whippet not keen to kill

[bigoy19706 276]

hi all i have a whippet dog pup he,s 8 mounths i got him about 3 mounth ago and when i got him he wood not come to me it was 2 mounth befor he was ok to let off the lead i have had him out with my terriers bushing and had rabbits run right past him and he just looks at them than today i mate had a rat in a live trap we just let him look at it and see if he was keen for it but he was just licking the trap (we did not give the rat to any dogs) i no he,s young but a bit put off by his lak of praydrive do you think it,s just he age thanks

[mally 832]

He's 8 months old ffs, leave him 3 months and take him for a few runs on the lamp.

[rob190364 2,594]

He's 8 months old ffs, leave him 3 months and take him for a few runs on the lamp.

mixi bunnies come in quite handy for practice in the summer aswell.

[dytkos 17,824]

Let it see another dog catching for a while, it'll soon want to join in. As stated earlier, it's still only a pup. Some animals come into their own sooner than others. Be patient but if it's not interested by about 14/15 months I'd get rid if you want it as a hunting dog.

 

Cheers, D.

Edited May 9, 2012 by dytkos

[mally 832]

I really can't understand folk wanting to get dogs working too young, I start to show mine abit about 10-11 months old, depending on the pup. Some arnt ready at that age as there still immature mentally and pysically. All the pups i've reared and entered have made good working dogs, some may say thats just luck some may say it's because i took things steady.. I've seen dozens of dogs ruined for starting them too early but i've never seen one ruined starting them too late...

[mally 832]

Let it see another dog catching for a while, it'll soon want to join in. As stated earlier, it's still only a pup. Some animals come into their own sooner than others. Be patient but if it's not interested by about 14/15 months I'd get rid if you want it as a hunting dog.

 

Cheers, D.

 

Typical answer for on here... Get Rid!!. The only reason why dogs fail is that YOU FAIL THEM, they don't fail themselves....

[paulus 26]

my best dog here was absoloutly useless untill he turned 2, all legs going in 4 different directions and as thick as feck then one night it all came togeather and he`s not looked back since.

[skycat 6,174]

You say you got the dog 3 months ago, so he was 5 months when you got him? What sort of a life had he had before you got him? If he had never been out and about and was stuck in a kennel without learning anything he could well be very immature. Puppies need regular socialisation and exposure to all sorts of different situations to become alert, aware and confident. If that is his case, then you need to treat him as though he is much younger than he is, and he's very young anyway.

 

It's all very well talking about getting him chasing rabbits etc, but he needs to be mature enough in his head first, and some pups take longer than others to switch on.

 

You say it was 2 months before the pup would come to you: that just shows how unsocialised he was, and he obviously had no previous training or bonding. Pups which have not had the right sort of start in life take a lot longer to come right. Just be patient, consistent and take the time to play with the pup, get a good bond: the hunting will come later.

[Ideation 8,216]

I'm not being funny mall, and i pretty much agree with most of what you re saying, but i think SOME dogs, DO fail themselves in the hunting field. Believing all running dogs will make the grade is like thinking all ethiopians will make marathon runners, it just isnt true.

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

I'm not being funny mall, and i pretty much agree with most of what you re saying, but i think SOME dogs, DO fail themselves in the hunting field. Believing all running dogs will make the grade is like thinking all ethiopians will make marathon runners, it just isnt true.

 

That is unfortunately true....

[rob190364 2,594]

I'm not being funny mall, and i pretty much agree with most of what you re saying, but i think SOME dogs, DO fail themselves in the hunting field. Believing all running dogs will make the grade is like thinking all ethiopians will make marathon runners, it just isnt true.

especially the ones with the pot bellies

[KittleRox 2,147]

and letting the dog have a go at a rat ain,t the way forward

[mally 832]

I'm not being funny mall, and i pretty much agree with most of what you re saying, but i think SOME dogs, DO fail themselves in the hunting field. Believing all running dogs will make the grade is like thinking all ethiopians will make marathon runners, it just isnt true.

 

You only get out of a dog what you put into one mate, yes all may not make the grade to be world beaters, it's the easiest thing in the world to give up on a dog ,get rid and get another.

I know a few lads who leave there pups in there runs for 6 months without any exercise or training, then they expect them to go out and catch on there first night!!.

 

You only get out of a dog what you put in IMO

[Guest vin]

Got to agree with the welsh wizard on this one chaps.. they dont always work out how you would like them to..sometimes you just cant polish a turd.

 

The dogs still young and not had the chance yet so give it some time and get it out with some experienced dogs.

 

I would also like to add...its not all about leaving the dog in a kennel til its 12 months old and not working it and giving it any experiences..I believe they need to start as young as poss out with the older dogs watching and learning..Never given anything they cannot do and always led to believe they are the king of thier game...too many people spoil young dogs by tyring to get too much from them too soon...its a fine balance between learning and playing.always ending with the dog on top and in a good mood.. I have a friend with a dog thats already had 200 rabbits by the age of 8 months old..and he hasnt ruined it or made it jack as they say.. the dog is full of his own self confidence and ready to take on whatever is thrown at it...the tricky bit is not throwing the dog in too deep before it matures in the brain as well as the body,but the dog also needs a sensible amount of structured work to gain that maturity in the 1st place.

[mally 832]

Running a dog thats still growing is just asking for trouble in my opinion, the tendons are still soft and developing. You may not see a problem at the time but theres a very good chance the dog will be knackered by the time it's 4-5 years old.

 

The last 2 pups i've entered have both caught on there very first run on the lamp, one was 10 months old the other was 11 months old. Some may say this was down to just luck, but i disagree. I knew the dogs were ready both mentally and physically and they proved it.

 

It's very tempting to start a young dog too young, many say take it out with another dog just for a look. I never do this as it can over excite a pup and cause it to yap. I always take a pup out on it's own for the first few times, that way there is no distraction for the young dog and it encourages it to concentrate at the job in hand.

 

A working dog should have a long working career infront of it, i don't see the point in trying to rush things whilst its young. The more time you put in training etc will be rewarded tenfold.