Ch. and FTCh. Kobnko Kat Burglar QC (Max)
Max arrived from Trish Bond-Beckett’s Kobnko kennel in Rockhampton Australia in November 2001 at the tender age of 18 weeks. His sire GRAND CH Kobnko Kweenslan Krusada ( Record Breaking 8 Best In Shows, 7 Reserve in Show All Breeds) and Dam CH Ripsnorter's U Had To B There (Imp USA). This mating proved to be a good match with two litter mates achieving dual championship status showing that it is possible to breed to achieve good looks and brains (hunting ability).
After winning Baby puppy in group at his first show Max started his real training in earnest competing in the Canterbury Gundog Club novice retrieving trials. His ability in simple retrieving was outstanding, very quickly winning out of novice into the much harder limit (2 bird) trials. His show career continued, becoming a show Champion early in 2003 but his heart was never in the show ring, much preferring to be working at field trials.
Once he had learnt the basic retrieving manners- being steady to the gun, retrieving the bird gently to hand, we started training him on the much harder pointer and setter trial. This trial duplicates what a pointer would do in a hunting situation -the dog has to range widely over ground on which there are 2 birds hidden (homing pigeons are used in radio controlled traps that are released when the judge is happy that the dog has found and is staunch on point) as well as a planted dead bird that has to be found and retrieved. Max proved to be very “birdy” loving the idea of this whole game of finding birds- great fun but it proved to be one of the problems I had with Max in his early P & S trialing. His strong desire to find these birds sometimes meant he would break his point and get too close to the trap (a real no-no for pointers who should point but not flush birds until told to). Robyn Gaskin (a very experience trainer and judge of working Irish setters) gave me some simple advice – just put him back in the car every time he is naughty at training and get our other GWP and train her instead. Max soon got the idea that every time he got too close to the bird the fun and games were over!!
He finally started to put things together and won his first Field trial challenge in 2005 and completed the 6 Challenges in 2008. He currently holds trophies for Western Southland, Southern Golden Retriever, Otago, Central Otago, Tasman, and South Otago Championship Field trials as well as winning the South Island Trial in 2008. He has sired many show Champions and working hunters.
Opening Day with Max...
Once Max had been trained in the basics of trialling he then took over from my old GWP as my main hunting dog for duck, quail and pheasants.
This year we took the decoys down to the mai mai the night before opening day. Max was very excited- he had learnt from previous years that this was even better that field trialling- but when we returned I discovered from the blood all over the kitchen floor that things were not quite right. Max had received a huge cut across one pad so hunting the next day for him was off. When I left early in the morning taking my old 11 year GWP and leaving Max behind, I could hear him howling as we drove away in the dark. Later that day we returned and Max refused to even look me in the eye. I plucked and debreasted the 4 ducks and 1 Canada goose that we had shot and left the 10 succulent breasts inside on the kitchen bench drying on some tissue. I left again to have a last shoot at dusk. As I was driving down to the mai mai I received a call on the mobile from my very distressed wife saying the Max had appeared at the kitchen door with a little bit of tissue in the corner of his mouth. It was apparent immediately that if Max couldn’t get ducks at the mai mai he would have them anyway When I returned that night I could see that defiant/guilty? look in his eye that said "They should have been my ducks anyway!!" Needless to say Max appeared to be off his food that night.