BORDERSCOT 3,816 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 As Sock said herding is just hunting in a subliminal sense...hunting without the 'end game' so to speak...seen collies take it too far...the killing instinct is just simmering below the surface and the results have been catastrophic...if I had time I would be happy to bring on a collie dog pup and hunt it like a lurcher...I have done it in the past...with success...the problem could easily lie in the fact that if it don't look like a greyhound lots of folk just ain't interested...good thread this Jim... That litter down here, being the perfect example! That's right Jai...for sure... Iolo...he's gonna be a big lad...pic take tonight... 6 Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 As Sock said herding is just hunting in a subliminal sense...hunting without the 'end game' so to speak...seen collies take it too far...the killing instinct is just simmering below the surface and the results have been catastrophic...if I had time I would be happy to bring on a collie dog pup and hunt it like a lurcher...I have done it in the past...with success...the problem could easily lie in the fact that if it don't look like a greyhound lots of folk just ain't interested...good thread this Jim... That litter down here, being the perfect example! That's right Jai...for sure... Iolo...he's gonna be a big lad...pic take tonight... IMG_2016.JPG Told you he was gonna be a cracker! Quote Link to post
BORDERSCOT 3,816 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 As Sock said herding is just hunting in a subliminal sense...hunting without the 'end game' so to speak...seen collies take it too far...the killing instinct is just simmering below the surface and the results have been catastrophic...if I had time I would be happy to bring on a collie dog pup and hunt it like a lurcher...I have done it in the past...with success...the problem could easily lie in the fact that if it don't look like a greyhound lots of folk just ain't interested...good thread this Jim... That litter down here, being the perfect example! That's right Jai...for sure... Iolo...he's gonna be a big lad...pic take tonight... IMG_2016.JPG Told you he was gonna be a cracker! Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 As Sock said herding is just hunting in a subliminal sense...hunting without the 'end game' so to speak...seen collies take it too far...the killing instinct is just simmering below the surface and the results have been catastrophic...if I had time I would be happy to bring on a collie dog pup and hunt it like a lurcher...I have done it in the past...with success...the problem could easily lie in the fact that if it don't look like a greyhound lots of folk just ain't interested...good thread this Jim... That litter down here, being the perfect example! That's right Jai...for sure... Iolo...he's gonna be a big lad...pic take tonight... IMG_2016.JPG Told you he was gonna be a cracker! Will come see him in winter mate. Did he get rid of the others or has he still got em? Quote Link to post
BORDERSCOT 3,816 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 As Sock said herding is just hunting in a subliminal sense...hunting without the 'end game' so to speak...seen collies take it too far...the killing instinct is just simmering below the surface and the results have been catastrophic...if I had time I would be happy to bring on a collie dog pup and hunt it like a lurcher...I have done it in the past...with success...the problem could easily lie in the fact that if it don't look like a greyhound lots of folk just ain't interested...good thread this Jim... That litter down here, being the perfect example! That's right Jai...for sure... Iolo...he's gonna be a big lad...pic take tonight... IMG_2016.JPG Told you he was gonna be a cracker! Will come see him in winter mate. Did he get rid of the others or has he still got em? Look forward to that Jai...not spoken to Phil for a bit...he'd 3 left when I last phoned him... Quote Link to post
morton 5,368 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 Ive lost count of the amount of times ive stood and watched a farmer working his Collie,especially on the hills.The way they cover the ground,tirelessly for hours at a time,working on minimal commands and instinct,in the most atrocious of conditions and with seemingly limitless enthusiasm.If the right balance of Collie blood is added to a lurcher they have no equal,if the owner as the ability to utilise their traits in his training and entering again they have no equal,if the owner lacks basic instinct with lurchers then a Collie x will educate them at times.The Collie offers endless attributes that are useful in an hunting jukel,more than any other dog type,selective breeding,the addition of another type or two to the mix and a more than useful mutt is often the outcome. 14 Quote Link to post
