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Big dogs, Small quarry..........


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Walking to my allottment, across a recently harrowed wheat field, there are a few rats knocking about. This morning one ran in front of us; Lima, the Deer X, was the first to react, picking it up, in her stride, in fine style, giving it a quick, but severe shake, and carrying it, somewhat disconcertainly, back to hand !! LOL !!

 

No big deal, I hear you say, and you'd be right !! But it got me thinking about the posts I read on here about some dogs being to big for rabbits. Well, this bitch is 29" and has had many rabbits, day and night, and rats, although they are not her, or my, preferred quarry !

 

So my opinion on the "Big v Little" dog theory is; it's not the SIZE, but the DESIRE, of the dog, that dictates what it catches or doesn't !

 

The little bitch, Delta, also had one, but being 1/4 Beddy, I consider rabbits and rats to be her legitimate quarry.

 

No pics, I'm afraid; not due to the recent hysteria about posting pics of quarry; but simply because I didn't have a camera ! :thumbs:

 

Cheers.

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this is very typical of the below the belt crap that is the scourge of hunting in all its forms. ive seen it in the field at shows in clubs/pubs. its never far away. where ever you see more than one h

Right, this ain't gonna go down well but here goes ........   To be honest Wodga, for a grown man to get on here out of the blue and just try and belittle an older man and his dogs is absolutely f**

I am not saying its gospel but I think that a big dog can do everything a little dog can do but not vice versa. A big dog will also dog the job faster and cleaner. As I said, just my own way of thin

Walking to my allottment, across a recently harrowed wheat field, there are a few rats knocking about. This morning one ran in front of us; Lima, the Deer X, was the first to react, picking it up, in her stride, in fine style, giving it a quick, but severe shake, and carrying it, somewhat disconcertainly, back to hand !! LOL !!

 

No big deal, I hear you say, and you'd be right !! But it got me thinking about the posts I read on here about some dogs being to big for rabbits. Well, this bitch is 29" and has had many rabbits, day and night, and rats, although they are not her, or my, preferred quarry !

 

So my opinion on the "Big v Little" dog theory is; it's not the SIZE, but the DESIRE, of the dog, that dictates what it catches or doesn't !

 

The little bitch, Delta, also had one, but being 1/4 Beddy, I consider rabbits and rats to be her legitimate quarry.

 

No pics, I'm afraid; not due to the recent hysteria about posting pics of quarry; but simply because I didn't have a camera ! :thumbs:

 

Cheers.

 

you prob right regards desire more than size mate, most of my lurchers have been 25- 27in and never had prob picking up rabbits , infact Bryn my 1st colliex grey makes it look piss easy picking up rabbits he is 25in, and lot of other people who seen him work would say the same. The dog pup i am getting 1x gsd x grey will be a big dog ,bigger than Bryn i will let you know lol. Alot of deerhoundxs ive always though are agile for big dogs, alot seem tall more than over heavy , and they like charts bitch pick up easy .!

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i was out lamping rabbit with a friend the other night and his big 28/9'' dog got 1, and my little 23/4'' bitch got 3 (on same amount of slips). i thought his height put him at a disadvantage, he chased well but didnt pick up as well as she seemed to. i am in no way knocking his dog as its preferred quarry would be something a bit bigger if legal anyway and im sure the desire was there. i think getting down to smaller quarry at full speed is going to be harder for a taller dog desire or no desire. also his dog came home with a recurring injury so could have been feeling that whilst out aswel. thats only lamping, daytime its hard to get a decent enough run on rabbits so i cant comment. i wouldnt be taking a 29'' dog on a ratting trip tho. cheers

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On the bunnies lamp or day time the big dog's i have seen run have as good of a strike as any of the smaller breed's..it the ground they loose and have to make up when they do miss with the first strike that put's me off the bigger dog's a little bit..

