Pontus’ progress

Pontus is now 10 months old and although we do all the boring dummy retrieving, it never becomes quite as much as it ought to be because it is really very boring. Also, I have been taking advantage of the pre-nesting time to get him to go on snipe and woodcock and the odd pheasant. Like his mum, he is slow to point, but I have no worries about that because I know it will come.

Here is one of his first indications of pointing as he froze in the scent of a snipe:

Pontus on point in the white grass, scenting snipe.

We have now got in to grouse pair counting times and this is an important window not to miss as he is young and we only have a few weeks of it before we have to leave the hill for the birds to nest. I have taken advantage of having an older dog again and I allow Pontus to get up behind Gaia or Gollum on point. He is a bit of a barging-in-dog, he does not respect other dogs’ points, which is annoying, in fact on the continent it is seen as a fault when they don’t back other dogs’ points. Here is Gaia on point and although Pontus is not flushing, he is moving ahead of Gaia, so I use the handy, not-docked tail to hold him in place.

Gaia on point and Pontus learning. I have to hold him back by the Tigger tail.

Gollum on point, Gaia backing and Pontus learning on the lead.

There is little doubt he enjoys the moor.

Pontus loving the run on the spring moor.

As he runs past me, he has time for a little glance. He is WITH me on the moor.