beast 1,884 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 (edited) ive owned a couple of collies, one from top winning trial dogs on both sides, one from a long line of honest farm workers. the trial dog was one of the most difficult dogs ive ever had to deal with, hyperactive, domineering, basically unhinged. conversely, the farm bred dog had probably the best temperament ive ever seen in a dog of any breed, and i didnt have a minute in her company which i didnt enjoy being around her. she worked everything from ducks, geese and lambs round the smallholding to cattle round the yards on a couple of local farms and new exactly how much pressure to put on depending what she was working; she was gentle and patient with ducks but a demon when a beast was trying to stand her down. she would kill rats with great enjoyment, but retrieve rabbits and birds gently to hand. and unlike many collies she would simply switch herself off when the work ended temperament is king! Edited June 14, 2013 by beast 7 Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 As Sock said herding is just hunting in a subliminal sense...hunting without the 'end game' so to speak...seen collies take it too far...the killing instinct is just simmering below the surface and the results have been catastrophic...if I had time I would be happy to bring on a collie dog pup and hunt it like a lurcher...I have done it in the past...with success...the problem could easily lie in the fact that if it don't look like a greyhound lots of folk just ain't interested...good thread this Jim... That litter down here, being the perfect example! That's right Jai...for sure... Iolo...he's gonna be a big lad...pic take tonight... IMG_2016.JPG Told you he was gonna be a cracker! Will come see him in winter mate. Did he get rid of the others or has he still got em? Look forward to that Jai...not spoken to Phil for a bit...he'd 3 left when I last phoned him... So am I mate. . . . . be interested to know if he still had them. . . . . . . . looking to build new kennels. . . . . . Quote Link to post
Bosun11 537 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 Grew up with collies an collie curs... That said, I really don't know much about em, they never interested me, I was only interested in lurchers, (fast dogs, terriers too).. BUT never seen the direct link ! Gutted reading this tonight, I was at me mams for most of the day today and lookin through loads of old family snaps, collies were in abundance on loads of my grandparents an parents shots, I could have put a few good oldies up. What I do know is that I'd never want sommat out of one of them real Border types, we had 'em as far back as the 70's, neurotic things, clever as feck but feckin hard work. Now them hill type (an I say type as they look a million miles from them pure B&W elegant Borders) were my faves as a kid, horrible skulking feckers most were, but all would hunt for fun, no matter were they were and mostly to my older family could be a feckin liability when out an off a lead. Dunno how many times I heard "whats in that dogs mouth" when I was a kid, an 9 times out of 10, it'd still be alive an well. You know those Tweety Pie cartoons, when the cat gets twatted over the head to reveal Tweety, well that was our Shandy...Anywhere! Then there was Trixy, out of Shandy to the local greasy garage mutt collie/ali type thing... Still THE best rabbit catching mutt I've ever seen bar none, she simply fecked off for a min an brought back a bunny, none stop! We took a caravan holiday anywhere an all day rabbits, stashed, everywhere...Then chickens, pet bunnys, budgies an my pooor parents had some explaining to do!! Problem was, she (the dog) had never been lead trained, never had to as a pup, followed me mam everywhere and, when back in Liverpool, she became a 'living cushion' to us kids an never moved off the couch.. Ever!! Only ever sparked up when away from home... Both she an her mother had one thing in common... They had one feckin nasty streak, both my grandad with Shandy an me dad with Trixy, would see their quiet dogs turn into sommat else if anyone dared to go near property, cars or family. I remember me dads daft mate at work who come to see us in the car when dad called into work. Dad went in, Gerry came out, approached the car an all hell broke loose inside, stupid Gerry didn't get it to feck off an tried, through the windows, to calm the dog down. Trixy smashed herself on the windscreen repeatedly and so hard that her front teeth went, nose too an the inside was splattered with blood.. Little bro screeming, Gerry still going an me dad running out an shaking Gerry for his stupidity all over the yard.... Crazy days!!! Shandy did the same for