pup in fatal accident

[jazz 2011 0]

Thursday evening our lurcher pup 6 months old,saw rabbit while out on hills gave chase and ran fullout into sheep netting fence, killed instantly.Can't believe it, much loved family pet.Is this a common accident,if so may not consider another lurcher too heartbreaking.Please comment.

[staffs riffraff 1,068]

know how ou feel mate lost a dog last septmber then nearly lost another few weeks ago but like everyone said to me its part and parcel of the lifestyle of running dogs and sometimes i think to myself have i got the balls to carry on cuz i think too much of my dogs but then so do most folks. Hope you make the right choice pal

 

 

[nellandbran 8]

so sorry for your loss., lost my pup last year in a freek accident, last year, don't think I'll ever get over it, but it does'nt happen all the time, but up to you they do run very fast, thats the atraction, for me, could'nt see me with anything else, but time is a good healer

 

 

[southcott 9]

Sad loss

[skycat 6,173]

So sorry to hear of your loss. Lurchers have high prey drive so it is essential to get them used to all sorts of obstacles: fences, ditches, barbed wire, holes in the ground: you name it, before they are ever likely to come across those things when giving chase. Freak accidents can happen no matter what you do, but the better prepared your dog is to cope with these obstacles from an early age, the more field sense and ability they have to survive. I always let my pups come on walks which I purposely take in areas which most would consider dangerous to running dogs. Woodland, barbed wire, stock wire, ditches, thick cover: all this as soon as they have had their vaccinations. Obviously I don't let them run full tilt everywhere, and everything is very controlled, but this way even on the shortest of puppy walks, they are learning how to negotiate obstacles. Of course I lift them over things which are too high, but I don't molly coddle them either: they have to learn that stock wire is a barrier, which at first they don't really see. At say, 4 months old, they won't have built up enough speed to hurt themselves if they collide with it. BUT I would always put a pup on a lead if I think there might be rabbits about on the other side of such a fence: I don't want it damaging itself trying to run through it or over it. When the pup is old enough to learn how to jump, we do controlled jumping lessons so it learns how to clear fences. Preparation is everything with a lurcher as they are already fast enough to kill themselves at 6 months, as you have sadly found out. Also, make sure to get a pup from steady, sensible lines of lurcher: lurchers which are carelessly bred for all speed and no brain are at more of a risk in the field.

Hope this hasn't put you off having a lurcher as they are briliant dogs in every way, but be aware that with great speed and beauty and grace, comes the higher risk of injury. Think Ferrari not tractor!

[rolysmate 49]

It does sound a bit of a freak accident and yes it does happen but I know many who have had running dogs for many years and have never had a loss, sorry for your loss time is a healer and I"m sure that a new pup would help to heal things.

[stabba 10,745]

As the song goes "pick yourself up..dust yourself off and start all over again". The life of a running dog is filled with danger but its a cross us running dog men/women have to bare...good luck with future animals mate..atb stabba

[jazz 2011 0]

So sorry to hear of your loss. Lurchers have high prey drive so it is essential to get them used to all sorts of obstacles: fences, ditches, barbed wire, holes in the ground: you name it, before they are ever likely to come across those things when giving chase. Freak accidents can happen no matter what you do, but the better prepared your dog is to cope with these obstacles from an early age, the more field sense and ability they have to survive. I always let my pups come on walks which I purposely take in areas which most would consider dangerous to running dogs. Woodland, barbed wire, stock wire, ditches, thick cover: all this as soon as they have had their vaccinations. Obviously I don't let them run full tilt everywhere, and everything is very controlled, but this way even on the shortest of puppy walks, they are learning how to negotiate obstacles. Of course I lift them over things which are too high, but I don't molly coddle them either: they have to learn that stock wire is a barrier, which at first they don't really see. At say, 4 months old, they won't have built up enough speed to hurt themselves if they collide with it. BUT I would always put a pup on a lead if I think there might be rabbits about on the other side of such a fence: I don't want it damaging itself trying to run through it or over it. When the pup is old enough to learn how to jump, we do controlled jumping lessons so it learns how to clear fences. Preparation is everything with a lurcher as they are already fast enough to kill themselves at 6 months, as you have sadly found out. Also, make sure to get a pup from steady, sensible lines of lurcher: lurchers which are carelessly bred for all speed and no brain are at more of a risk in the field.

Hope this hasn't put you off having a lurcher as they are briliant dogs in every way, but be aware that with great speed and beauty and grace, comes the higher risk of injury. Think Ferrari not tractor!

[maitland93 13]

lost mine a week ago mate to a car chasing a rabbit carnt help it, what a shock it is coming to terms with it

 

sorry for your loss mate atb maitland

[Ideation 8,216]

Funny thing is some dogs live their whole life balls to the wal and never get hurt and others get killed on their first run, thats just luck. Lets face it when you watch most dogs run (at least on the kind of land we hunt), every chase has a half a dozen moments when they could easily die, and you just have to watch and keep your fingers crossed. You have to do your best to avoid it and then not think - that way madness lies. On some of the land we hunt, it's steep slopes, lots of trees, fallen trees, large metal cables strung across and up and down at a couple of feet off the ground, the odd fridge or water tank chucked about, sudden drops. . . .. . and my fave. . . . . sections cut out of the slope (so a lip for the dog to go over), with large 3 foot or so angular metal spikes coming out the ground. And the rabbits wizz down hill weaving in and out, with the dog on their tail. Oh and there is a motor way at the bottom.

 

Only thing you can do is introduce them young, match the kind of dog to the kind of ground, try your best to second guess, and then pray pray pray.

 

 

Better 6 months lived as a lion that a lifetime as a sheep.

[beddiwhuppet 10]

every hunters night mare...sorry to hear...R.I.P

[alan626 305]

sorry for ur loss mate but some sadly times its a short life for a lurcher

[dennned 172]

had the same heartache myself--- 2 pups , one broke it's leg in 2 places at 12 weeks , other broke it's pelvis, 8 week ago, but both on the mend, having had dogs for 30 odd years , i'd say , go get yourself another , cos theres nothing like one in full flight on a chase ---- best of luck coping