Pup and bunnies, advice please?

[x38 179]

i would sooner have a good recall in place by 26 weeks(and i know its only 20 weeks old) and it should be well installed......as no recall no dog as you have found out for your self....and in all fairness your not going out to run bunnys with it deliberatley every day are you lets not dull the praydrive befor it kicks in fully......and ive allways start my pups of day time so the recall is second nature then you control what is geting run as no one likes a dog that just feck off lol and i have never had any probs going from day to night .......

[skycat 6,173]

The strength of the recall will come and go a bit as the pup develops. One moment their recall is perfect, the next they've realised that there is more to life than just coming to you when you call them. Pups often go through a dodgy stage at around 8-10 months old when their prey drive really kicks in. This is one reason I usually wait to start lamping until a pup is around a year old. Before that I take them out and let them hunt, let them use their noses. The more you can show a pup in the general way of things the better. Ferreting is one of the best things to do with a pup because it teaches them that the fun is had near you. It is you leading the hunt, putting the ferret in etc. It also teaches them patience.

 

Not hunting up on the lamp is learned in the field. Most pups will run on a bit to begin with, and I always go out knowing that I may well have to scare a field of rabbits in as I call the pup back to me. Its no big deal. I also try to lamp for the first few times in places where there aren't many rabbits: just one or two in a field. That way the pup is not tempted to carry on chasing the rabbits it can hear running in the dark.

[The Duncan 802]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone.

Roxy's recall is perfect most of the time, she just wants to play when she sees another dog. She'll be fine I'm sure. Sometimes she sees people she wants to say hello too and when I call her, I can see she is making her decision. When she comes to me as preference I praise her up loads!

Would a lure be good for her to practise on if it's made deliberately easy for her?