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Walking to my allottment, across a recently harrowed wheat field, there are a few rats knocking about. This morning one ran in front of us; Lima, the Deer X, was the first to react, picking it up, in her stride, in fine style, giving it a quick, but severe shake, and carrying it, somewhat disconcertainly, back to hand !! LOL !!

 

No big deal, I hear you say, and you'd be right !! But it got me thinking about the posts I read on here about some dogs being to big for rabbits. Well, this bitch is 29" and has had many rabbits, day and night, and rats, although they are not her, or my, preferred quarry !

 

So my opinion on the "Big v Little" dog theory is; it's not the SIZE, but the DESIRE, of the dog, that dictates what it catches or doesn't !

 

The little bitch, Delta, also had one, but being 1/4 Beddy, I consider rabbits and rats to be her legitimate quarry.

 

No pics, I'm afraid; not due to the recent hysteria about posting pics of quarry; but simply because I didn't have a camera ! :thumbs:

 

Cheers.

Well said - couldn't agree with you more :thumbs:

 

Im actually glad to see a write up like this - been a long time coming imo :victory:

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i like seeing a big dog working smaller stuff, although she's still young and finding her way our 26" deerhound x bitch has simply overpowered some catches, scooping them up as she passes if they do jink away from her and she overruns she is often back on them in a stride or two because of her size and length of stride

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Walking to my allottment, across a recently harrowed wheat field, there are a few rats knocking about. This morning one ran in front of us; Lima, the Deer X, was the first to react, picking it up, in her stride, in fine style, giving it a quick, but severe shake, and carrying it, somewhat disconcertainly, back to hand !! LOL !!

 

No big deal, I hear you say, and you'd be right !! But it got me thinking about the posts I read on here about some dogs being to big for rabbits. Well, this bitch is 29" and has had many rabbits, day and night, and rats, although they are not her, or my, preferred quarry !

 

So my opinion on the "Big v Little" dog theory is; it's not the SIZE, but the DESIRE, of the dog, that dictates what it catches or doesn't !

 

The little bitch, Delta, also had one, but being 1/4 Beddy, I consider rabbits and rats to be her legitimate quarry.

 

No pics, I'm afraid; not due to the recent hysteria about posting pics of quarry; but simply because I didn't have a camera ! :thumbs:

 

Cheers.

 

Yes, desire, call it what you will, will make a massive difference and should a 29" keen dog be compared with a, lets say 24" dog that lacks that desire then one could be forgiven for thinking they are the equivilant of a smaller dog. I had a 27 1/2" dog who was shit hot on rabbits, his attitude and gungho outlook seen him outclass many smaller dogs, however, compared to his sire who I also owned and ran in similiar conditions and who also had the gungho attitude who was only 24 1/2" there was no comparison.

Big dogs will catch decent bags and many with style, but against a smaller dog with heart and desire as we're calling it, they're at a distinct disadvantage.

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Personally on the small fields, hills and rough I work i would always prefer a dog between 22-24" TTS. I have no doubt that the bigger dogs with the drive/desire can be great, but I have seen them struggle on small quarry, over shooting and quite simply physically too big for the job in hand. I have owned 27" a dog which worked very hard for me for 6 seasons but I came to the conclusion that he was not suited to the game, although a dog with more drive, speed and a serpent like strike I have yet to see. I have ran a pure deerhound on rabbits, and it was quite amusing but not ideal. A big dog 27" plus is fine for other things, and may put a few rabbits in the bag, but is physically wrong for my type of hunting. A nimble and agile small/medium size dog would always be my preference for rabbiting.

 

I dont go for the size versus desire theory as if the dog is physically too big it can have all the desire in the world, but it wont physically be able to hack the work type of work or suceed as well as smaller dog with equal amounts of desire.

 

Good hunting :thumbs:

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i personally think its more to do with the dogs agility and strike more than size seen lots of small ones overshoot their quarry as well as big ones. a good strike along with good agility and size doesnt matter either way .

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