Is Stamina An Issue In Your Lurcher?

[socks 32,253]

In my opinion no matter where you live or how many runs you get your dog should be at its physically best including stamina ... You wouldn't train a boxer to hit only half has hard as he could just because he isn't getting a title fight ... I enjoy conditioning my dogs and watching them grow physically mentally and have the capability to undertake any task asked of them at any time ... If you haven't got your dog as fit as it could possibly be you are doing yourself and the dog a disservice ... Keep on pushing the boundaries see where you can take the dog ... An animal at its physical best has got to be worth more than one thats not reached its potential ..........

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

In my opinion no matter where you live or how many runs you get your dog should be at its physically best including stamina ... You wouldn't train a boxer to hit only half has hard as he could just because he isn't getting a title fight ... I enjoy conditioning my dogs and watching them grow physically mentally and have the capability to undertake any task asked of them at any time ... If you haven't got your dog as fit as it could possibly be you are doing yourself and the dog a disservice ... Keep on pushing the boundaries see where you can take the dog ... An animal at its physical best has got to be worth more than one thats not reached its potential ..........

One of the best posts I've read on here in a while.

[socks 32,253]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just wondered if stamina is an important ingredient in your rabbiting dog's? I'm not talking about hare dogs, just bunnies. Personally i'm lucky if my dogs run a dozen in a night before i'm off home, we just don't have big numbers on my permission but when I visited the Dales with Tomo I was in awe of the vast numbers and I can say without a hint of embarrassment that i called it quits for my tyke whilst Tomos bitch was still filling the game bag. I have no doubt the spirit was willing but I knew he just didn't have the stamina and i'm not going to injure my dog for the sake of a few more runs.

If I was running an area like the dales or other rabbit infested areas I would put stamina high of the list of desired attributes but as I rarely venture into such lagamorph ridden nirvana's it has never been as issue.

 

Does stamina play a role in your desired rabbiting dogs genetic make up? And I mean physical stamina, not mental stamina which I think is very different.

 

not an answer to your question but mental stamina without physical stamina is a recipe for disaster

But is it Paul? What about a ferreting dog that needs mental stamina to concentrate on a warren for extended periods of time but may not be required to use physical stamina as there may not be many bolters that aren't caught in the nets?

thats concentration i would say mental stamina without physical stamina can take a dog past it limits

I would say concentration IS mental stamina

i would say an exceptional nose would be better than concentration when ferreting

Then you would be very wrong my old china ...........

without a nose how would it know what holes to concentrate on ?

When that ferret is underground working a warren the dog uses its ears to pinpoint the bolting bunny not its nose..........

[morton 5,368]

Just wondered if stamina is an important ingredient in your rabbiting dog's? I'm not talking about hare dogs, just bunnies. Personally i'm lucky if my dogs run a dozen in a night before i'm off home, we just don't have big numbers on my permission but when I visited the Dales with Tomo I was in awe of the vast numbers and I can say without a hint of embarrassment that i called it quits for my tyke whilst Tomos bitch was still filling the game bag. I have no doubt the spirit was willing but I knew he just didn't have the stamina and i'm not going to injure my dog for the sake of a few more runs.

If I was running an area like the dales or other rabbit infested areas I would put stamina high of the list of desired attributes but as I rarely venture into such lagamorph ridden nirvana's it has never been as issue.

 

Does stamina play a role in your desired rabbiting dogs genetic make up? And I mean physical stamina, not mental stamina which I think is very different.

Ive seen good dogs soon go backwards when faced with run after run on Dales bunnys,fit strong dogs at that,a few months down the line with several more visits the same dogs are better suited to the rigours of the numbers about,its surprising how much fitter a dog becomes,physically and mentally,after being hardened to the task in hand.Id say a dog needs to have stamina in its breeding,that can be developed with work,to meet the requirements of what you put in front of it,the harder most dogs are grafted the better it develops and the breeding shines through.Some mutts just don,t have it in the tank and are better suited to a more leisurely hunting lifestyle.

[Simoman 110]

In my opinion no matter where you live or how many runs you get your dog should be at its physically best including stamina ... You wouldn't train a boxer to hit only half has hard as he could just because he isn't getting a title fight ... I enjoy conditioning my dogs and watching them grow physically mentally and have the capability to undertake any task asked of them at any time ... If you haven't got your dog as fit as it could possibly be you are doing yourself and the dog a disservice ... Keep on pushing the boundaries see where you can take the dog ... An animal at its physical best has got to be worth more than one thats not reached its potential ..........

