border collies

[anita&paul 0]

has anybody ever worked a border collie to rabbits or know of anyone who has and how succesful were they? would love to know.

[Guest SJM]

 

Ive got a bitch, almost 2 yrs old, off dual reg working parents. Shes not a bad rabbiting dog, fairly fast, good strike, superb retreive, but most importantly she doesnt try to "herd" her prey and runs completely silent. She is the tall, leggy type of collie which is the best kind for working, those fluffy show bred things are useless IMO

[Simoman 110]

Yep, I had a collie and used him on the lamp and for mooching, caught a fair few bunnies with him. Good nose and feet but as can guess would have benefitted from more pace...........

[gnipper 6,412]

I think one of the Bezzant clowns managed to train one to trench on through a burrow to find a rabbit kill

[Simoman 110]

I think one of the Bezzant clowns managed to train one to trench on through a burrow to find a rabbit kill

 

 

Well they are versatile I'll try and dig out a photo and scan it of my old dog, died aged 14 about 5/6 years ago.

[millie 1]

they need alot of work or they get a bit hiper

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Forty odd years ago there was a tv serise. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called now. But it was sort of like a forerunner to " Emmerdale Farm ". One time it featured Witches. They were operating out on the land at night. And, in order to give a plausable story line as to why we should be seeing these Witches, they used a poacher.

 

Thing is; This guy was using the sort of 'Big Flashlight' I use around this place today. Sort of thing people carry in the boots of their motors. Not a torch. But not a " Lamp " either. Deben didn't exist in those days. And his Dog? A Border Collie! He shone the light to see where the rabbits were, then sent to Collie to catch one.

 

At the time I thought, " Oh. So that's how proper poachers do it? ". Then I came to dismiss the notion as stupid, once I learned about Lurchers.

 

But here's the craic; I was out trying to 'poach' / ferret some rabbits one time when a 'Real', much older poacher turned up. He had a Collie with him. Five minutes later and I saw that Dog digging franticly at the earth. I thought it was crazy. I did, untill the guy reached into the hole the Dog was digging and pulled out a rabbit! First and last time I've ever seen a Dog genuinely " Crown " on a rabbit.

 

Let's not forget; The basic, dictionary, definition of a " Lurcher " used to be " A cross between a Collie and a Greyhound. Providing the sagacity of one and the speed of the other. "

 

Now it's all " Bullx " this and Saluki that. How easily people forget their very roots, eh?

[Guest Macnas]

When I was, say 14 or so, I'd go lamping with my mate and his Da.

Dog was a border collie, a black and white tornado from Co.Kerry.

 

Caught it's fair share of coneys, I can attest to that.

[anita&paul 0]

thxs for all that, it has helped a lot. Now for the training he he

[jonathan 0]

my border collie has had i fair few rabbits but not had him lamping yet but allways take him ferreting he marks better then my [bANNED TEXT] jack russles