Cetgueli - curly coated retrievers and brittany dual purpose gundogs

12/09/2023

The Brittany Club of Great Britain is hosting a 'working day' at the end of this month - open to all hunt point retrieve breeds

A summary of the included activities are attached and entries can be made online at https://www.brittanyclub.co.uk/dis-event-117/

If you would like to know anything more about the event, such as what to expect from the different activities, please reach out to me or the club.

If you know of anyone who may be interested, or who is in this area and would like to come along and find out more about working hprs, please share this post ☺️

02/09/2023

Well we made it out before the tide came in!

Unfortunately we had a blank morning. There was a lovely flock of teal that came right over, just as the day was starting to break, but I didn't have my gun ready as I was waiting for a bit more light.

We weren't out for long - probably just over an hour in position. We started packing up about 06:20 as the tide started coming in really fast and Duke was getting a bit fidgety anyway so I decided not to push it.

Coming off we saw two lovely big canadas and heard some more geese and ducks, so fingers crossed once the tide stops coming up quite so high we'll be able to get Duke a bird 🤞🤞

01/09/2023

Darn high tide 😭

Looks like it should be okay for tomorrow morning at least 🤞🤞 🦆🦆

30/08/2023

A quick bit of cold game practice this evening in the yard.

Unfortunately I think our first day of the season will be Saturday not Friday - the tide is just going to be too high after work 😭

Duke is really building confidence with his picking and carrying now. Pei is keen as anything and Ber is just Ber.

We had a quick trip out to the marsh earlier. We weren't out for long as the tide was so high, and Duke saw some men strimming the grass. As curlies have guarding tendencies, he is easily distracted by seeing something (or someone) 'out of place' - and so he thinks men in bright orange on the path who aren't normally there need to be watched just in case.

The britts had fun though, stretching their legs and they seemed to really enjoy running and jumping through the extra water. Pei especially - Ber is a bit more focused on the job of hunting than the joy of life 😅

We still managed to get in some nice little retrieves with Duke before he spotted the strimmers. And he Loves running and splashing through the water so the very high tide and extra splashes was great for him 😂

30/08/2023

And now a downside about curly coated retrievers! Duke is the most messy drinker ever! He takes little breaks while he's having a drink to look around and dribble water all over the floor 🙈

We've gotten him an extra-deep bowl now, which helps some, but he does seem to just dribble water around the whole area 🤣

Do you think he looks sorry though? 🤔 😂

30/08/2023

One of the plus sides about the curly coated retriever is that you don't need to worry about buying expensive or large beds!

Duke has a selection of beds to choose from and yet he decides to lie on the floor or curl up under my desk! Although he does also quite like curling up in one of the smaller brittany beds too 😅

29/08/2023

A quick spin in the garden after work.

Duke wasn't in the mood to behave to start. I don't know if he's just finding the canvas a bit boring compared to the water work and game, but yeah, he just wanted to muck about so he had a telling off and then he wised up a bit 😅 of course when he did do right then we piled on the praise and fuss, to show that it's more rewarding and fun to work together, and if he wants to play I'll play with him as a reward.

28/08/2023

We had a lovely day out with the boys at Pontarddulais Agricultural and Horticultural Society open show today!

This is a really nice day out - lots to see with the horses and livestock, vintage cars and tractors, and an array of stalls too.

We were overjoyed with the boys results under judge Fiona Whitehead, with Duke winning a big AVNSC postgraduate class and then coming best AVNSC Gundog, and Ber getting 2nd in AVNSC gundog open and 2nd in AV gundog veteran to get Gundog veteran group 2!

27/08/2023

A properly connected dewclaw is a fully functional digit. In working dogs climbing steep and slippery banks the extra grip is especially useful.

In some dogs the dewclaws are only loosely connected and do not have the same bone and muscle structure for their functionality, and are therefore liable to injury.

Personally I prefer a good, strong dewclaw and appreciate how they are used by the dogs

Veterinary sports medicine specialist reveals the role of a dog's dewclaw in preventing injuries and its essential functions.

27/08/2023

About us! I created this page so I could share our experiences of living and training with curly coated retrievers and brittanies. Both of these breeds are uncommon in the UK, and so I wanted to raise awareness and educate people about these breeds, so if anyone is considering getting one or is looking for a new puppy they are able to make an informed decision before taking them on.

On our website there is some more information about us and our dogs, as well as a brief page about each breed. If you are interested in learning more about these breeds and think they may be right for you then please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have, or contact the breed clubs – The Brittany Club of Great Britain and the Curly Coated Retriever club.

https://www.cetgueligundogs.cymru/

https://www.brittanyclub.co.uk/
https://www.curlycoatedretrieverclub.co.uk/

Cetgueli - Sarah Finch. Show dog handling and gundog training. Brittany and curly coated retriever dogs available at stud. Based in South Wales, covering all of the United Kingdom

27/08/2023

We took Duke to a new dog friendly cafe in the village. He had a bonio biscuit treat and then we looked out across the beach.

26/08/2023

Duke's first trip to the Ferryside marsh - and we saw a seal!

Well it was either a seal or a sea monster 🤷 All I know is a dark, sleek back broke the surface twice so I called Duke in and put him on lead until it moved on. I wish I had my binoculars because I think it surfaced and floated further down the estuary.

I can definitely see that Duke is a bit unsettled in new areas or without the britts. When he's not 100% confident he messes about a little. We can cope with it now, but I think that's what it is, a degree of uncertainty and that's how he deals with it.

I'll have to continue to try to gently stretch and push him in ways he can 'win' so he gains more confidence for new scenarios

26/08/2023

Handsome boy 🥰

26/08/2023

Apparently it's today! So here are some happy dogs to celebrate! 🥰

26/08/2023

https://www.cetgueligundogs.cymru/about-the-brittany

We've added a new page to our website to provide some information on the brittany as a breed - why they may or may not be the right breed of dog for you and what they are like to live with!

Information on the brittany (epagneul breton) gundog breed. The brittany is a hunt, point, retriever and not for the faint-hearted!

25/08/2023

One more week until the real thing boy ❤️

25/08/2023

Such a happy dog 🥰