Is the old MYTH true??? Can small lurchers turn better than Big lurchers

[huntingGANG 0]

i have a 26" pure grey irish she okay for me some times she turns tight then she doesn't a think it is the fitness personally

[richberry79 1]

training and experance has a lot to do with it to

[Malt 379]

A mate of mine's got a collie/bull/grey, (1/8 1/8/ 3/4) she stands about 25 1/2 at just over 12 months. All the local so called 'experts' have been banging on about how she'll be too big for rabbits, but out the other night I saw use her brain for the first time. She out ran the rabbit and turned it away from the hedge by heading it off, where as my 22" beddy whippet would have just ran straight after it. She seems to have given up trying to turn with the rabbits, and is using her brain to try to out wit them. I reckon a larger dog has got to have more brains to catch coney compared to a smaller, faster turning one. JMO.

[whip x grey 276]

its an intresting topic

 

some bigger dogs ,,,,can turn ,,just as good as small dogs

 

 

but one thing i did notice,,,,,is the white/parti ( zac ) my signature can turn better than my fawn dog (buddy),,,,,,,,,i put this down to buddys built,being bigger,,,,not there height as zac,s 21 1/2inch and buddys 22inich

 

 

which brings me to a question lol,,,,,,can bull x grey,,,on its built turn better than collie x grey,or beddie x grey ( e,t,c),,,,,????

 

i think it might be down to the dog,s built,,,,,the more wider they are i,e more museled,,,surely they cant turn as well ,,,as the slimmer dog ,,,,( but its the dog world everything isnt black and white,,,,i think when it comes down to it ,,,it depends on the dog )

[cooper101 86]

its an intresting topic

 

some bigger dogs ,,,,can turn ,,just as good as small dogs

 

 

but one thing i did notice,,,,,is the white/parti ( zac ) my signature can turn better than my fawn dog (buddy),,,,,,,,,i put this down to buddys built,being bigger,,,,not there height as zac,s 21 1/2inch and buddys 22inich

 

 

which brings me to a question lol,,,,,,can bull x grey,,,on its built turn better than collie x grey,or beddie x grey ( e,t,c),,,,,????

 

i think it might be down to the dog,s built,,,,,the more wider they are i,e more museled,,,surely they cant turn as well ,,,as the slimmer dog ,,,,( but its the dog world everything isnt black and white,,,,i think when it comes down to it ,,,it depends on the dog )

 

i dont think your far off the mark there!!! my boys 26" powerfully built in the chest and back leg area but slim with it and he can turn on a penny kind of the reason i started this thread!! when he turns with a rabbit it takes 1 leap and hes back on its arse again!! not sure if thats his turning ability or his long stride and power if you get what im saying!! i have had dogs slightly smaller not much!! that make more of a meal of the run!! its difficult to judge as its all done in a flash!! thanks for the comment!! B Cooper

[the lamping ferreter 160]

I think it's more to do with the weight and cross, a 1/4 bull lurcher will never turn as well as a whippet but it doesn't mean it won't get the job done.

in my exsperiance its not true i have a 21inch tts bull x thts as thick as a well built staff and it puts rabbits in nots so i dont rekion thats true just my opinian

[merle24 61]

when people see the size of my dog they immiediatly assume he cant turn well on rabbits and struggles due to his size 26"!! i was lead to belive this when first started in the running dog game!! but have since found that size is of no object when running a dog on a rabbit!! and have witnessed just as tight turns coming from bigger dogs as some smaller lurchers i have come across!! who feels that the smaller the dog the better the turning ability is truly justified????? all opinions welcome thanks!!

 

No it aint true its a old falisy imo,,, the dog which can turn the best is the dog which adjusts its running style to its quarry,, holds off at the wright time, and puts on at the wright time,,,, dogs that rush in full tilt will always overshoot there quarry and loose ground on the turns,, greys,, whippets too,,, best dogs are those with gears and those that use those gears,, salukis are the most agile best turning Dog in the world they can fold on themselves in a flash,, and a great deal has to do with the fact that they use gears,, anticipate and think ahead,, there is no hard and fast rules that say small dogs turn better than taller ones,, my 25 inch colligreyx bullgrey,,, can turn better than my 23ich beddiewhippetxcolliegrey,,, he stick on hard fast rabs like glue,, and he has less pace than the smaller bitch he just holds off till the time it wright,, nice to watch imo.

