How old is too old?

[B.P.R 2,798]

Hi guys. Got a 7month old whippet here, she's been out a few times ferreting before the first injury, whilst recovering from the first she chipped the bone in the other leg and is now just starting very short/slow lead walks.

 

That's in total around 13 weeks of her life so far spent either caged/ in the house or on short walks. She won't be out ferreting again until feb/ march maybe even April time and she will be 12 months come may.

 

My question is how old it too old to get her out learning her game? I'm panicking here thinking she will be too old to teach/ learn etc her retrieve is pretty good, recall decent and she's getting used to the ferrets.

 

Is 12 months too old? Or is it still young enough to get her going? ideally she would have been out with me from 12weeks, getting used to the nets, learning what the ferrets do, and taking everything in. Unfortunately that's not how it's worked out so got to work with what I've got.

 

Sensible replies only, cheers

[The Duncan 802]

For all I'm fairly new to hunting dogs, I've trained dogs since I was 14, and in my experience, they still absorb a kot of training between 12 and 24 months, sometimes beyond.

 

Atb

 

Duncan

[jimster68 123]

ive not got the greatest experence of working lurchers but iv trained racing greyhounds ,the worst thing you can do is to be tempted into running your dog too early ,in my eyes too many people run there dogs too early whilst there still developing ,and are mentally imature. if your dogs been badly injured your doing the right thing by building the fitness up slowly and giving the dog every oppertunity to recover .as the dogs only young i wouldnt worry too much as its still only a baby and its got the best years in front of it ,youve done the hard bit by caging the dog and short walking for 13 weeks so why risk going back to square one .when and only when your sure the dog is fully fit take it out on game ,at the moment just work on recall ,retreving ect .if you think your dogs going to be a bit backwards you can bolt a few summer rabbits ,but from what ive seen of whippets a few months is never going to stop one from working .....all the best.....jim

[shabadoodoo 16]

the dog will still learn to do the job