Barbet Bepop is so quiet

This is not a normal position for Bepop, I threw some crumbs which Bobby and Martha hoovered up immediately and Bepop remained where she was......she is soooooo tired.
Bepop is the dog I know best, followed closely by Bobby, Martha I am still working on how her brain functions and Betsy seems to have her own rules which Julian understands better than I. Jazz will be 13 years old shortly, and since his eyesight and hearing have almost gone he has his own agenda and  does his own thing in his own time!!!!. So back to Bepop, she is needing cuddles and attention, she is definately feeling a little out of sorts. The cat watching is very half hearted, she just seems as though she cannot be bothered. She is not outrageously hungry, she eats everything still but no teeth chattering at meal times. Bepop weighed in 4 weeks ago at 30kg, but when you feel her she seems a bit boney so I am increasing her food as her undercarriage is already showing signs and we have over 5 weeks to go.      

Grandma Bepop

If you look closely the pup is by Bepops front leg.Yesterday Bepop learnt the art of jumping silently into the puppy run, its only a small square run. Luckily she didn't land on the pups who were hidden under a fleece. I did worry that she would not be able to get out, as she may panic if the pups tried to feed from her. however she jumps easily and a click of my fingers and the word 'out' she sailed over with ease. Its a relief to me that Bepop is taking such an interest in the pups as it means they are having important 'dog time'.  

Barbet Grandmas

The girls are far too chilled about their new titles.

The working barbet

Spot the barbet working on her own.

Three shoots in a week, tough on a working dog and owner! On the second, a Wednesday shoot  Bepop had an interesting day, she flushed well but generally about a mile from the beaters, and she found more puddles to lie in than birds, yes we had fun and luckily no one really noticed that she was enjoying herself in a solitary sort of way. When we did find each other, she had that look of defiance, a look I know well from bringing up three children. I tried a few tactics, the Clint Eastwood hard stare, lifting up the ear flap and bellowing 'bad', I even resorted to the word 'treat' but when the opportunity for some picking up work came our way on one drive, I accepted with a wry grin. She was given permission to `run in` as it`s a drive that can result in lost birds if they are not picked up quickly enough. A free thinking dog given a freehand was in hindsight a bit of a risk, but hey, she did enjoy the experience when it started raining pheasants and she retrieved at high speed with a very silly expression. After that, calming down a turbo charged barbet was yet another challenge.

The third shoot was the following Saturday, I went with an open mind after the previous Wednesday, and with 3 spaniels picking up (all trained) we were in the mindset of a day beating with Bepop flushing the birds. All went well, she flushed within my sight at all times, only one incident with 5 deer which could have become front page news had I not launched myself and flattened her in her stride but on at least once the moment had passed, she resumed flushing. We had three lost birds on one drive which was holding things up, so I went to help. Two birds were found and the last one had been seen going into a hedge. This was no ordinary hedge, it was thick bramble with no real breaks for the dogs to enter, an impossible retrieve even if the bird was in there. I walked along looking for a gap, just as a bit of training for Bepop, a retrieving Jack Russell with attitude was what was needed, not my hearth rug. We found a gap which surprisingly enough she wriggled into on her tummy and disappeared. The noise of breaking twigs was deafening and you couldn't help but grin, and after some time she appeared out of a gap at the top of the field. As we walked up to meet her she was definately showing some interest, so I casually sent her back in to the awful hedge. There was a lot more crashing around, which is all we had to locate where she was, then it went quiet. So now we are not only looking for a lost bird, but also a big black dog. We stooped down looking to see a glimpse of black curly hair and bingo there she was and I was pretty sure she had a bird. Bepop takes her time to pick up a pricked bird, hopefully one day I will be near enough to see how she does it, she is careful and quiet, certainly no excitement. She found her way out of the hedge and presented the bird, and I heard from behind me the words '' that has to be the best retrieve of the season'';  am I proud....yes!...it was an amazing feat for a big dog. She is fearless of bramble, and her strength means she can get through the toughest cover if she wants. She certainly made amends for being free spirited on Wednesday and my conclusion is that every shoot needs a barbet; when all else fails send in the barbet.....
      

Bepop still wearing part of a hedge.

  

Bepop and a training day

I will write more later but my allotment needs me. A picture paints 1000 words, so if you take note of the way the welly boots are pointing, then take note where the dog is lying and which direction she is looking in, that sums up 75% of the training day. I think Bepop is smiling in this photo, if she were a poodle then I would be seeing the V sign!!!

Bepop back to training.

