How are you all?? haven't been on this site for what seems ages...It seems that Autumn was skipped this year..... straight into Winter.... hope all your dogs are 'coating up' for the bad weather, anyone got any news????Dee and the girls

Hi Dee, you want some news: well, my Sashi has one puppy boy, now 8 weeks and becoming a very handsome boy. My Celt decided that calling him a no-show-dog does not work for him and became European Junior winner, Junior Club winner and Hungarian Junior champion all in one weekend. Friend of mine, Michi Mannies bitch had a litter of 5, one girl, 4 boys (Cormallen Moonlight SilverXGigi Conqueror of hidden Ireland). AND now the best: we will be over some time in the middle of November! Scotland at that time of the year... fog and cold like home...

Hi everybody,
we will be in Scotland in about 10 days! I know it is crazy, but we have to bring some dogs over. Can you tell me what the weather is like or might be like. I did hear about the blizzard. Brrrr.

Hi Silvia,
Actually have just left a comment on your blog before reading this ;-) I'm not aware of the blizzard but then the weather here can be different in different parts of the country! Will you be going further up north? It could of course be more wintry there. Sunny and frosty today :-)

Our trip to Scotland

Overall I have to say this was the most desastrous trip in the last years that I have been on. Not only got we robbed on the way up, our truck got broken into on the way home also - in Germany of all places. We have been in many countries in the 'Wild East' and never ever have we had any problems. Not even in eastern Hungary, close to the Ukrainian/Romanian border! Our police in Austria was just only shocked when I talked to them today. They would never have expected something like that - and twice on one trip is most unusual.

On our way to Scotland we had four dogs in our camper: one red and white setter and three Hungarian vizslas, one of which is well trained for hunting. We spent the night at a rest area/service station in Belgium. The place was well lit and there were several trucks around us. In fact, we parked right at a big light. When we woke up in the morning we were slightly dizzy, had a headache, a sore throat and our eyes itched a lot. Archies eyes were in a bad shape and he did not want to go out but just wanted to sleep. Found that quite strange and all of a sudden I noticed that there was something wrong: the doors at the front were not locked, our mobile phones and my camera bag and equipement were missing. The police came and told us we had probably been drugged and the dogs also, as they had made no sound at night, but in the evening and in the morning, as soon as the police entered our truck, they were going berserk. Archie did not move. He had spent the night on the driver's seat and probably got the worst of it all. But other than that he seemed to be fine.

After reporting everything and sorting ourselves out again we went on, to find ourselves in a major storm - a lot of fun with a camper van and 3 metres solid high board! The boarding for the Channel crossing was fine, everything was okay - all microchips where they should be, all shots correctly done and the lady at the border was most pleased to find someone who had their stuff in perfect order. The crossing itself was fine, but we were slightly late because of the storm.

The trip up to Nottinghamshire, where the first dog got handed over, was smooth and fast. The campsite, where we spent the night, was absolutely great as still OPEN!

The next day we went up to Carlisle, where the two other vizslas got handed over to their new owner. Again a fine trip, no problems, no wind, just smooth travelling. We spent the night at some service area, but no problems at all as they are usually under police survaillance.

After one uneventful night we went up to see Margaret. And of course, the weather changed, it got windy, cold and the rain started. Absolutely lovely if you go into the mountains, trust me, not a tonic for people like me with heart problems. Crossing the bridge into Margarets driveway is an adventure of its own and I would not advise it to anyone with weak nerves. Bruce's nerves are better than mine, I have to admit and he did the driving just so great! So Archie was finally home again. And not sure if he was going to stay or going to leave again.

After long chats, seeing all the dogs and admiring Geraldines puppies, supper and a good nights sleep we went up to Inverness to see our 85 years old Uncle Bill, who was ever so happy to see us again. And we were so happy to finally get into his driveway and out of the wind (storm?). That day was Bruce's birthday - what a way to spend ones birthday - driving through the storm!

Two days later, being well rested and having left some money in the stores of Inverness, we started on our trip back.

On our trip home we had planned to meet Evie at some service station that we were not able to find. I am really sorry about it as I had wanted to see Fergal so much. I was quite impressed by Sandy looking exactly like Archie, and Archie is my great love. When we left him with Margaret he was not sure if he would go back or had to stay. He was prancing around our truck door, it was almost funny but very sad to see the old boy so unsure of what was going to happen. I am sure he is where he belongs now and is going to stay there forever. Sad as I may be about it I also know where he belongs.
We will be over sometime next year, we are not sure when though - will it be Crufts, the EuroDog and the Festival, I don't know if we will attend any, honestly. You can quite imagine why!

