old real tree 92 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 how young is too young to start a whippet on the lamp, got a 5 month old pure bred thats going to make 22" tts easily. whats your views on whippets compared to lurchers for pot fillers.... Link to post
FightTheBan 1,147 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 Cracking wee dogs. Leave untill at least a year old before it even sees a rabbit. Let him be a pup and use his nose/senses in an area where he wont encounter game untill 12 months. Give him a few easy ones and the rest should fall into place if your training is up to scratch. No point in letting a dog see game when it has no realistic chance of ever catching it. FTB Link to post
whin 463 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 get them out and let him see game smell game got to youngsters here and they are clued up and all under the magic 1 year of age falacy ,but you do have to no your dogs Link to post
huntingalltheway 2 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 (edited) Cracking wee dogs. Leave untill at least a year old before it even sees a rabbit. Let him be a pup and use his nose/senses in an area where he wont encounter game untill 12 months. Give him a few easy ones and the rest should fall into place if your training is up to scratch. No point in letting a dog see game when it has no realistic chance of ever catching it. FTB YOU FXXKIN MAD a whippet can easily catch a rabbit at 5 months. i trained one up the season before this one for a bloke im a true beleiver in starting them young none of this blowing there lungs or hearts crap as long as it ran doubled up with an experienced dog its fine they arnt doing as much then and as they get more able they join in more and they see that most rabbits are caught this gives them confidence and drive. then when there 12 months you can let them run single. the blokes whippet caught her first at 4 months and at 5 months she had 4 or 5 then at 12 months have about 8-10 now shes about 2.5 years and running brilliant never pulled off and has big bags shes got bags of stamina. look at a wolf or a fox they are the best hunters and they are taught to hunt at an early age and they dont pull off its all about the mentality of the dog. you make it become a natural thing not something YOU want but make it what THEY want. ive got an 8 month old lurcher hes been ran from 4 months on lamp and hes excelling, from 8 weeks old ive took him during the day left him at every fence and let him watch older dogs work see him now. you seen my dog old real tree you've seen how it doesnt hurt them mines thriving Edited March 15, 2010 by huntingalltheway Link to post
FightTheBan 1,147 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 "YOU FXXKIN MAD a whippet can easily catch a rabbit at 5 months" That says it all, what is it you are trying to prove by running a puppy on rabbits. Up untill 10-12 months old all a running dog should be doing is training, socialising, getting used to its senses and growing up fit and healthy. But i am sure you know all this, and judging by your attitude in your response you will give me a brief, poorly spelled lecture on how much of a wanker i am Cheers FTB Link to post
saluki bouy 690 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 each to there own lads mine dont see a rabbit till seven months then give them a dropper once a month or so till there 12 months then PREBAN 18 months till they seen a hare then 2 or 2.5 till they seen deer or fox Preban i am talkin this is what my uncle did so i just followed suit .i think there is logic to both side of the arguement so am just siting on the fence here Link to post
waidmann 105 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 mine is now just about 5 months old,has just broken the front teeth.is very gangly(allthough quite quick).he will retrieve and has a very good interest in rabbits,foxes etc(he has been going out with me and the terrier since i have him). i do not think he would stand a chance on a bolting rabbit(i would be more concerned of him straining unready muscles,tendons etc) his bones are still very soft and he is nowhere near mentally ready(allthough very keen). we have these dogs for a very long time,so why rush them into work,the problems caused by "early entering" are well known (wear on unready joints,stunting bones still in growth and the dreaded "yapping" of frustrated dogs,especially the whippets). nope mine will run when i think he is ready to stand a good chance of catching them without causing any injuries to himself.he is a puppy. waidmann Link to post
winnie 1 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 Did none of you geniuses think to ask this lad what type of ground he is running the dog on? He may running the dog on a golf course for all you know, still going to tell him to start it at 5 months or 8 weeks or whatever? My goodness their is some nonsense spoken on here. Just leave the dog untill its a year lad, no dog ever got ruined by holding it back but plenty got ruined by starting too early. 1 Link to post
Guest jt750 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 fwiw whippets will open up if entered too early Link to post
Guest 2GOOD Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 how young is too young to start a whippet on the lamp, got a 5 month old pure bred thats going to make 22" tts easily. whats your views on whippets compared to lurchers for pot fillers.... i would have had it catching rabbits by now ,if it was mine ,running it with another dog that knows the job ,as you well know Link to post
trisha 1 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 i think its all down to the mentality of the dog and the owners ability to read this and bring it on in the right way.ive seen whippets catching rabbits on the lamp at 6 months old and still going strong today,and ive seen them enterd later and open up and pull up purely down to the owners ability as a dog man to read the signs imo Link to post
paulredtop 8 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 leave it till it a year old better safe than sorry Link to post
allenyeates 3 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 Every dog, no matter what breed or cross is an individual, Jay my old dog (R.I.P.) was 6 months old and never looked back. He has been gone 10 year, Took ALL quarry, my latest dog (Laguna Whippet) took 10 month to catch his first. Now 1 yr. old is a devil on rabbit. Start them young (6 month +) The penny will drop.... belive me Link to post
fieldsman 51 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 I've bred and worked whippets for more than 20 years some do mature mentally at a younger age even if you run it with another dog if it isn't mentally mature it will yap. Personally I start mine around 10 months on their own usually ferreting or bushing gives them an ideal start letting the dog find the rabbit itself. If started to young can lead to toe and joint problems not to mention the fact it can dishearten a dog because it can't get to them, they may look quick but put with an older experienced dog of 14 plus months you will notice the difference. I've found through past experience that an immature dog will no doubt yap if run with an older/faster dog through sheer frustration at not keeping up with the older dog. My advice would be to enter them alone at an older age and be patient give the dog time to learn. Link to post
oakey 57 Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 A lot of people wont post their opinion if they keep being told they know nothing about what they are talking about (it's just their opinion). Anyway i'm not one of them any way so here goes there arnt any rules for entering any dog to game only you will know and live with it right or wrong .I always try to make it easy to start with going with a mate lamp and airgun you shine he shoots the dog retrieves Link to post
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