Found our first lurcher

[Guest Boston]

I am so excited, much like a kid on Xmas eve as we have finally decided after almost a year of shall we sharn't we that we WILL be getting a lurcher and whats more we have BOOKED one. We pick her up tomorrow from Notts and I am so excited that I just had to come and tell every body :thumbs-up:

She is Whippet/greyhound cross, not sure how much of each is in the mixture, but I was told she should make roughly 24 - 26 in, a little over than we first wanted, but with our new permission's that we have gained over the last week, I think she will do fine for next season.

 

Right, first question, a very basic one at that, what kind of collar do I need to use on her as I was told that whippets and greyhounds have soft throats. Can I use a regular collar on her for now?

 

And can somebody please let me know the first baby steps of training as this is the first ferreting dog I have trained. Is it a case of taking her out with us when ever we go to our permission leaded up so for now she can get used to be out there with us?

How do I teach her that rabbit is okay and pheasent is strictly OFF the menu out in the field and cat and ferret are off the menu at home!!!

 

I will post pictures of Meg (yes she even has a name) whom is said to be blue and fawn brindle once she has settled in at our home.

:thumbs-up:

[Guest peter]

I am so excited, much like a kid on Xmas eve as we have finally decided after almost a year of shall we sharn't we that we WILL be getting a lurcher and whats more we have BOOKED one. We pick her up tomorrow from Notts and I am so excited that I just had to come and tell every body :thumbs-up:

She is Whippet/greyhound cross, not sure how much of each is in the mixture, but I was told she should make roughly 24 - 26 in, a little over than we first wanted, but with our new permission's that we have gained over the last week, I think she will do fine for next season.

 

Right, first question, a very basic one at that, what kind of collar do I need to use on her as I was told that whippets and greyhounds have soft throats. Can I use a regular collar on her for now?

 

And can somebody please let me know the first baby steps of training as this is the first ferreting dog I have trained. Is it a case of taking her out with us when ever we go to our permission leaded up so for now she can get used to be out there with us?

How do I teach her that rabbit is okay and pheasent is strictly OFF the menu out in the field and cat and ferret are off the menu at home!!!

 

I will post pictures of Meg (yes she even has a name) whom is said to be blue and fawn brindle once she has settled in at our home.

:thumbs-up:

good luck mate nice little x

[hairybull 3]

I am so excited, much like a kid on Xmas eve as we have finally decided after almost a year of shall we sharn't we that we WILL be getting a lurcher and whats more we have BOOKED one. We pick her up tomorrow from Notts and I am so excited that I just had to come and tell every body :thumbs-up:

She is Whippet/greyhound cross, not sure how much of each is in the mixture, but I was told she should make roughly 24 - 26 in, a little over than we first wanted, but with our new permission's that we have gained over the last week, I think she will do fine for next season.

 

Right, first question, a very basic one at that, what kind of collar do I need to use on her as I was told that whippets and greyhounds have soft throats. Can I use a regular collar on her for now?

I use a normal collar on mine- just a thin leather one, dont do it up real tight, but I dont on any of my dogs!And can somebody please let me know the first baby steps of training as this is the first ferreting dog I have trained. Is it a case of taking her out with us when ever we go to our permission leaded up so for now she can get used to be out there with us?

How do I teach her that rabbit is okay and pheasent is strictly OFF the menu out in the field and cat and ferret are off the menu at home!!!

I always have taken my pups out ferreting with me as soon as they could keep up with me and not get too tired. They get used to cats and ferrets pretty easy- just supervise them and a little 'aahh' or 'no' usually works with these breeds, they learn pretty quick. I will post pictures of Meg (yes she even has a name) whom is said to be blue and fawn brindle once she has settled in at our home.

:thumbs-up:

Congrats on the pup, they give you many years of fun!!

[shell 42]

Good luck with the pup!