Monday evening we reached Dover, the ferry was booked for Tuesday night, but we had heard there would be some strike on at the docks, so we tried our luck and it worked. We got on the ferry on Monday without extra cost. We got in and out of Belgium without any more problems. and that was were our short luck ended again. At some service area south of Frankfurt someone wrecked the second lock on our camper and broke in, stole Bruces fleece jacket and thermo vest and one empty wallet, and apparently the motor of the window on the driver's side was also messed up.

Did I say the trip was a desaster - well I have to correct myself: it was a f****** desaster!
From Frankfurt down the trip was quite okay again. We did run into some detour though, that cost us over and hour! Well, there wasn't anything that could happen still, that hadn't happened already!

I did get my mobile phone replaced today - not the phone itself but the sim card, the phone is an insurance thing - boy, I am fed up with all that crap that I am up to now. All that insurance stuff is most annoying and nerve racking. My houshold insurance should cover the things from the robbery, but the car insurance should cover the damage to the truck and then there is the travel insurance from my visa gold card, that should also cover some - but who will do what?????? Better wish me luck on this adventure, that will be some expedition into the jungle of insurance companies - as I also intend to settle something on the master card. So between the three of them I should be getting all my things replaced although the camera I had is no longer on the market and the equivalent is a LOT of money....... cross your fingers please!

Hi there Silvia.
I commented on your disastrous journey, I can't imagine how dreadful it must have been, I would have just felt like giving up, but you had to give the dog back and you brought some Visla's over so had to be here...
I would like a camper van and was worried to hear that you could be drugged in one, how on earth did they manage that???
I thought that it might be good to go over to Europe to do some shows there, we have ''done'' Ireland and the UK is getting rather predictable now so would just like a change, but I always travel in my car, so something bigger would be great.... though after your 'problem' I was thinking that it may not be such a good idea, still with me they cant get something that isn't there, but they will still try I would think, I would be so worried that the dogs would get out, and just run. Hope it hasn't put you off from coming over to the UK you said you may be here for Crufts maybe we will all meet up, all of us on the site, and maybe have a glass of win or something?????

i belong here
i live in Scotland with a red setter and a red and white
scotland sure has a great countryside and views
especially to let the dogs off and have a run about
i wish you all a happy new year xx
love Rhona Bruce and Lucy

Hi there Rhona, Bruce and Lucy and welcome to the Scotland group :-))

HAPPY HOGMANAY TO ALL

Hi to the few of us that live in Scotland - I have 2 7 month old IRWS puppies I got from Margaret but previously owned an IRWS and a Red many years ago and just love the breed. My puppies are lovely and I think one of you would have seen them when you visited Margaret in November as one of them was from Gerry's litter and the other from Iona's both born at end of Oct 2008. My first IRWS was from John Kerr of Rushfield kennel bought to breed with the Red i had at the time but unfortunately it never happened as I fell pregnant so didnt have the time - but who knows maybe this time I will be able to breed particularly from the dog who is so handsome

i dont live in Scotland but i do have Scottish ancestery,,hence my Dads middle name Ingils...and we do have a Tartan!!!

Welcome Margaret and Carol!
Is anyone going to Border Union? Would be nice to meet everyone from the group :-)

im going to Borer Union with an IRWS and a Irish Setter

oooops Border

hello all - my friends call it the Bawdy Onion!!

ha ha... would be lovely to meet up, Carol...Dee will have to help me with finding everyone ;-)

Hi,
Live in Scotland, new to the site and relatively new to setters. Lost our first to cancer last year (at just 8 years) and could imagine life without an Irish Setter. So bought our second early this year. Proving to be a bit more of a handful (ok - a lot more!) than our first so looking for all the help and support I can from the more experienced of you.

Hi Alison and welcome! It's nice to see the group growing!

