Guest Buttermilk Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi....as some of you may know we have a Lurcher pup, Fen, who is 15 weeks old. We also have two Lurcher bitches, Mist and Meg who are consumate rabbiters....100% day dogs. Having read some threads in this section, about entering pups too early...I need some advice please...... I am out with the dogs every day...morning, afternoon and early evening....either on horseback or on foot. Mist and Meg hunt up all the time and catch a fair few rabbits...they absolutely love it.It's their very favourite thing. Fen, the pup joins in....she watches them intently and copies what they do. I've noticed over the last week or so, she's much less interested in 'playing' and wants to 'look for rabbits'....she peers down sets and sniffs around well-used runs in the cover. She has 'caught' two rabbits...albeit in a very lucky way...one up against the fence as Meg held it from the other side by it's foot ....and one that Mist drove into her from the brambles. She did hold onto it though, even though it was screaming and she was very, very pleased with herself.....she walked around with it in her mouth, wagging her tail, while I clapped and cheered....there was noone around So do I let her carry on doing this and learning from the other two...? My ex-husband trained all our other Lurchers and Terriers to work, so I'm not too sure of the best approach....and reading some of the other threads it seems a 'no, no' to enter a pup too soon. But she's doing well and thoroughly enjoys the whole thing. I'm confident in training generally.....'sit, stay, leave, recall' etc....it's just this 'working too soon' thing. Thanks for reading and any advice will be very much appreciated..... Quote Link to post
riohog 5,729 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 dont think there is anything wrong letting the pup learn from th other dogs best way ...but remember it is still a very young pupand still growing so .. i might just limit the exersise a bit bones arnt set yet last thing you want is to damage the pup !!!! phisicly good luck Quote Link to post
Top Lamper 2k10 169 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 I woudnt start her yet mate my pups nearly 8 month now and I've only just started takeing him out hunting and hr only got his first rabbit 2 days ago I would just walk your dog and let it watch wat the others are doin and if the other dogs catch a rabbit let the pup hav a good tug at it so it knows wat to do I wouldn't let it chase any yet incase it starts yapping when its running atb Top Lamper Quote Link to post
Guest fence_hopper Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 i wouldnt be purposely taking her out to hunt but if it happens it happens Quote Link to post
mattythelamper 73 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Sounds like shes matured quicker as some do alot of pups mature quicker than most but just let it be itself atb Quote Link to post
Guest Buttermilk Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 dont think there is anything wrong letting the pup learn from th other dogs best way ...but remember it is still a very young pupand still growing so .. i might just limit the exersise a bit bones arnt set yet last thing you want is to damage the pup !!!! phisicly good luck I know what you mean...she rides with me on the horse, down my T-shirt until a few weeks ago ....and we have lots of rests. We're only out for an hour or so...they splash about in the river and stuff. And she gets carried if she's tired. Quote Link to post
runforyourlife 361 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi. its to young for it to be running freely off the lead and hunting up on its own...its only just 4 mth old, come on, its got the rest of its life to work. It should be on the lead watching. It could easily pick up bad habits by letting it mooch around on its own. Get injured, etc. Like hopper said, if it happens by mistake it happens. Tell me this, what would happen if when it is sniffing down these runs and mooching about the brambles, and a charlie came out, your other dog grabbed it, and your pup got a face full of fox. The dog could be ruined for ever. I have heard people asking on here about 6 or 7mth old pups, but 4mths is just way to young... Quote Link to post
sandymere 8,263 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 As above hold it back a bit, there's plenty of time yet and the bones etc are not ready for the strains that would be put on them at this stage. Quote Link to post
x38 179 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi kate the pup is a bit young for this yet let it be a pup the rest will come in time ...think the pups go at there own pace and she is mutuering ..fast the 2 litters before all was catching by 8 months and your pup was alot like the granddad and dad thay was very work focused at that age .. and ...ive just entered lincon at 18 months to *** but was catching **** in a wood by 8months .....how tall is she rabbit is 20"1/2 tts:thumbs: atb steve... Quote Link to post
