The K9 Camp

16/02/2025

I want to wish a huge congratulations to Judith and Piper for passing The Beginner Pet Gundog assessment.

Judith and Piper came for 1-1’s and some group training lesson la to prepare for their assessment so they could join our Novice class.

Can’t wait to continue working with you both.

16/02/2025

Worth knowing about your breed!!!

Merle dogs

Written by Julia Baxter but sharing for education. The number of merle cockers I'm seeing is terrifying for the breed 😔 breeding to standard is so important to preserve our breed 💔

For information only I thought I’d just clarify a few points regarding breeding, buying and registering of Merle dogs. The following are facts.

Breeds of dog that can be registered with the Kennel Club with the colour Merle:

Australian Shepherd
Beauceron
Bergamasco
Border Collie
Dachshund (colour known as Dapple)
Great Dane
Pyrenean sheepdog (long haired)
Collie (Rough)
Collie (smooth)
Shetland Sheepdog
Corgi (Cardigan Welsh)

The Kennel Club states :

“If your puppy is of a breed not mentioned and is merle, we regret that it will not be possible to register it. You must not register it as another colour.”

Cocker Spaniel is not on the list therefore it is not possible to register a cocker spaniel as Merle.

If you have been sold a Merle cocker with Kennel Club certificates than this has been fraudulent.

Some breeders have got around this by advertising “Merle” litters but registering them as “Roan”. This is again fraudulent.

Merle markings are present at birth whereas Roan markings tend to show through later.

Having a Non KC Merle cocker spaniel doesn’t make it legitimate. It isn’t possible to have a Merle cocker spaniel without it being a crossbreed. I believe that Collies and Dachshunds are generally the breeds being used to cross with cockers. If this is the case you have a cocker cross.

There is no such thing as a Merle cocker.

You can have a Merle cocker cross, just as you can have a Sprocker, Cockerpoo, labradoodle etc

If this is what you intended to buy and you are happy with your choice then that’s absolutely 100% fine. The reason for this post is to make people aware that there are unscrupulous breeders who hoodwink people into buying something that doesn’t exist.

How is Merle inherited?

“This type of coat is caused by a variation of a particular gene. Each dog has two copies of every gene; one that they inherit from their mother and one they inherit from their father.
The merle gene variant is dominant, which means that a dog only needs one copy, inherited from either of their parents, to have a Merle coat.”

Health concerns.

The Kennel Club will not register puppies out of two Merle parents.

“Dogs that have two copies of the merle gene variant, inherited from both of their parents, have an increased risk of problems with their eyes and ears, causing blindness and/or deafness.”

I hope this has clarified things a bit and that people will take time to read the information. There really is a bit more going on then “pretty colouring” and “rare markings”. Make sure you don’t get conned!!

For those that have regrettedly fallen into the trap, your dog will, I’m sure be a healthy and happy pet/worker!! Breeding from these dogs is not advised.

Photos show Merle on the left - Roan on the right.

15/02/2025

Due to HIGH DEMAND!!

We are having a NEW Class starting soon

The Beginner Pet Gundog Class will be starting on Friday the 28th of February.

Time: 3-5pm

Location: AB39 3XL (just past Dunnotar woods in Stonehaven)

Limited availability

This class is only open to Pure or Cross Gundog breeds.

See below if your pet qualifies to join us.

Want to book your space??

Contact me NOW!!

Breed standards are followed as per Kennel Club list.

Please note I am not affiliated with the Kennel Club.

Gundog

Barbet
Retriever (Chesapeake Bay)
Bracco Italiano
Retriever (Curly Coated)
Braque D'Auvergne
Retriever (Golden)
Brittany
Retriever (Flat Coated)
English Setter
Retriever (Labrador)
German Longhaired Pointer
Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)
German Shorthaired Pointer
Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Small Munsterlander
Gordon Setter
Spaniel (American Cocker)
Hungarian Vizsla
Spaniel (American Water)
Hungarian Wire Haired Vizsla
Spaniel (Clumber)
Irish Red and White Setter
Spaniel (Cocker)
Irish Setter
Spaniel (English Springer)
Italian Spinone
Spaniel (Field)
Korthals Griffon
Spaniel (Irish Water)
Lagotto Romagnolo
Spaniel (Sussex)
Large Munsterlander
Spaniel (Welsh Springer)
Pointer
Spanish Water Dog
Portuguese Pointer
Weimaraner

14/02/2025

Another fantastic class with these clever dogs and their handlers 🥰

Our Beginner Pet Gundog class is in full throttle and I’m loving seen everyone learning and working hard ☺️

We will have a new Pet Gundog Class starting on a Friday afternoon, if you want to join send me a message 😁

13/02/2025

I had Quinn coming over for a 1-1 to work on their lead work.

