salclalin 240 Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Better a Month too late than a Day to early.My Deerhound/Collie/Greyhound type Didn't Run live Game until she Was 18 months old because i Knew she wasn't ready(Still Puppyish).So i spent the Former months Instilling Obedience/Retrieving/Stock Breaking while other Lads were Entering their Saplings to live Game.It was well worth it because my Young Bitch will now do anything that i ask of her. Quote Link to post
Catcher 1 639 Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Better a Month too late than a Day to early.My Deerhound/Collie/Greyhound type Didn't Run live Game until she Was 18 months old because i Knew she wasn't ready(Still Puppyish).So i spent the Former months Instilling Obedience/Retrieving/Stock Breaking while other Lads were Entering their Saplings to live Game.It was well worth it because my Young Bitch will now do anything that i ask of her. salclalin.Best post i have seen in a long time Quote Link to post
mattyg 1,862 Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 yes....makes a lot of sense! Quote Link to post
furdy 0 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 They will work when they are ready....its up to you to recognise when that is, and that is something that comes with experience. Its not something that can be taught and there are no hard and fast rules. Take them out and let them be pups. They will learn more than you will realise just by being out there. Dont be in a hurry on your walks. You may be taking the walk so the dog can have a pee but he's learning about the world. Quote Link to post
tsteve9999 456 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Reading this thread has made my day. I'm a first time lurcher owner and have been sorely tempted to run my dog for a couple of months now (he's 11 months old), but the only land I had is heavily lamped and the rabbits very wary. I've now got permission to run him on a farm with quite a few, problem is it's a sheep farm and I can't trust him at the moment, so I'm going to have to get him trained to them as he has not been around sheep at all. Because this is my first working dog it's taken me much longer than it would for most on here to get the basics right but in the last few weeks he's improved no end so I'm pretty confident he's going to turn out a decent dog, and reading this has put my mind at rest that I won't ruin him by entering him too slowly. Tom Quote Link to post
watchman 256 Posted January 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Reading this thread has made my day. I'm a first time lurcher owner and have been sorely tempted to run my dog for a couple of months now (he's 11 months old), but the only land I had is heavily lamped and the rabbits very wary. I've now got permission to run him on a farm with quite a few, problem is it's a sheep farm and I can't trust him at the moment, so I'm going to have to get him trained to them as he has not been around sheep at all. Because this is my first working dog it's taken me much longer than it would for most on here to get the basics right but in the last few weeks he's improved no end so I'm pretty confident he's going to turn out a decent dog, and reading this has put my mind at rest that I won't ruin him by entering him too slowly. Tom to be fair mate,we could all go into detail and put up pages and pages of our own opinions,if i was to advise you to read one post it would be SALCLALIN,makes sense to me pal good luck with your dog atvb rob Quote Link to post
andyrose 8 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Some good points being made, it's important that a pup is aloud to be a pup. I walk my 4 month old pup and you see him pick up empty pop bottles, and his favourite at the moment lost gloves, and he runs about throwing them in the air etc. The first thought is "oh my god son, where's your dignity, you supposed to be a lurcher". But when you actualy watch him, he drops it runs off turns around runs back and picks it up as he passes. All this is important part of his training, when you watch he's actualy practicing his strike. So my thoughts are even if it looks undignified and not what a working dog should do, let them play Quote Link to post
mooney1 120 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 one thing i have noticed on here,just from reading posts,a lot of people seem to be starting their dogs off younger and younger,or is it just fecking idiots with their replies. how many times have you logged on and read a post that someone puts up,ie few pics of my pup,so and so cross 5 months old what you all think,nearly all-ways there is a reply,nice dog mate,DONE MUCH WITH IT, ffs its 5 months old,oh well each to their own i suppose,rant over sorry START THEM AS SOON AS THEY CAN WALK ???????????????????. Quote Link to post
Wallop 2 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ok so let me just make asolutely sure lol. My bitch is 6 months (my first Lurcher) Beddy / whippet 17.5" tts She is showing interest in daytime rabbits but hasn't caught one yet.... Letting her mooch about for daytime rabbits is ok?? She hasn't opened up.... I'm doing a lot of recall work with her and general obedience and she is coming on well (compared to some terriers I have had. I only want a daytime dog and not bothered about lamping Sorry to be a pain Quote Link to post
Born Hunter 17,751 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) Ok so let me just make asolutely sure lol. My bitch is 6 months (my first Lurcher) Beddy / whippet 17.5" tts She is showing interest in daytime rabbits but hasn't caught one yet.... Letting her mooch about for daytime rabbits is ok?? She hasn't opened up.... I'm doing a lot of recall work with her and general obedience and she is coming on well (compared to some terriers I have had. I only want a daytime dog and not bothered about lamping Sorry to be a pain I think the answer is, its best to avoid her having too many courses on rabbits because at her age for every time she does is a chance she will develop a fault, even when ready for entering properly easy catches are important so as to give confidence and not develop faults. However the general concensus is that a little bit now and then probably wont hurt, and will teach the pup alot about the field and its quarry. Just try to avoid places madly infested with rabbits. Now I have a real problem! I cant let my pup off the lead without it flushing a hare and then spending the next 15 mins hunting for any hare in the county!!!!!!! Im having to be very selective about where I let her off the lead but its still doing my fuking head in, especially as shes at that age where shes being a complete disobedient twat at times and then a angel at others. Edited January 13, 2010 by Born Hunter Quote Link to post