I have borrowed a video camera for a few days, and so am determined to get some footage.
Bepop is not so keen, but this is the first time since April that we have done any reminder dummy retrieves. Bepop is primarily a pet dog.

http://youtu.be/AkuL0BmAwrs

Hopefully later after work, we will try and do more.

Why do I love this dog?

Muddy bearded lady

I have forgiven Bepop for being such a grump at the Game Fair, its hard to be cross with her for long. I knew it was going to be a bad day,we arrived at the gamefair, she jumped out the van very excited, surveyed the situation and hastily jumped back in the van, and curled up into a tiny ball, she knew what was ahead of her!!. I have since told her that was her last Gamefair appearance, luckily her children are more excited about being in the pen and they make the effort to wag their tails and say hello to the thousands of visitors. Bepop spent the day curled up behind my chair trying to impersonate the grass she was lying on. When she is depressed, thats how she deals with life, curls up and its amazing how small she becomes, her head disappears and she looks rather like a shaggy cushion, no tail, no legs, no head, just black curls. On a positive note, she didn't dump in the ring, and those visitors that had dog biscuits were greeted in a normal barbet style, In hindsite, she may have been hungry as we had an early start (4.45am) so perhaps I need a slapped wrist for that, but grumpy dogs and a long day out at the gamefair don't mix. Remind me in 2012 not to take my dearest dog.  

Novaforesta Duplo hip scores

Another fantastic result for Novaforesta Duplo, he has 'A' hips having scored only 6 on his official results.

Novaforesta Duplo at 8 weeks

Be-Poppy aka Bepop and her French family

This is Lara, sister of Bepop.
Lara still lives with Bepops' Mother Agrippina in France.

This is Bepops' Mother Agrippina, she will be 9 years old in October.

Training Weekend

No internet for at least three days as we are off camping, and for some relaxing times as the sun is shining, however Bepop and I will be busy training with the SIWSC.
Bepop is excited by the whole idea of training, although she may feel the odd one out with so many Irish Water Spaniels.Lots of training ahead,as Bepop as a busy working season ahead.
One of my favorite photos taken by Graham Peacock (Remys owner)

Bepop can be a lady and a model!

Copyright Dogs Today,photo Tim Rose

Hard to believe that Bepop has three shoots lined up for next season, if she could speak she would be complaining that she would rather be holding a duck or pheasant, sometimes it is an advantage that dogs communicate with their eyes rather than words, and Bepop nearly always has one eye showing, so I can tell whether she is happy, or fearful or just plain hacked off! . 

Bepop as a puppy

Poppy aka Bepop
This photo was taken at the home of Isabella the breeder of Bepop

Happy Birthday Bepop 5 today

Copyright Dogs Today photo Tim Rose

Happy Birthday to Bepop, who is still curled up fast asleep and doesn't yet realise that today she will do no wrong as its a special day.

Dear Bepop.

Bepop  can be rustic and still have eyes!
This photo was just before she rolled.The Spring weather has increased her desire to roll in anything disgusting she can find, never a dull moment owning a dog like Bepop.

Brindille sister of Bepop.

Brindille is also keen on her veg, Bepop eats absolutely anything she is given, raw veg or cooked. In fact a couple of days ago she took a 1lb of parsnips and ate the lot with strangely no ill effects!

This is Brindille in the water

http://www.dailymotion.com/Piafou63#videoId=xdu9xq

Bepops' brother

This is Boone, the brother of Bepop and yes he does look like her. He, like Bepop will be 5 years old soon and he has had quite a strange life. I met him  whilst visiting Bepop all those years ago, he was a lovely well adjusted pup, but living with another male dog was not a match made in heaven so he was rehomed, then he was sent to another home in the States and finally for  Boone, a fourth home and he has the  stability and a forever home with a wonderful family. I hope that Boone brings the same amount of pleasure that owning Bepop does, always good when a story has a happy ending.  

A Teenage Bepop

This was in April 2007, so she was 13 months old. Hard to believe that she will be 5 years old soon.

Beaters day

Beaters Day, good weather, good food, good fun,good company,good dogs. Really sad its the end of the season, but now I can put some time into training Bepop and work on the areas that she plays 'deaf'


Julian and Graham with Bepop



Bepop and Betsy broke my New Years resolution

2011 and I decided I needed some normality to my life, less cleaning, more fun, so first rule, no dogs on chairs. Both dogs feigned sleep, followed by chronic deafness. Am I bothered? No not really, when I get my new chairs I will enforce my rule. Today I shall groom, with 5 hairy dogs its quite a chore to keep them all matt free, so  my old poodle Jazz can have his first 2011 make over.