Quinn’s handlers were extremely pleased with Quinn’s progress in 1 lesson that they decided to join our Beginner Pet Gundog classes with their gorgeous boy 🥰

Welcome to The K9 Camp Quinn .

12/02/2025

Overload of cuteness alert!!!

Our puppy classes have started, 8 weeks of training to get these puppies and their handlers a good start of obedience training, bonding and leadership.

Fancy joining our puppy waiting list for the next block? Send us a message.

09/02/2025

Many of you know Mina’s story

I got Mina to train her to compete, but unfortunately we weren’t so lucky and Mina was found to have an issue with her elbow last December (something she been suffering for many months), with an emergency surgery needing done within 48h

Many of you helped us make that happen.

Here we are 2 months later, Mina been allowed light exercise now at 30min, and hopefully next month she will be allowed even more freedom (training)

Today we did some hunting exercise, she got a long way to go, but it’s a good start.

She is a clever girl, and we might not ever get to compete (due to her screw in her elbow) but I will help her to be as best as she can be. 🥰

Once again I want to thank you all for helping us with Mina’s surgery donations, prays and best wishes.

Our family appreciate ❤️

08/02/2025

COMING SOON!!!

We will be having Pet Gundog Classes on a Friday afternoon soon.

For more details send us a message 😊

08/02/2025

Lovely spud came to train with us on a 1-1 basis, we worked on loose lead walk and recall work.

Spud went home with some work and will come back once again to build up on his skills.

Fancy joining us for a 1-1 session to work on your dog’s specific needs?

Then message us now, we have some Sunday availability.

05/02/2025

Too funny not to share 🤣🤣🤣

It wasn’t trained by me 😅😂😂

03/02/2025

Steadiness and self control is a big kinda deal

We like to implement the good behaviour and what we expect from our dogs from the start

Stay means Stay, it doesn’t mean let your dog choose if they will stay or not.

We work on baby steps, so you can have a strong stay command in place, no matter what is happening around them.

We start working on it with The Beginner Pet Gundog classes.

Do you have a Gundog mixed or pure breed?

Then why not join our Beginner Pet Gundog Classes starting in February!!

For more details send me a message ☺️

01/02/2025

Last space for our puppy class starting tomorrow

Come and join us on a 8 week training program to get your puppy above and beyond all other ☺️

We don’t just help you train your puppy, we explain why we train the way we do.

Tell your friends and family.

Share with them and tag them.

This is a Sunday morning class, giving you the rest of your day free to have family time.

Time: 8-9am

Location: AB39 3XL

Cost: £120 for 8 lessons working out only £15 per lesson.

Our PUPPY foundation class will start 2nd of FEBRUARY!!

This class is open to ALL BREEDS.

With limited availability contact us now to hold your space.

Let’s teach your puppies right from the start.

For more information send me a message.

01/02/2025

Abby practicing some retrieves in the field

Seating beautifully nice and straight 🥰

As the season is coming to an end, already 😢, we will be missing the last day of the season as Connie decided to come in heat 🤦🏽‍♀️

Well we will go back to basics till the Working tests starts in March WOOP WOOP 🙌🏽

Love competing with this girl, she is teaching me so much, as my first competition dog, I couldn’t have asked for a better little girl 🥰

Love her to the moon and back

31/01/2025

We have started a Beginner + class

This was for the dogs that went trough the beginners but wasn’t ready for their assessment yet, so we are working with each specific handler to make greater progress and nail the final finish touches prior of them moving into the Novice level.

It was a great class, loved catching up and seen everyone after the Christmas and New Years break.

Thanks for coming back to train with us ☺️

See you guys on Sunday 🥰

30/01/2025

And another puppy visiting us for training, this time 5 and half month old Nuala, who will be joining The Beginner Pet Gundog classes soon as she turns 6 month old 🥰

Nuala is a gorgeous lab, who is eager to learn and please her owners.

A special thanks to her owners for bringing Nuala to come and train with us, see you soon Nuala.

28/01/2025

Little Luna came over for a PUPPY session 🥰

She is a cutie and very clever cookie

Want to say a special thanks to her owners for coming over a couple days after the storm.

It wasn’t too windy and the sun came out to shine on Luna’s gorgeous little face.

Looking forward to see you again Luna

23/01/2025

Our PUPPY foundation class will start 2nd of FEBRUARY!!

This class is open to ALL BREEDS.

With limited availability contact us now to hold your space.

Let’s teach your puppies right from the start.

For more information send me a message.