Irish Lurcher 1,013 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 While the vast majority of us strive to have the ultimate fox dog in our yard, including myself, some have been more blessed than other in this field. But what happens when the dog that you have invested so much of ur time in is not all that and you are faced with a decision that could leave you wit egg on ur face, meaning you have built up this dog so much to ur mates that it could be see as a bad reflection on your judgment regarding the dogs abilities. I got talking to a lad who has such a dog and he is in two minds what to do, I told him to cut his loss and move on, I had to do it many a time and its not a good feeling, but I feel he is reluctant to admit that the dog has failed him and that he is chasing a lost cause. Are we as dog men reluctant to admit defeat??????? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scent 509 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 has he given the dog in question a few chances john .If so they tell him to do the right thing ,if it were my mate id tell him and expect any of my mates to do the same.It happenned to me twice in the last 5 years with lurchers ,one just had enough and the other was just plain scared shitless of old charles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,851 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 If the lad has done his best, what more can he do?.......its no reflection on him. As for judgement, all you can do is judge if the parents were worth breeding from and you take a pup on the chance that if its as good as its parents then you get what you want. You have to qualify this with the fact that it may get raised in a different environment to its parents and live in an area where its oppertunitys to experience all the things its parents did may be limited........so the dog may never be as good as the parents. Theres a lot of factors involved, its not just black and white........all you can do is your best and you have to accept that some dogs will turn out what you want and some wont. Thats life.......... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hullhunter 219 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 its a tuff one this as ive recently been in the same situation with my blue dog. i have given it chance after chance and it would just not take my chosen qurrey but took all others so i finly bit the bullet and put her up for sale. i was honest about the dog whan i put her up for sale. i had loads of calls about her but not one person who rang seemed genuine to me so i didnt sell her. then a few weeks later my other dog was stuck in the kennel due to work and i was meant to be going out and my mate convinced me to take the blue bitch out so very reluctantly i did (was thinking it was a waste of time taking her ) so we went out had 3 slips and she just chased them out of the field and i was pissed of thinking i knew i should not have bothered bringing her out. so i was saying to my mate she if definitely going now im sick to death of her. then we got on to an other one and she took it in fine style then an other one on the next slip so i was buzzing. why she did it i dont know but she was a changed dog within 2 slips. then a few nights later she took 3 out of 3 slips and one out of one slips a few nights later. i know its only early days with her but she is finely looking promising. so i would say its all ways worth giving them that extra few slips even if you have given up on the dog. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Shouldn't talk the talk until you know the dog can walk the walk......that way you wont end up with egg on your face... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,851 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Shouldn't talk the talk until you know the dog can walk the walk......that way you wont end up with egg on your face... Human nature, everyone gets excited about a pup.......especially if its out of decent stuff..........no shame in it.. The fact that it then never fulfils the dreams of the owner is no reflection of the lad IMHO, as I said, sometimes things just dont work out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Shouldn't talk the talk until you know the dog can walk the walk......that way you wont end up with egg on your face... Human nature, everyone gets excited about a pup.......especially if its out of decent stuff..........no shame in it.. The fact that it then never fulfils the dreams of the owner is no reflection of the lad IMHO, as I said, sometimes things just dont work out. Not saying you cant get excited and hope that your pup turns out to be like its parents, were all guilty of wanting that. Theres a difference from bumping your gums before the end product is there though and thats the only way you can make yourself look silly.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,121 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Not saying you cant get excited and hope that your pup turns out to be like its parents, were all guilty of wanting that. Theres a difference from bumping your gums before the end product is there though and thats the only way you can make yourself look silly.... Totally agree.......if the fella didnt breed the dog then its no shame on him it didnt turn out....the only shame on him is talking up an unproven dog which is a completely different thing to the excitable anticipation of bringing on a young dog. The nature of genetics dictates that some dogs are going to be poor examples regardless of how you raise em all you can do is your best if it dont work out get rid and start again.......thats what makes raising pups for work a hard thing sometimes but thats life and without honesty you have nothing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gonetoearth 5,144 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 only person i want to impress is me , 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,851 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 and without honesty you have nothing. Theres some good advice for working dog owners :thumbs: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
willow 53 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 a dogs as good as his last time out Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,173 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 There's so many things that can put a young dog off::: being entered along side a dog which is of higher status than it, the owner doing or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time during the rearing of the pup, a nasty incident which may lower the dog's confidence, and some dogs just don't have the maturity to take biting quarry until they are much older than the owners think they should be. I know that Bull crosses are supposed to enter early and easily, but they're not all like that. Friend of mine had one which wouldn't go solo until it was 3 years old: then never looked back and was still working well until it was 9 years old. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Attack Fell Terrier 864 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 only person i want to impress is me , Same here, if the dog does what I want it to do then that's all I'm interested in! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,851 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 There's so many things that can put a young dog off::: being entered along side a dog which is of higher status than it Now, theres a conundrum........personally, I want to find the best I can to show a young lurcher the way and its almost inevitable that this older, wiser dog will be of a higher pack status. I have always seen young dogs learn from other dogs.........do you think this is the wrong way Sky? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,121 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) Now, theres a conundrum........personally, I want to find the best I can to show a young lurcher the way and its almost inevitable that this older, wiser dog will be of a higher pack status. I have always seen young dogs learn from other dogs.........do you think this is the wrong way Sky? Not to poke my nose in lads but i agree with Sky to an extent......in my opinion it depends on the the nature of a dog as an individual Wilf.......some young dogs are happy to take a back seat and never quite push their chest right out with an older more experienced dog by their side.....others will go at it with even more conviction simpy because theres another dog with them.....its a fine line with no set rules you just have to treat every dog as an individual in my opinion Edited August 30, 2011 by gnasher16 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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