Have I got enough courage ?

Since our REALLY bad last test (we sucked) and the fact that the working test season is ending in a couple of weeks before the actual shooting season begins, I've found a novice retriever test that is on in October, I think it may be the final one for the year actually.

Because things have been going a lot better, and it's another month away I'm considering entering, just for the sake of having a go and see if this test is any easier at all ...

What does everyone else think ? Should I enter or do you think it's too soon and just to keep training over the winter and start again in the new year ?

I would say go for it

But that's cos I've been told to go myself And you are much better than me

What does the test involves? In details..
Do you have those things involved in place?
Do you feel you are ready? And not just 50/50 ready, but ready

Its a novice test and therefore ment to be about learning aswell. Therefore I would say you prob are.But no reason in going if it ends bad. You dont need that and neither does your dog. Then it would be better to wait, if you know what I mean.

The thing is you have about a month to be ready so if its a matter of details you´ll have plenty of time is this is what you want. Let me know if I can be at any help

if you feel confident enough have a go at it you can only learn

If it were me I'd go for it and just enjoy the experiance it will give you, use it to get your dog on display to others and then afterwards get round them all asking for advice, any one worth their salt will be more then happy to give you a few pointers, you can see other dogs working and watch their handlers, see how they do things.

You may be pleasently surprised at how your dog does on the day, and you can be inspired to to go on to greater things or inspired to concentrate on particular area's.

Good luck what ever you decide.

Thanks everyone

I'm going to email the woman who is the club secretary in the next couple of days and ask what sort of retrieves are going be to be involved, if it sounds ok and I feel quite confident then I will enter. But if I think it's going to be just beyond our limits it wouldn't be fair to enter. And like AM said it would be much more fair to the dog and myself to wait until next year when we have a bit more training under our belts and the dog doesnt have a memory of failing each time he goes out. I learnt last time how sensitive he was and how easy he lost his confidence in me, I've spent too much time over the last 2 months getting that back to loose it all again just for the sake of 'maybe' doing well. But I'm going on a bit

Will let you know what I decide

Thanks for the support

Hi Willow

I reckon you will do fine IF you get good feedback from the club secretary; didn't you say the last one didn't seem like a novice test, but much harder?

If you do go and it turns out to be hard, when you watch those before you, could you just withdraw?

Lindsay
x

Cant stop thinking about my reply to you and what you wrote back
Think I may have written it so you can misunderstand

I think you can do a novice test without any probs Willow. And I think you can learn a great deal from the trial. What I´m worried about is you and your confidence. Thats what I ment about do you feel ready.

Did you get any details on the trial?
Why I think that could help you is so you can train and prepare yourself and your dog and hopefully walk away being a succes and more eager to proceed this Like if one post is 3 pick ups, then do 4 or 5 when training..etc.
If the test is in wodded area then go train in similar areas and make is as many as possible.
Do whats nessecary to be on top of it and if you feel ready then go for it.

If you decide this isnt to happen yet, then maybe sign up as a helper on this test? Make sure you can help out in the novice group as you will learn tons from watching the others (and their mistakes ).

Let us know what you decide? And I´m sorry if you read my reply wrong. I know it was bad writing - sorry

I've too have been think about my reply, I still think it would be a good idea to take it on, what I would say though is not to go in to it with high expectations, treat it purely as a tool to give your self and the dog some experiance and collect feedback, in that respect it could prove invaluable.

I'm not really a retreiver man, but what I can remember of novice retriever tests
they're pretty straight forward, a marked retrieve, an easy blind and perhaps another exercise thrown.

And remember this, its never going to be as bad as my first spaniel test

We spent many hours, days, months together honing the skills we needed, great fun it was, the big day came for our debut, the day me and my novice springer were going to take the gundog world by storm, unfortunately that was also the day my springer discovered the joys of shadow chasing and greeting every member of the watching crowd

But all that didn't matter, she was still the best dog there, and she's a great worker when the suns not shining

I can't believe I've just told the world about my most embarrasing moment ever.

I am glad you did Lolli. Saves me from sharing mine