Need help skycat

[predatorman 54]

The most important thing with any young dog, no matter what its breeding, is not to let it get discouraged. So if it sees load of rabbits which it has learned, are not catchable because they are too close to the hedge, try taking the dog on to land with which it is unfamiliar. My own dogs are reluctant to dive into hedges on the lamp if I'm running them on ground they also work by day: a dog knows where it is, night or day.

 

If I take the same dog out at night on to strange land, it will bust cover no problem at all and take rabbits out of the hedge very well. DeerGreys aren't at all stupid: they may not respond well to advanced obedience training until they are coming up 2 years old because they mature so slowly, but as far as predator reflexes go they are as sharp as any dog.

 

Don't let the dog get fed up with seeing rabbits disappearing down holes by day if you want it to try its hardest at night. I've done this so many times as my dogs get exercised on the same land I lamp: I've found that when starting them off on the lamp it pays to go somewhere completely new, where they don't expect the rabbits to dive to ground in a hedge.

 

Even within a type or breed you will get some dogs which are more prey driven, hard driving than others, even within the same litter. If you have a dog whose confidence is easily knocked, then do your damnedest to make sure it gets plenty of catches: go out with a gun and knock a few over, bolt some with ferrets on to open land where a catch is more likely. If you can't do either, then exercise the dog somewhere without rabbits so it only sees them when you take it out on the lamp.

some very good advice in that post. first rule of bring a pup on, let it run quarry that you know it can put a bend in. your positioning when slipping the dog is crucial to making the pup thinking its the best thing since sliced bread and that it has a chance everytime its released. trying to get rabbits sat further up the hedge can be frustrating even for seasoned dogs, sometimes encouraging them to hunt up and find an easier target themselves. best of luck

[DOVEY182009 12]

My bull x does this now and again, i put it down to brains myself or even energy saving but it is very frustraiting especialy when u slip another dog in same situation and it takes the rabbit. I think it benifits them as they also tend to trott/stalk onto squaters so when the rabbit takes up,, the dog can easily give chase without over running in the 1'st place if the rabbit bolts in oposite direction.

Edited October 8, 2010 by DOVEY182009

[davey 310]

Lamp mate he had a hand full of runs at the end of last season and I mean a a few then over summer he has chased everything from squeralls to roe whilst being walked loose now it's time to entre him properly going very well very light work for a couple of months I thought. Thank you sky cat , chartpolski and all that put in good positive info

Edited October 8, 2010 by davey

[danman 27]

try getting him a run on some sheep wire fencing, as the rabbit runs to the fenceline they like to go in on there usual run so they bounce off and turn up the fence this will encourage the dog that it is worthwile to run rabbits that are close to a headge because they think they have got a chance of turning it when it gets there.

[davey 310]

Unny that done that last night and went home with three rabs happy days

[Guest reload]

Its a young pup, give it time!

Make sure the dog has a catch and end the night on a high and build it up from there, its all about confidence.

Personally I would get as many easy rabbits under its belt first, (forget slipping on the ones sitting in hedge bottoms at the moment) make it easy for the dog and choose the easy rabbits, get yourself in the right position between hedge and field to make is easy for the dog so the dog does not get disheartened.

 

Their is some good advice on here and some no so good, I suspect you know the good advice

Edited October 8, 2010 by reload

[davey 310]

All good advise taken on board