my grandad and knocked herself out on the rear window!! Anyways, better stop there, could go on all night.. but I know feck all about collies... All i'd say is that, I'd agree with Hot Meat, hunting collies didn't stop with the Chuck Arrowsmith dog, they are out there... Find one... But if you don't, next time you go up north, the lakes, Scotland, some parts of Wales an you see an old boy farmer, propper one, with an ugly, skulking cur at his heels, looks feck all, almost none collie'ish but that fecker brings sheep off the hardest of hills and when he's not locked in a barn, is out up to no good... Well try one of those... (edited to add, that if I ever do that, that collie would be humping good coursing blood, not a purebred...) Quote Link to post
Neal 1,873 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 I know my three are pure kelpie rather than collie but as the line of work they were bred for is similar a few comments on mine may be relevant: I often hear people decrying both collies and kelpies for being hyperactive and unable to switch off. My three all spend most of their time at home asleep (unless they hear me go in the bread bin) but when they're out they work non-stop. However, I've heard owners of closely related kelpies say theirs won't switch off which would lead me to believe this side of the character of mine could be down to upbringing...who knows? As to the working vs trials winning lines arguement: I've read comments on the same issues with regards to some lines of kelpie and it was summed up as being a case of... if you get a pup from top trial winners then you're getting a pup whose ancestors could be easily controlled to perform a particular function whereas (in the case of the kelpie breeder who wrote the book) he wanted pups which would do the right thing because they already knew what to do. On a similar note, I initially found it a tad difficult working a kelpie cross as opposed to a collie cross because I was used to a dog which did exactly what it was told but what I quickly came to realize (and what I've read time and time again reiterated by other kelpie owners) is that although my kelpies didn't always seem to do EXACTLY what I'd asked that was because they knew better. I firmly believe that's what makes a brilliant working collie just as much as a brilliant working kelpie, heeler, huntaway or lurcher for that matter. Quote Link to post
salclalin 240 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 One of the best Topics ever on Thl.30+yrs ago(god i'm getting old)We used our Collies all day on the Farm.At night i used to Lamp one Particular Bitch. 25" Tts. Very good on Rabbits but Excelled on Fox.We Never actually fed ours(they had food put out for them) they survived on what they caught.Wish now in Hindsight i Bred out of that one Particular Bitch 1 Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 The first dog i ever owned myself was a collie pup brought down from scotland. I used him for ferreting and mooching and Dad worked the sheep with him. Quote Link to post
darbo 4,776 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 Had a collie from a pup from a farm in preston 1970 my childhood companion were i went the dog followed. when i got into lurchers in the early eighties all the lurchers i ever had had collie in them plus a few with saluki. now iam nearly 50 my attitude has changed the big hopefully numbers dont matter anymore. lamping has lost its appeal. i get a lot of pleasure from ferreting and just going on a mooch.Before my time is up i would like to try a full collie for the ferreting game .going to lack pace for bolters but were i go there are no nice fields its all woodland scrub indusrial waste land. if a couple get away from a net as sometimes it happens to everyone im not to fussed.a good marking biddable dog good coat and feet working on crap ground. catch the odd one in cover may pick up a bird or two.will suit me. sounds like just the job for a good half cross but a collie it will be in the future. 6 Quote Link to post
Giro 2,648 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 I could just not contemplate a pure. when a first cross out matches it in a few departments and rivals it in most others. If I had all the time & money in the world, I would consider it for a breeding program but that's still a lottery and maybe still end up with a duck egg. It would actually get on my nerves the limitations of a pure, I would be say " a lurcher would of had that snapped up" . Quote Link to post
Hot Meat 3,109 Posted June 14, 2013 Report Share Posted June 14, 2013 Pure collies will never compete with a lurcher in all but the fewest of occassions. But they do deffo have there uses and do more than most think 3 Quote Link to post
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.