New member, new pup and an old dog!

[Danny_ 0]

Hi, not much on the internet for working dogs is there! Glad I found this site.

 

Im 22, and have had a lurcher for a loooong time. He was a rescue dog around 4 years old when we had him as a family pet. He had been SERIOUSLY abused. He has a breathing problem almost as if he is asthmatic. He was scared of anything that moved and took along time for him to accept people, sleep eat etc but has since become a great pet. After a lot of hard work I got his recall good enough that I was able to take him walks off his lead and I got him jumping high enough for styles etc so I can take him just about anywhere (so long as there were no rabbits sheep cats etc) all i knew was that his breed was 'lurcher' and he was my walking companion! He is called Spike (not my choice but it aint bad lol) and this is him ...

 

 

Now having this dog as I got older I obviously found out about working dogs and went with a couple of lads who used to live local to watch there dogs go rabbiting and also went at night lamping with them. What a buzz!

 

I always wanted to do this but Spike was to old, ill health (Runs out of breath), and untrained for this ... and besides he is quite happy being how he is I didnt want to uproot him again. BUT luckily my lil bro has been hassling my parents for a new dog for him to play with (Spike is a lazy ass dog who prefers to just sleep at your feet) and I got woke up on sunday and asked If I could reccomend a place for a good lurcher! Little did I know this had been planned for a while just nothing had been said to me.

 

So I just said hancocks lurchers as I knew it was close and had visited before myself just to look, I also knew a good dog that had come from there (and I secretly wanted a collie x, so I sent them to a place with only collie x lol)

 

I practically got to pick the dog as my lil bro just believed whatever spiel I fed him to buy the one I liked. He is a blue mearl 3/4 greyhound 1/4 collie 12 weeks on friday. I have seen his mum/dad he is tatooed i got proper into the questions from a reputable breeder but I wont go into all that and found the perfect pup for me lol.

 

I called him Brock via subliminal messaging or whatever to my lil bro, I have always liked that name (I know it means badger so is a bit weird) and my lil bro agreed as he liked it anyway straight away for the pokemon character so I dont feel guilty!

 

and here he is!

 

 

I am training him myself, and am putting alot of time into it ... just started with basic name recognition at the moment and making him come rather than me going to him. But its only day 2! I am also going to take him to obedience classes at the local place (Which is one of the best KC reg places in the country) as its technically my lil brothers dog I can get the elders to pay for it so I may aswell!

 

But as far as training goes, thats as good as I know, and I dont think the kennel club are going to know much about slip leads.

 

Before my friends left in a hurry for Ireland they left me with a book by Someone Plumber I think which is apparently very good called the complete lurcher or something. But since I have moved it is packed away still ... will root it out at the weekend.

 

So any general tips and advice would be greatly appreciated, im sure as I progress I will have loads of specific questions for you all! Enough of my rambling!

 

Thanks!

[montague 0]

Wow What a great first post. Good on you for giving Spike a loving home & hope your pup (bro's pup) gives you many years of happy hunting. I'll drink to that Welcome aboard Danny boy.

[Guest Bunny Basher]

Hope it wont be long until he grows into his collar

 

Welcome aboard

[Guest bullterrier]

good luck with your [brothers ] pup mate ...john

[rabitin girl 16]

Lots of luck with your new pup

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

You have done right by the veteran dog,....

Now you deserve some good times with the pup...

 

Don't get too 'into' the youngster,...give him this Winter to grow and allow him to be a pup for a long while yet.

Take things SLOW......and continue to look after dear old Spike,...

 

All the best,...CHALKWARREN....

[Danny_ 0]

Thanks for all the posotive replies! Need as much reasurance as I can at the moment because it aint half hard cleaning all that shit up whilst still smiling! But already we are making progress in that department. On another good note Spike is starting to accept Brock into the house and is starting to come downstairs for small periods of time before running off.

 

Ive just noticed blogs in the top corner, so instead of just keep on writing in here ill try and start a new blog!

 

My little brother is also back from his mates and seems like he also wants to help with the training, so atleast I may be able to convince one family member that shouting his name when he is doing something 'wrong' is actually bad for the dog!

 

[martin 332]

Well done lad,and I hope the pup serves you(and your Brother)well!

 

And,for a change no bad replies about Hancock(wonders will never cease)still time though I suppose............Martin.

[Danny_ 0]

Haha am I opening a can of worms if I ask what is up with hancock!?

 

Minor setback today, my little brother has come home last night from his friends and taken the 'Its my dog' attitude! I am really suprised at this, I assumed he would play with him for an hour tops before being distracted. Fair play to him! So, I spent ALL last night showing him what I have read and helping him with how I think best to go about training him for this week.

 

In the one day my lil bro has spent with the dog, all previous progress has been destroyed. The dog has learnt to completely disregard 'OFF' and his name unless completely un distracted, has pissed and shat inside many more times than out (even though he was supposedly watched all day), Spike is growling and bearing his teeth again the dog has free roam and a bowl FULL of food. Unfortunately if I were to say anything I would get a rollocking as its his dog.

 

Its my opinion that you cant 'share' the entire responsibility of a dog, as someone has got to be able to put there foot down and say ... dont do that with/to my dog. I cant do this as its not my dog ...

 

I have decided that the best thing for me to do rather than follow my bro in the background, try and pick up the pieces all the time biting my tongue when people being counterproductive and end up with a half decently trained dog, Is to offer my lil bro all the advice I can - yet leaving him to it. If he asks, I will tell. I will however not be changing my daily routine around the pup.

 

This is not done in spite, I do hope the best for my little brother with the dog, and have said that I will take him to dog training lessons once a week (I would love to see how they do it). It is his dog after all, I guess I underestimated his desire to actually have one and his attention span.

 

However, I have a pretty good feeling in a weeks time the novelty of cleaning poo will wear off, the dog will have destroyed the place and my bro will want to go and play with his friends ... cue the question 'will you watch the dog tonight' to the answer 'a dog is for life not just for the summer hols'.

 

I must point out again that I was not properly consulted about a puppy and when the subject was broached, voiced that my opinion was strongly against (Including explaining the perils of puppy ownership to my bro for hours and convincing him I thought to contact a local rescue home and get a young dog that would suit his needs, sitting with him showing him the website and reading it to him along with pictures of dogs) I was just woke up and told we were getting one so had no chance to go over these issues arrising from no set down 'rules and responsibilities for the pup'. I guess my parents knew how much I loved dogs and assumed that I would want a puppy unreservedly. When thinking about all the issues raised today I realised was that he was going back to school in a couple of weeks (He is at a private school which means he doesnt get home till 6.30 earliest and goes on saturdays) WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO WALK THE DOG/CLEAN UP! It looks like I automatically gain status of puppy walker/cleaner up, finishing my duties for when my bro gets home from school. This is definately not going to happen unless that dog is bloody well trained, a dog is a representation of the person walking it and I am not going to be taking out an untrained dog if there is nothing I can do about it.

 

If it does get to the point of my bro having to go to school before he just gives up interest (Which I will be dam proud of him if he doesnt) I will then point out the glaringly obvious issues with my bro being the 'owner' of this dog to a less 'head strong' family who will probably gladly accept my offer to take ownership of the dog. If they dont, then good luck to them.

 

Rant over, with plans like these I could conquer the world!

 

I have put this in my blog, aswell as here because I want someone to tell me im doing the right thing! I feel almost mean and petty leaving my lil bro in the lurch (pun intended!) but see this as the only way to resolve some important issues as I know sitting down and talking will get me nowhere.