We are lucky that the working side of the NSDTR Club is very active so there is a lot of encouragement to train our Tollers to do what they were bred for. They normally organise at least two Working days a year which are a good introduction for a raw beginner. We attend a monthly Retriever class down in the New Forest, as this is run by the NSDTR Club Working Secretary it must be the only Retriever class in the UK where the Tollers outnumber all the other Retriever breeds attending. Rupert loves Gundog training, especially marked retrieves.
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Rupert is on the NSDTR Club Gundog Display team again in 2008. CLA was our first outing as we missed both Highclere and West Sussex. Unfortunately we missed the Midland Game Fair as both boys had a virus but next year sees some big changes in our calendar so we are all very excited - more news to follow on that early in 2009.
We were on the team again in 2007 and the first display of the year was once again at Highclere Country Fair in May where we braved the downpours to put on two displays a day. Unfortunately the CLA Game Fair in July was cancelled owing to the weather and flooding. Rupert was injured for the Midland Game Fair so had to content himself with the Breed Booth and Gundog Parade while baby brother Ari stood in for him in the Display team.
2006 was our debut year as part of the Gundog Display team, although we had already represented the breed in the Gundog Parade at the Midland Game Fair in 2004 and 2005. We started out with our first display at Highclere Country Fair in May. It went very well. We were unable to join the team for the West Sussex Game Fair but were back in action for the CLA Game Fair in July at Broadlands, Romsey. Rupert's little brother Ari joined the team at the CLA, he was just 20 weeks and got a huge cheer when he did his puppy retrieve. Both dogs were at the Midland Game Fair and this was our last outing for 2006, as Ari was in Scotland for GBAS when the team did their final display of the year at Discover Dogs .
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Rupert displays his "Show" stand during the introduction |
Rupert retrieving a thrown dummy, demonstrating one of the stages of training |
Copyright Rachel J Bradley 2004-9