Edited February 19, 2010 by merle24

[cooper101 86]

when people see the size of my dog they immiediatly assume he cant turn well on rabbits and struggles due to his size 26"!! i was lead to belive this when first started in the running dog game!! but have since found that size is of no object when running a dog on a rabbit!! and have witnessed just as tight turns coming from bigger dogs as some smaller lurchers i have come across!! who feels that the smaller the dog the better the turning ability is truly justified????? all opinions welcome thanks!!

 

No it aint true its a old falisy imo,,, the dog which can turn the best is the dog which adjusts its running style to its quarry,, holds off at the wright time, and puts on at the wright time,,,, dogs that rush in full tilt will always overshoot there quarry and loose ground on the turns,, greys,, whippets too,,, best dogs are those with gears and those that use those gears,, salukis are the most agile best turning Dog in the world they can fold on themselves in a flash,, and a great deal has to do with the fact that they use gears,, anticipate and think ahead,, there is no hard and fast rules that say small dogs turn better than taller ones,, my 25 inch colligreyx bullgrey,,, can turn better than my 23ich beddiewhippetxcolliegrey,,, he stick on hard fast rabs like glue,, and he has less pace than the smaller bitch he just holds off till the time it wright,, nice to watch imo.

 

fair comment!!!

[blackpack 70]

a smaller lucher or x will always turn better, but its what happens after, has the dog got the heart and drive to persue and box the rabbit, also a dog that hits hedges will always do good. My x is 28 inch, not the best turner but on the hedges he proves himself.

[Bosun11 537]

a smaller lucher or x will always turn better, but its what happens after, has the dog got the heart and drive to persue and box the rabbit, also a dog that hits hedges will always do good. My x is 28 inch, not the best turner but on the hedges he proves himself.

 

I'd change that, and say small Lurchers 'should' always turn better but the truth is different! I've seen enough large dogs turn the arse out of smaller ones. Yep, it should be the other way round but as it's been said, there are many exceptions to the rule!

[cooper101 86]

a smaller lucher or x will always turn better, but its what happens after, has the dog got the heart and drive to persue and box the rabbit, also a dog that hits hedges will always do good. My x is 28 inch, not the best turner but on the hedges he proves himself.

 

I'd change that, and say small Lurchers 'should' always turn better but the truth is different! I've seen enough large dogs turn the arse out of smaller ones. Yep, it should be the other way round but as it's been said, there are many exceptions to the rule!

 

a very fair comment theres allways gunna be exceptions!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your input!!

[cooper101 86]

do you think turning ability can be compesnated for by sheer power and stride!!! in effect making no differance atall??? SORRY ITS FRIDAY IVE BIN DRINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited February 20, 2010 by cooper101

[blackpack 70]

totally agree bosun 11, theres exceptions in all life.

[pandy 0]

i would say that generally small dogs are better at turning because of low centre of gravity and all of that physics stuff

but the best rabbit dog i ever saw was a nearly pure greyhound 29" tts and man that dog was amazing. it was an irish dog owned by a lad who truly did not know what he had

 

So in answer to your question yes little dogs are generally better but there is always an exception because dogs arent machines and some of them have just a touch of magic

 

Great answer. You summed it up perfectly.

[whin 463]

well look at it this way ,they had a lamping comp maybe but they had a comp ,now big dogs beat small dogs ,on certain ground , you get big dogs like troy beating smaller dogs ldr dog has caut more than some smaller dogs but that could be sometimes that goes down to knowing what your dog can or cant do . ,i was not there so i can only see it as they say , but ive saw big dogs catch as much as smaller dogs at times all depends the ground you run on , for bolting rabbs i had a 24 inch collie type she was never beaten to the punch with any dog when she was in her prime ,or for that matter any game but she did get beat by bigger dogs on big big land at times but they were very good dogs ,at the game they run,after the 2 minute mark, but she was 24 well balanced and hard as nails netteles she would lie in them to catch a rabbit fox etc bolting ,the best dogs ive saw for catcing bolters were colie grew type , and saw some real good saluk type who made it look easy in there prime , its all to do with how much you get the dog out its fitness and the way its bred for rabbiting ,if you run only rabbits the dog will gain vital expierence on rabbits were if you flushh allsorts they work diffrent, had 36 bolters one day with a good dog and nother one caut 48 on the lamp ,thtas alot of running and neither were under 24