Guest Buttermilk Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi. its to young for it to be running freely off the lead and hunting up on its own...its only just 4 mth old, come on, its got the rest of its life to work. It should be on the lead watching. It could easily pick up bad habits by letting it mooch around on its own. Get injured, etc. Like hopper said, if it happens by mistake it happens. Tell me this, what would happen if when it is sniffing down these runs and mooching about the brambles, and a charlie came out, your other dog grabbed it, and your pup got a face full of fox. The dog could be ruined for ever. I have heard people asking on here about 6 or 7mth old pups, but 4mths is just way to young... Hi and thanks for responding.Gosh I'm surprised at the 'off-lead' advice....all our Lurchers and Terriers have always 'run off lead' when they're tiny.I like to get their recall 100% very early on which is difficult if they're not allowed off lead.We walk her through the village on her lead, of-course and she walks very well on the lead. But she's not exactly 'hunting up' on her own...she follows the other two like a little shadow....and they're always close to me....I don't like them out of sight or too far ahead, they're not allowed to go through gates ahead of me or range ahead...their recall is 100% by the way, and Fen is very obedient too. I suppose injuries can and do happen....I think we've been lucky in never having any serious ones over the last 25 years....but all the dogs are full insured. As for the fox question...it's rabbit sets they mark and sniff down. I know most of the active fox and badger setts in the area and wouldn't encourage the Lurchers to explore them. We mooch about everywhere and I'm literally feet away from them, so I guess on balance I feel the experiences she's getting as a young pup, under my careful supervision, outweigh the small risk of her being attacked by a fox. Quote Link to post
runforyourlife 361 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 ok, so why ask for the advice, for everything what was stated, you have gone against.... I meant hunting up with the others... and a fox doesnt sniff out the rabbit runs as well ? And thats good your fully insured, so it doesnt matter if the dog may never run again. I wasnt thinking of the money. ASnyway you seem to have all the answers. So, as you said, under your careful supervision, she is ok... Still to young to be out hunting with other dogs at 4mths old... Each to there own but i am sure that there wouldnt even be a foolish dog man on here to say that the pup is ok to hunt at 4mths old... Atb Russ. Quote Link to post
Guest Buttermilk Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi kate the pup is a bit young for this yet let it be a pup the rest will come in time ...think the pups go at there own pace and she is mutuering ..fast the 2 litters before all was catching by 8 months and your pup was alot like the granddad and dad thay was very work focused at that age .. and ...ive just entered lincon at 18 months to *** but was catching **** in a wood by 8months .....how tall is she rabbit is 20"1/2 tts:thumbs: atb steve... Hello! She's 20"tts now and 13.5kg. She is very, very sensible....I think that's her personality and breeding, also Mist and Meg are very sensible and steady too...and she copies everything they do. She seems to have 'switched' suddenly from being happy to play with a stick or a leaf to being very interested in looking for rabbits. She's funny...when we go into the bottom paddock, she immediately checks the rabbit setts down by the brambles and really sniffs for ages....and then she sits and cocks her head over to one side. She also 'sneaks' around the cover with Meg...Meg is very stealthy and almost 'tiptoes' around looking for rabbits....Fen has started to do this too, rather than just barging through like she did before. It's fascinating to watch her develop.... Quote Link to post
Guest fence_hopper Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 (edited) dont think there is anything wrong letting the pup learn from th other dogs best way ...but remember it is still a very young pupand still growing so .. i might just limit the exersise a bit bones arnt set yet last thing you want is to damage the pup !!!! phisicly good luck I know what you mean...she rides with me on the horse, down my T-shirt until a few weeks ago ....and we have lots of rests. We're only out for an hour or so...they splash about in the river and stuff. And she gets carried if she's tired. never read it properly, she's still pritty young. pups at 4 months dont realy need much excersise just the odd lead walk a little mooch around small fields getting used to live stock etc, take it easy with her like said she's got alot of years ahead of her . Edited September 16, 2010 by fence_hopper Quote Link to post
Guest Buttermilk Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 ok, so why ask for the advice, for everything what was stated, you have gone against.... I meant hunting up with the others... and a fox doesnt sniff out the rabbit runs as well ? And thats good your fully insured, so it doesnt matter if the dog may never run again. I wasnt thinking of the money. ASnyway you seem to have all the answers. So, as you said, under your careful supervision, she is ok... Still to young to be out hunting with other dogs at 4mths old... Each to there own but i am sure that there wouldnt even be a foolish dog man on here to say that the pup is ok to hunt at 4mths old... Atb Russ. .........eh????? Are you cross Russ? Thanks for your advice....as I said, it's great to hear what others think. Didn't realise I had to agree unconditionally with everything you said though. Sorry. Quote Link to post
fitchet 788 Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 every qestion you have asked you been given an answer to . . . if you know it all why bother asking in the first place ??? not having a dig just curious. Quote Link to post
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