bird 9,872 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 I start my dogs about 12 months old, but as been said it really comes down to each pup. Some could be a bit later , if they are a bigger type dog.??.When you do start them,try to just keep it to a few runs.If you do catch ,take it back home.Always try to finish on a high,[confidence] for the pup. Quote Link to post
Guest Daks Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Sorry to be a pain I think the answer is, its best to avoid her having too many courses on rabbits because at her age for every time she does is a chance she will develop a fault, even when ready for entering properly easy catches are important so as to give confidence and not develop faults. However the general concensus is that a little bit now and then probably wont hurt, and will teach the pup alot about the field and its quarry. Just try to avoid places madly infested with rabbits. Now I have a real problem! I cant let my pup off the lead without it flushing a hare and then spending the next 15 mins hunting for any hare in the county!!!!!!! Im having to be very selective about where I let her off the lead but its still doing my fuking head in, especially as shes at that age where shes being a complete disobedient twat at times and then a angel at others. firstly imo the reply above is correct as far as i can see, the softly softly catch a monkey appraoch is good, if your worried about her hunting up at her age get some dummies and rabbit pelts stich the pelt to the dummy and make it a new game of fetch the dummy it should stop her hunting up as she will wanna please you thats the breed she is. secondly born hunter imo you need an elecy collar i dont care what any replies say about them being shite or you must be a shit handler,it worked for me and no body off here will see my dog work so whats it matter wether i use a collar or not? i didnt want it to go for sheep or bugger off for hours on end so got a collar and zapped the little shit!! he recalls great now so job done atvb....daks Quote Link to post
border lad 1,047 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 A lot of good threads, good advice, as BIRD, wrote always try to finish, on the + side, I have a 3/4 grey/1/4 beardie. and from about 3 months old, I took this fellow out for a small walk but in interesting, places, to get his nose down, and general, find out obstacles, and strange scents, I like a dog to hunt, so this fellow from a very early age was encouraged to hunt, scents, at 7 and half months he picked up his first rabbit a 3/4 grown one in july, he carried back to me within 10yards, and I was delighted, every morning he was out for his walks and encouraged to hunt, in empty fields, but good scents had been there, and also learning how to get through, fences or over the fence, with in reason, at 9 months, I requested a fellow, to go on the lamp with him, to watch his very good dog work, I held my young fellow up, to watch his dog work, catch and carry back to hand a live, then I slipped mine, he hit and over run his first one, the second one he collected and retreaved, back to hand, 3 times he has been out on the lamp same, exercise, it was the time of the big rains and floods,he runs 3 collects 2, but the 3rd one he boxed of the fence, true, and he struck water instead of the rabbit, nursed through,,, christmas, snow is on the ground,2" and ground is like concrete, I am checking him for stock proof, electric collar, on and we are walking over to the field were the sheep are, the young fellow is hunting, and hunting very well, there is a windbreak, of pine trees, with white grass, he flushes a Roe, to the GUN, my mate he is a good shot but for some reason, he did not hit properly, and the 12 month old tracked, and done a fine job, over to the sheep, now his blood is up, no Problems, not interested in them, and I have to say this dog has been walked, regular as a pup up to this day, at this stage he is only in his first class at school, never over task a young dog, ((( that roe to me was by accident, we were about 250 yards from the mans farm yard, we were not expecting, that, a rabbit maybe, yes, but due to his fitness, he had No problems, to me a dog that can hunt for his quarry, in daylight is exciting to watch, and also he is doing the work,,, now the Lamp, yes I had my fears he may hunt on, but I was able to keep on top of him, its a very fine line,, through him watching that very good dog work, he learned a lot on the lamp, and I am sure I can polish off the rough bits, to try and have a dog for the lamp and to hunt in daylight, but keep them sweet at all times, Quote Link to post
Wallop 2 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Thanks very much to you all for your time and help Quote Link to post
THE-TERRIERMAN 0 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 one thing i have noticed on here,just from reading posts,a lot of people seem to be starting their dogs off younger and younger,or is it just fecking idiots with their replies. how many times have you logged on and read a post that someone puts up,ie few pics of my pup,so and so cross 5 months old what you all think,nearly all-ways there is a reply,nice dog mate,DONE MUCH WITH IT, ffs its 5 months old,oh well each to their own i suppose,rant over sorry i aggree with you completly ,you know what it. it is kids thats never been allowed a dog at home got his girlfriend pregnent got a house and discided to get himself a lurcher OR SOME KIND OF HUNTIND DOG all the gear no idear running them far to early and the idiot on the other key pad is the same kind of clown IMO 5 mounth DONE MUCH WITH IT makes me boil to sorry Quote Link to post
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