Can anybody help, I am looking for somewhere in Norfolk where I can take my young labrador for Field Trial training. Very grateful of any information.

Norfolk is covered by the Essex Area of the United Retriever Club. The secretary is Mrs S Searle. Phone 0181 3464789. I don't know where they train and it may be a way from you but she may well be able to point you at something nearer.

Regards, John

Thanks John I will give her a ring.

John I've tried this number and its unrecognisable, do you have an up-to-date one?

Try dialling 020 8 346 4789 - 0181 was the old dialling code for outer London

Margot

Oop's! That is the second number I've passed on to people in the last month with the old dialing code! And that was straight out of the latest URC membership list!

Sorry, John

while you've got your list out John, you wouldn't mind looking one up for me would you, any where round Penzance, Falmouth areas, west Cornwall.

Much obliged.

Robert

Robert, that's just about the whole of Cornwall south of Truro, isn't it??? :D :D

It is, it sounds a large area, but Truro is only 40 minutes away, and Penzance 30 so were quite compact down here, small but perfectly formed, wish I could say the same about me :D

Robert

Thanks, managed to get through on this number.

Hope she was able to help.

Regards, John

John, sorry. . . :D but you don't happen to have the number for the URC in Gloucestershire do you?

~ Sharon :)

Hi Robert and Sharon.
There are two URC areas down the west country.

Border Counties and Cotswold
Mrs C Tobin
Rose Cottage
Compton Bishop
Somerset
phone 01934-732327

or

Hampshire and South West
Mrs P Domone
Wren's Return
28 Grosvenor Close
Ashley Heath
Ringwood
phone 01425-478315

As before, I don't know where they train but if they are too far away they might well know something nearer. We tend to know other groups around an area because of entering working tests and the like.

Best wishes, John

Thanks John, they are both a bit far for me, but I will give the one in Somerset a call to see if she knows of one closer.

~ Sharon :)

The answer is usually only a phone call away Sharon. Gundogs are a close knit community and we all tend to get to know the surrounding clubs. A phone call to one gets you another number and a phone call to that gets you yet another and so it goes! I know a group at Usk, organised by a friend of mine but I guess that would be too far.

Regards, John

Thanks John.

I've gone about as far as I can now with what you've kindly sent my way, time now for some one to put me straight as it were lol

Robert

Where the heck is Usk ? :D ;) :D

I want to go and get an idea of what goes on at a one of these clubs and maybe try to get to know a few people from the working side of things. Maybe with my next dog I will do gundog training, having been to a HPR working test I got interested, but doing that would be like walking before I could run! Going to stick to Labs!

~ Sharon :)

Usk:- South Wales, about 8 miles north of Newport just off the A449.

As a Gundog Society the United Retriever Club run training sessions, organise Working Tests and Field Trials. We also organise Breed Shows (Again gundog group of course!)

Our training sessions cover three standards, Puppy, Advanced Puppy and Novice. We also have a "Self Help" Group for Open dogs. For puppy read Puppy and Beginners! The puppy class covers everything from raw beginners to dogs ready to start direction control. Advanced Puppy goes from Direction Control up to Blinds. An Advanced Puppy should be good enough to work in a Novice Working Test.

We meet once a month so obviously you cannot "Train" your dog in class. I like to give the people an idea in class for them to work on during the following month. I can soon see who really has been working!

A lot of clubs shut during the shooting season because of the problems of finding time to fit training into a busy schedule of picking up. We are one of the few groups locally who continue right through the year.

Best wishes, John