From the day I got her at 6 months old, Luna had one fixed journey.....becoming a working gundog. Purchased with the idea of doing field trial competitions with her, it became quickly obvious that it wasn't her thing. She was a great hunter, fast and agile but when it came to competing she got stage fright.....the tradition of sitting and waiting to be sent off, and then controlled at a distance just didn't settle with her so when it came to performing, she'd stay put and not move. So we joined a local shoot and she took to it like a duck to water!
Fast forward to now and at 10 years old, she is re-training as a Conservation Dog and I wish I'd known about it sooner as she LOVES it!
The transition of course, is not an easy one. Training a working gundog is precise and needs an element of control and structure from the start of training which has led to a dog used to running through the undergrowth and flushing birds, to a dog that now needs to not flush and chase anything but to sit or "mark" where something is...be that a specific scent, specific sign or specific species.
I am training alongside her as her handler and aim to work as a team in conservation, bringing together years of knowledge and training, so 2022 will bring the addition of many booked training courses and a LOT of travel around the UK.
Not only do I need to reset my gundog trainer mind but I also need to reset hers to bring out her drive and her natural instincts to run and hunt. Follow here or #lunatheconservationdog on Twitter to keep up with her journey and see how things develop as we both embark on new paths into ecology and conservation.