 

We always take pups out once they've had their innoculations (as long as we're not going miles and miles), but we take the game bag with us, and if pup gets tired, we put it in the game bag with its head poking out of the side so it can still see something. Gives its legs a rest for a bit! They don't learn anything sat at home. Even if for the first year you're just teaching it basic field manners, its learning something.

 

Most important bit of training to me is recall. Teach pup its name and to come when you call it around the house in those first few weeks and you're well on the way.

 

Look forward to seeing a piccy of Meg!

 

shell

[Guest Boston]

Most important bit of training to me is recall. Teach pup its name and to come when you call it around the house in those first few weeks and you're well on the way.

 

Look forward to seeing a piccy of Meg!

 

shell

 

Thank you for your advice!!

We got some YouTub Vids up to look at the speed of the dogs and to be honest it scared the living day lights out of me!! How on earth do you teach them recal when they can be half across the world in 2 secs flat lol

We decided that recall is something we are going to be working on from the very beginning, thankfully we have pleanty of open land here so it should be 'easy' done.

 

My other worry is our cat!!!

[shell 42]

You'll be fine Boston! Selective deafness does happen, but not often!

 

Regarding the cat, just make sure the pup knows from day one that it's not to mess with the cat. A firm 'no' if it starts to give the cat the eye, even a tap on the nose when you say 'no'. I don't mean give it a good hiding, but a small tap won't do the pup any harm. Never had a cat though, so my advice might not be any use!

 

All the best,

Shell

[Guest Boston]

You'll be fine Boston! Selective deafness does happen, but not often!

 

Well, that I am used to, I live with three young boys and a man :whistle:

[shell 42]

I'm not so bad in that respect... one male and the rest are female!

[Guest Boston]

I'm not so bad in that respect... one male and the rest are female!

 

I'm even'ing up the female count now we have Meg here. Three female... but that includes the dogs

 

We collected Meg this morning from a wonderful lady whom cried as we took her baby away from her which told me that they had been well taken care of. :thumbs-up: Dad was a handsome Fawn and white pure whippet and mum was a stricking dark brindle Greyhound. There was two girls left and four boys and I was tempted to take them ALL. But Meg who was the heaviest but smaller of the two girls won our hearts with a chin on my arm just begging to come home with us, so that is what we did... brought her home with us. The 125 miles round trip was worth every mile for her.

Meg is a black/grey brindle on fawn, very pretty and soooo tiny!!!

 

Here are the pictures of her meeting the family...

 

 

We are all on top of the world with how stunning she is.

[MikeTheDog 153]

Smashing looking whelp Boston!...Good luck with her...

[Guest Frank]

Smashing looking whelp Boston!...Good luck with her...

 

 

Likewise

 

Best of Luck.

 

Frank.

[shell 42]

Lovely looking pup! All the best with her!

Shell

[MikeTheDog 153]

How do I teach her that rabbit is okay and pheasent is strictly OFF the menu out in the field and cat and ferret are off the menu at home!!!

Dunno about teaching her that longtails are off the catch menue.. ...As for the cat, she will protect it from others but watch her with other cats.. ...As for the ferrets, no problem, put a bowl of milk down for the ferrets ans let your Meg join in!

[Guest Boston]

Thank you so much for the lovely remarks every body, we are just so made up with her!

Last puppy we had was our Springer and he was like a tornado on 4 legs ripping through the house - come to think of it he still is , but little Meg has found her bed and we don't know we have her. I have a feeling that this may only be the calm before the storm though

 

Keep the fantastic advice coming, very much welcomed. Can any body suggest a good lurcher training book that is really worth the paper its typed on?

 

Love this picture, our Dogue De Bordeaux, Ninny (Tart) couldn't lay much closer to Meg if she tried.

[FERRETBOY 680]

thats a georgous pup boston i can see you having lots of fun in the future. as for a good lurcher training book im sure there is some but i have a video i think you can also get it on dvd called purdeys progress the first year in the life of a working lurcher by dave sleight and it shows and tells you how to train your lurcher from day one excellant worth buying.good luck in the future with the pup and keep us all posted.

 

good hunting

 

rew