperwood Ash Alert English Setter bitch owned and handled by David Hall

The organizers would like to thank the sponsor Red Mills.

Slideshow below

Una volta uscita dall’Eurotunnel sono rimasta un po’ male: non c’era nulla di speciale. Sì, finalmente ero in in Inghilterra, a Folkestone per l’esattezza, ma non c’era nulla di particolare a darci il benvenuto, ci avevano mandato via dal treno ed era finita lì, nessun edificio peculiare solo una strada anonima che confluiva in un’altra altrettanto anonima, ma più trafficata. Ho già raccontato del viaggio verso il “Nord” e potete leggerne qui, tra parentesi adoro quella scritta! Oggi vi racconterò cosa è successo nei pressi dell’aeroporto di Stanstead, mi pare fosse proprio lì miglio più o meglio meno, ricordo gli aerei volare bassi sulla mia testa.

Mentre mi preparavo per prendere l’Eurotunnel, mi sono accorta di alcuni puntini marroni tra il pelo di Briony. Sfortunatamente, ho trascorso il mio semestre “specialistico” (modulo professionalizzante) a Malattie Parassitarie il che significa che so più di quanto vorrei su insetti e altre creature che infestano gli animali domestici. La combinazione puntini neri +  cane  +  pelo era pertanto piuttosto allarmante,tuttavia ho cercato di fare del mio meglio per restare positiva. Del resto, prima di partire, avevo fatto il bagno a Briony, l’avevo pulita e toelettata perché volevo proprio evitare questo tipo di problemi. Durante tutta la sua vita, ha avuto raramente parassiti, sono pignola per queste cose, non avevo motive per temere il peggio. Ciononostante, volevo certezze! Era già pomeriggio quando ho iniziato a cercare una stazione di servizio. Il mio navigatore, e anche i cartelli stradali, ne indicavano una, ho seguito i loro consigli e mi sono persa. Può suonare stupido, ma abituata alle autostrade italiane, da cui non si esce per nessun motivo, salvo l’essere arrivati a destinazione, mi è sembrato molto strano dover uscire per poter fare il pieno. Da noi l’autostrada si paga, in Gran Bretagna no, ma è strutturata per dare al suo interno tutto quello che può servire a un automobilsta, per me era tutto strano. Seguendo le indicazioni, sono finita in un paesino, per l’esattezza nel Country Club di quel paesino: molto gradevole , ma non quello che serviva a me. Così, mi sono fermata in un angolo, ho respirato, mi sono ricomposta e non mi sono data per vinta, ho riprovato e raggiunto per tentativi il gigantesco parcheggio di un centro commerciale. Mi serviva il bagno, in estate bevo moltissima acqua, mi serviva qualcosa di fresco da bere e del cibo per cena, ma faceva troppo caldo per lasciare a lungo il cane in auto. Ho risolto lasciando la macchina mezza aperta e facendo tanti micro viaggi avanti e indietro.

Dopo il primo viaggio – verso il bagno – sono tornata all’auto, ho fatto uscire Briony e ho iniziato a scavare tra borse e valige. Obiettivo “la borsa delle spazzole” e il sacchetto delle medicine. Il primo ad entrare in azione è stato il pettinino antipulci, che ha confermato i miei timori: il cane aveva addosso decine, forse centinaia, di pulci. Eravamo partiti da casa senza pulci ed ora ne eravamo invasi, bella sorpresa! Non amo ricorrere a farmaci e sostanze tossiche e so benissimo che gli insetticidi meno potenti hanno efficacia relativa, ma qualcosa andava fatto. Ho così deciso di adottare una strategia strutturata su più fasi: il primo passo consisteva nel cercare le pulci, una per una, e spiaccicarle per essere sicura del loro decesso. Questo passaggio ha richiesto più di un’ora, dopodiché ho sprayato tutto il cane con Frontline, Rp03 (neem) e le ho messo un collare Scalibor (sono tutte molecole compatibili tra loro), capite ora perché quando viaggio mi porto di tutto? Tocco finale sprayata alla gabbia e alla macchina. Non mi piacciono gli insetticidi, sono un veterinario olistico in divenore, ma mi trovavo di fronte ad un disastro e andava fatto ricorso al’artiglieria pesante.

Sistemato il tutto, siamo ripartire con la speranza di raggiungere Woodland, nella contea di Durham e mia destinazione finale, ad un orario decente. Credo di aver raggiunto il mio B&B attorno alle nove di sera. Sotto la luce dorata del sole tutto sembrava accogliente e pacifico, i proprietari mi hanno dato la stessa impressione. Una piccola fattoria con muri di pietra, circondata da pascoli e da cavalli, un bellissimo posto da chiamare “casa”, anche se solo per un po’. (Slideshow sotto).

Ps. Se siete curiosi di conoscere la provenienza delle pulci, credo fossero francesi, omaggio dei gatti che gironzolavano attorno all’hotel…