Am trying to research pedigrees and am having trouble locating information on Drakeshead Unice and Nancarrow Dipper. I have found the pedigree to be full of mistakes spelling wise, so am persuming these are the correct names. The rest of the pedigree is FT. CH. which are well known and were easy to find the parentage of but these two escape me!
Any information about Nancarrow welcome.
Nancarrow Dipper is 3rd generation behind Bellever Simon and was mated to Drakeshead Unice. Bellever kennels is local to me so if no-one can help here then I think I might phone them.
Have been to the labrador pedigree site is there anywhere else I could look.
Thought John might be able to help.

Drakeshead affix is owned by Mrs Halstead of Chorley in Lancashire Tel 01254 831363
Nancarrow is owned by Mr J Millington of Cornwall
Tel 01872 560232

Hope this helps

Nicolla, I am sure John will be able to help :-) in the mean time have you tried typing the dogs names into Google?

Both these dogs are working lines, Nancarrow Dipper was mated with Drakeshead Unice and produced Highdunscott Jade who was the dam of FT CH Highdunscott Alice of Wiscombe, the 1996 Winner of British National. Drakeshead is the affix of John and Sandra Halstead, one of the top working Labrador kennels in the country. I'm afraid some pedigrees are so full of mistakes they are as good as worthless! The times I've seen bitches which have sired litters!!!! Hope this helps you a little.

Regards, John

Thankyou Gary2, Leigh and John. I will ring the kennels and ask for information. The bitch I have is show lines on the dam's side with which I'm familar and she is sired by Bellever Simon. Just thought it would be nice to research further back in the pedigree as I've done for my other labs.
She is my first lab with FT dogs in the pedigree and she is wonderful, so quick on the uptake and a natural retriever.
As far as mistakes on her pedigree go, it is mainly spelling mistakes but SO annoying. I always print my puppies pedigrees but ALWAYS check spellings.

I should think with those high class dogs in her lines she would be a quick learner! In all possibility the show side will take the edge off slightly otherwise you could find her rather "Hot"! Do you intend to work her? Simon has the Birdbrook dogs behind him, another top class working kennels. Also Pocklea Remus, well known to just about everyone in working Labs. All in all, the dog side of your pedigree is full of great dogs! A puppy to be proud of!

Regards, John

I would like to work her although she is only 9 months of age at present.
The problem is I took one of my other labs to a gundog club I eventually managed to find and it was awful. I was promptly told labs with show lines in are a waste of space. Most of her pedigree was Charway, Ballyduff etc.
This was to be the least of my problems when the training started! The dogs had to go and retrieve a fully visable dummy and most dogs managed it, those who didn't WELL they were picked up by there ears, shaken and promptly dropped with a well aimed kick for good measure.
I told them what I thought of there training methods and was told that's how you train a proper dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With Ebony only being 9 months I have taught her basic obedience, her stay still needs working on and she will retrieve a dummy whether on land or water, but is not so good when its out of sight. Do you know of any good clubs in Devon. I'm willing to travel. I'm in Plymouth. There's a club near Taunton but it starts at 9.30am on a Sunday morning and I'd have at least an hour plus to drive! If it's the only one I'll make the effort but is there anywhere else. Have rung the Kennel Club and they were no help.

Well if that is the methods they use then you are better off without! There are still a few people around like this but most use brain now not brawn. If I did this to "The Flower" she would shrink into her shell and never work again!
The working lines seem to have so much "Inherited knowledge" in comparison with some show lines although quite a few of the show people do a certain amount of work with their dogs so some will have the makings. With the lines of Ebony I would be surprised if she couldn’t be turned into a very nice worker and believe me, it does them no harm! All "The Flower" wants from life is to be with me and is just as happy laying at my feet whilst I’m at the computer, sitting on the path while I dig the garden or sitting beside me behind the guns waiting to be sent on a retrieve.
Your training seems to be coming on fine and all she really needs is confidence in you for her to get the blind retrieve right. She needs to trust you that if you send her then there really is something there to find. Start with really short ones and position your self so the wind is blowing directly from the dummy to your dog. That way she just has to run down the scent. Don’t even think of retrieves the other way until she has this right. It's all a question of slowly building what you want. The important thing is that she ALWAYS finds the dummy, then she will arrive at the conclusion that if you send her then there must be something to find!
As far as clubs and societies in your area is concerned, you are a little out of my area but I will make some enquires and see what I can come up with.

Regards, John

Hi Nicola, I agree with John, and you did the best thing to get out of that sort of training. The BASC have a beginners training day in March at Taunton which is a bit nearer to you. They have a website or I'm sure John will come up with the date.
I went picking up for the first time ever with my lab and my friends lab. My friend is more into showing and hasn't done much training with her dog and yet hers was the star - she retrieved really well and fast and was quiet and steady. My girl who I've done lots of training with was good, but acted as if she'd never done a retrieve in her life. Luckily the other pickers-up were very friendly and encouraging and by the end of the day she had redeemed herself. Good luck with your training - you'll end up hooked like I am.
Lorna

Just to let you all know that I ended up contacting Rubert Hill (Bellever) and got the names of the dogs concerned.They included FT. CH. Haretor Able of Bellever, Haretor Blackbird of Nancarrow, FT. CH. Breeze of Drakeshead and FT. CH. Westead Tan of Drakeshead.
Have now nearly completed an 8 generation pedigree for Ebony.

Am now stuck on Haretor Blackbird of Nancarrow (need parents and grandparents). I phoned Nancarrow but he said he wasn't into labradors anymore.
I am also looking for info on Lucy of Kentisbury and Sir Lancelot!!!!!! Any ideas????????? Looking at the pedigree these could well have been pet dogs that have been bred. They are on the Dam's side of the pedigree! This side of the pedigree also goes back to Carpenny, Lawnwood and Priorise which have been easy to find.

Sorry Nicolla, I cant help you with any of those, they are not on my database I'm afraid. (that means nothing except the fact that I've never come across them.) Keep an eye open, pedigrees turn up in the strangest places. I'm still adding in dogs from the turn of the century into my pedigrees but there are still a few at the back Im missing.

Regards, John

Hi John

Well took Ebony along to the gundog club last night for the first time, where we joined the puppy/beginners class. Was really nervous that she wouldn't be able to do it but she was brilliant. She was the youngest there at 11 mths and the trainer said she was a natural. After 45 minutes we were allowed to go and join the seniors and retrieve dummies. We had a great time and and can't wait til next time.

Long may her good behaviour continue.

Hi Nicola, that's marvellous!
There's something about a working gundog. Initially they are just doing what they want. Working for themselves. But gradually, as you start directing them onto a dummy it starts to become a partnership. Your dog, working for you, going where you direct it. It becomes part of you! I can speak to "The Flower" with one finger. She’s always paying attention to me, stops on a raised finger, goes on a pointed finger. Something I've never trained but something she's picked up from my mannerisms! If I'm walking with one of the guns I never need think of her or give her an order, she knows exactly what’s required. They pay so much attention to us because of what we do with them that they know us better than we know them!

Very best wishes, John

Hi Nicolla - well done and I'm so glad you enjoyed your training session. Its so lovely to see a gundog working and using its brain. I have been so pleased with my puppy Honey who is now 10+ months. She also seems a natural and almost seems to anticipate things. She is quiet, keen and fast, does a lovely retrieve. I am having to work a bit now on her delivery as she tends to run to one side of me, whereas her mum sits beautifully right in front of me and looks up for me to take the dummy. If you try UKGundogs.net you'll find me and John and lots of other gundog maniacs to talk to.
Lorna