Hi there Folks haven't heard from anyone for seems like ages, how is it all going???everyone having a good Summer??? not been too bad this year....Alison how is your new comer getting on??? My youngster is a complete nightmare most of the time, she still has her moments at the moment, but she is now very pregnant, and this has helped to calm her down a wee bit, only a wee bit though... we seem to have come to a stand still on our Scottish section...
All the best Dee and the girls

Hi Dee,
Bailey has taken to his crate remarkably well and the couch has been untouched ever since. He does still steal food, socks and items from the bin given half the chance but at least he's not wrecking the furniture. This week Bailey decided he likes to bounce on our trampoline, especially if my daughter is underneath it!

At West Lothian show on Saturday we had a new owner out with her gorgeous IRWS. She is in the Glasogw area. I have looked on SKC website for ringcraft in the Glasgow area can anyone suggest anywhere??

Rincraft classes are few and far between up here in Scotland. But there must be something in the Glasgow area. There are a lot of shows in that area try looking at the websites for them, if there are any....I will try and ask about and let you know one way or another.

http://www.scottishkennelclub.org/dogcare/training-directory.html#cen

Look at classes listed in Strathclyde, there are two or three different ringcraft classes in the Glasgow area

Thanks Margaret that has given me a few other types of classes to look at.. he 'the brat' is going to need more than just ringcraft classes.

Dee, I suspect the SKC list isnt complete, there may be more classes that are not listed here. For example Pat Dempster's excellent ring training class at Foveran , north of Aberdeen, isnt listed here. And I know of another smaller one near Elgin that isnt listed either. And that is just my local area

How is everybody in Scotland coping with the snow? It is pretty bad up here, and I havent been able to get out since 18th December. The dogs are now confined to the enclosed dog run outside the back door, as the snow is so deep that is is dangerous to let them out of the front door into the field. There are huge drifts on the river banks (I have 3/4 mile of river bank on my land) , so if they fell in they couldnt climb out again. No walks,so they are getting bored , and the puppies are becoming destructive , ripping up bedding and anything else they can get hold of, This week they have had my slippers, a pair of shoes , socks and a sweater! I cant blame them, and they cant be kept crated all the time, and it is too cold for them out in the run more than about 20 minutes
Any ideas for indoor games to play with bored puppies? I'm getting a bit tired of throwing tennis balls down the hall!
And now we are starting to ration dry dog food, only 45 kilos left! So I am making bread every day to mix with the dry food, and boiling up pots of rice and lentils
And it looks like this is going on for another two weeks at least. The Moray council have given up clearing the road across the Cabrach, and even even if they did, I cant get from the house to the road, not even on foot
The good news is , the power and the phones are still working, and I have plenty of fuel to keep warm. Up here , everybody lives in isolated farms and gamekeepers cottages, and everybody is cut off, but we all keep in touch, phone each other to check people are OK, and watch that lights go on after dark in the next farm or cottage. And I'm sure if somebody was ill or running out of food or fuel, the keepers would find a way to get to the house - the wife of one of the keepers had to be got to hospital on New Year's Day to have her baby, and they got her out

If you are stuck in its a great opportunity to train! I am lucky i use clicker bur even if you dont you can still play stimulating mind games (and ones that are gundog related)

you can teach go left go right, walk backwards, turn round.and touch. I use touch for "shut the door"

Name my toys, (identify the ball, the squeaky, the rabbit, the doll and once you have them identified you can play fetch the rabbit/doll/etc and then you can hide them in all sorts of places and ask for the doll, rabbit etc.

If its a show dog you can take a moment or so every day to "stand handsome" "teefies"and the one I have been pracrising is "feet".

Walk the puppy into a show stand hold the head and move the foot to show position saying feet! over a little while you will find if you walk the puppy into show stand (and have let it feel/ shown it where its feet should be) then when you say "feet" it will automatically shuffle to position.

I think its easy to think "I am stuck, there is nothing i can do" Ten minutes training in the morning and the afternoon will floor them better than any walk will.

Have you highlighted to outside agencies that you are beginning to get low on stocks?

That sounds quite like an adventure, Margaret. I hope you'll all be OK foodwise. The snow is great but when you are cut off like that you don't want it to last too long. Down here in Edinburgh it's not too bad. Some roads have not been gritted but generally it's OK to drive on them. Hopefully, you'll be able to get new supplies soon.
A good game to play with puppies I found is the hide and seek game. Hiding toys/treats/items of clothing or even feathers/wings, etc. and making them go and look for it. Or hiding an item under one out of three cups and see who gets it first. That will tire them out mentally for a while :-)
Good luck up there - thankfully you've got the internet!

