Gundogs! Far out, what a ride it’s turning into!

Hi, I’m Emily and this is my gundog, Hail.

We live in New Zealand, I’m a high school teacher by trade, and an outdoor enthusiast and novice gundog trialist in my spare time.

I’ve started this blog, Field Notes & Follies, to document the ups and downs of training gundogs from a beginners perspective. Naively, my breed of choice is currently the Long-Haired Weimaraner… a breed known more for their opinions than their precision. I’m learning as I go, and I figured I’m probably not the only one trying to work this all out without a lifetime of experience behind me.

How It Started vs How It’s Going

When Hail and I began our field trialling journey, I thought I just wanted to work on having a nice, well-mannered dog that would have better listening skills and behave at the pub. Since then, our goal posts have shifted, and we now have our first title (Novice Beginner Bronze – NBB), we are working towards our next title (Novice Beginner Silver – NBS) and we have even placed in minor championship competitions! Our ultimate goal will be to title in the Limit class and achieve Field Trial Novice Advanced (FTN Adv).

One of the things I have learnt as we continue on this journey is that progress in dog training is very rarely linear. When we started, I thought I had a pretty good handle on dog training basics. Turns out, I didn’t. Hail is by far the better half of our partnership. Her ridiculous and exuberant nature is totally infectious. Like any good teacher, she keeps me honest, makes me do a lot of self-reflection and has taught me a lot about problem solving. Just when I think I’m starting to get the hang of things, she throws something new at me. And while that can be hard to take in the moment, it is one of the things that I love about her, and this sport.

Over the last three years I’ve learnt that gundogs aren’t just something you have or train, they are a lifestyle. I don’t mind waking up earlier on the weekends than I do during the week. I find myself excited to be outdoors in absolutely any kind of weather if it means that we get to train and spend time with our training team. And, surprisingly, I have become quite accustomed to the feeling of wet feathers in my hands – a sure sign of a good retrieve. While this might not sound appealing, the sport is incredibly addictive and, without sounding too dramatic, it has changed the course of my life for the better. 

Why We Love It

The best part for me is the people. I have never been part of a group that is so supportive and cohesive. We have a shared love of dogs, obviously, but the way that we encourage and support each other has been what’s made this sport for me. I am so grateful to be able to call these wonderful dog-folk my friends. They challenge me to grow as a handler and as a person, and to me, that is what true friendship is all about. A bonus is that we also end up at the pub after every trial! 

This Blog…

The purpose of this blog is pretty simple. I’d like to encourage people to get out there and enjoy a sport that their dogs are genetically preprogrammed to do. Yes, it can be really daunting to put yourself into a situation where you don’t know what you’re doing. No one likes being a beginner, but it’s a shame to let our egos get in the way of us trying new things. We don’t have to be experts to enjoy a challenge, and we don’t have to be professionals to say it’s worthwhile. We are unlikely to become Grand Field Trial Champions. But we love this sport, and we’d love to share our Field Notes & Follies journey with you.