Oh Margaret I feel for you. Having been there for many years, I know what it is like trying to make something go just that little bit longer, I was lucky where I lived although I couldn't get out with my car, I was able to walk, well hobble, down my lane (6-7 foot drifts)
Although the games that you can play with the dogs when you are actually able to get out, are nice, the dogs soon get board with them, Its thinking of something different for every day and then motivating yourself to do it, I do think that you start to go ''stir crazy'' and the complete solitude.....thank god for the phone, I used to spend most of the day on the phone. And for me the TV...I would go totally mad if I didn't have that...
There was one Christmas probably 10-12 years ago when everyone's electricity was cut off, I had all the family over it was thundering and lightening snow was coming down by the bucket full, and the overhead cables (electric) touched, blew every fuse for miles around. Christmas Dinner was soup made on the open fire, have to say it was great fun, all huddled around the fire, dressed in pyjamas and dressing gowns, all very cosy, playing board games etc, we don't do enough of that kind of thing in this day and age...
Margaret I do hope things get better for you soon and the dogs don't eat too much of your house before you are ''rescued''

Hi Margaret - thought you might be snowed in again this year - even worse than last years weather when you were snowed in for weeks. I remember trying to get up to collect Caley & Isla and how we had to postpone it several times. I hope the food lasts and nobody gets injured like my silly boy !! Its quite bad in Glasgow too but at least i can run my pair - you must be going mad trying to find ways of occupying all your dogs and keeping your cottage together - i presume they are bored with the stag horns ....... How old are the puppies you have - who are the parents ?
We had a good day at the West Lothian show - sorry you couldnt make it down but we will hopefully see you at another show. We missed the deadline for the January show in Livingstone / Edinburgh ? but would appreciate if you or any of the other owners could send me any information you have on future shows and will definitely consider entering. Trying to organise ringcraft classes to help !!!
Hope you get out soon in the meantime take care of yourself and the dogs of course

Hi Margaret
so glad to see you on. Waverley show was cancelled this weekend so it doesnt matter but I have your address from the catalogue so will send through any interesting schedules.
Happy New Year
Stay warm and safe

Thanks Evie - hope the New Year is good to you too. Will they reschedule this weeks show ? would be great to get some info from you re other shows. How is Fergus ? Caley & Isla are loving the snow just now - think its because they were snowed in with Margaret during their first few months .........history repeating itself now for her unfortunately.

Hello there Margaret
do you have IRWS or IS...come on Evie i need and introduction here, well guess who didnt get to work again today???MEEEEEEEEEEE and its far to cold to stand on the corner with the price tag on ya shoe these days...no workeee no monyeeeee

Hi Carol - 2 IRWS now 14 months old - Caley & Isla - half brother & sister from Margarets bunch.

where is everybody??

im here

I'm here too. Not going anywhere as we are snowed in AGAIN. if anybody had told me when I was snowed in at Christmas, that I would still be snowed in at Easter, I would not have believed it! But the snow is thawing now, and this must at long last be the end of winter!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116352405041814#!/group.php?v=info&gid=116352405041814

Nothing to do with setters, but please show your support for the coastguards at Wick and help to get them all reinstated. Scotland needs dedicated men like these as coastguards

Hello, I/We Henry and I would like to join Setters in Scotland. Only just stumbled upon your page.

Hi
we live in Angus !
Ruby (Thendara Ice Dancer) is almost 20 months now and just adorable!
Anybody else nearby to us ???

Allie H and Ruby x

Welcome to the new members, Sorry but not near Angus, but hope you enjoy your setters there, do you show Ruby??? perhaps we will meet. My boy has Thendara in him...:o))

Hi, we have 3 Irish Setters and live in Ayrshire

Hi there Leigh. Will you be going to Border Counties Gundog on Sunday????

Ah by the way....Welcome to this sub site....

hi we have 2 setters girls we live in kincardine fife

i live in rosyth in fife i dont see many setters around where i live

Hi I have one setter and I live in Abernethy.

I live in Fife too....Dunfermline...there are few of us here, a few of my puppies and a few others......how long have you been in Rosyth???

We hardly ever see any setters at all up here - met two now, but one of them was bought  from around Leicester area too; never mind have a happy girl anyway !

i have lived in rosyth for 13 years