 

Totally agree Ken 100%, my point was more that some dogs have natural stamina or it's in the breeding and some don't. My dog was fit but his breeding doesn't give him the natural stamina of some other lurcher types

[paulus 26]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just wondered if stamina is an important ingredient in your rabbiting dog's? I'm not talking about hare dogs, just bunnies. Personally i'm lucky if my dogs run a dozen in a night before i'm off home, we just don't have big numbers on my permission but when I visited the Dales with Tomo I was in awe of the vast numbers and I can say without a hint of embarrassment that i called it quits for my tyke whilst Tomos bitch was still filling the game bag. I have no doubt the spirit was willing but I knew he just didn't have the stamina and i'm not going to injure my dog for the sake of a few more runs.

If I was running an area like the dales or other rabbit infested areas I would put stamina high of the list of desired attributes but as I rarely venture into such lagamorph ridden nirvana's it has never been as issue.

 

Does stamina play a role in your desired rabbiting dogs genetic make up? And I mean physical stamina, not mental stamina which I think is very different.

not an answer to your question but mental stamina without physical stamina is a recipe for disaster

But is it Paul? What about a ferreting dog that needs mental stamina to concentrate on a warren for extended periods of time but may not be required to use physical stamina as there may not be many bolters that aren't caught in the nets?

thats concentration i would say mental stamina without physical stamina can take a dog past it limits

I would say concentration IS mental stamina

i would say an exceptional nose would be better than concentration when ferreting

Then you would be very wrong my old china ...........

without a nose how would it know what holes to concentrate on ?

When that ferret is underground working a warren the dog uses its ears to pinpoint the bolting bunny not its nose..........

 

my old bitch used both

[tb25 4,627]

i think paulus is being argumentative and should be banned...sort it mods

[Simoman 110]

I have a bitch here who in my opinion has lots of mental stamina, she will carefully focus on what's going on below ground for long periods of time and wont wander off or get distracted, BUT take the same bitch to the dales on the lamp in the peak of fitness and I know she wont be catching 30's or 40's. She would keep trying but doesn't have the physical tools.............

[Guest vin]

great thread Simo

 

Yes they need stamina...bags of it. . . thats probably most important thing they do need.

 

in every form also..running,marking,concentrating...it all adds up tp mental and phsical stress on the body for man and dog.

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Sometimes a trip to the Dales, the Fells or some other well stocked area, can leave an indelible mark upon a man,.and his dog

 

I'm not a lamping man these days,.but I once was ....

 

We used to find that visitors with dogs,..invariably experienced difficulty in getting into the swing of things, and it would have been grossly self indulgent, to imagine that our own lurchers, well used to the workload put in front of them on a regular basis,.were in some way superior or special.. The truth is, they were not,..for both dog and master, knew the land intimately and were not phased by the influx of scores of rabbits.

The secret to success, when on a visit,.is to take in the landscape and general area, and to then, pace yourself...

Several guys set off on expeditions to juicy areas,.and after a few trips to a productive place ,they soon twig on to how best to work the land.

The real difficultly comes when freelancing ( poaching) on a hot piece of land that you are not familiar with.

You usually feck up and work the place all wrong and approach the quarry, arse about face, thereby giving it the advantage..

Obviously, a real 'physical' kinda critter, will always use its unique skills, to fill the bag,.but there is no substitute for knowing the ground...

 

Just a few thoughts,..and I could well be wrong...

 

All the best, Phil.

[TOMO 27,072]

To be honest simo mine won't do that either till after a good few weeks of going up there regular,,, to catch 40 rabbits the dog has catch 20,s,, then get on up the 30,s ect,,,

 

You never know Simmo, give the dogs a few month at the lower numbers it may suprise you

[Salopian 5]

When we had a few bunny's about it would take a month or so for the dogs to get lamping fit and take 30 bags regular even though they were relatively fit at the beginning. A dog needs to be running 30, 40 numbers regular and I believe that stamina is something that has to be there in the first place. Some dogs just can't go the extra mile. Back to the original question rabbit numbers have dropped dramatically around here over the last decade so stamina isn't as important in the lurchers that I run today. If the rabbits ever come back like they once were then I would be changing the type of lurchers that I keep. Its horses for courses!

[FUJI 17,328]

Most lurchers have the capabilities to catch decent numbers if presented with the chance regular enough it's just some owners expect their dogs to do "mythical" numbers feeding them dry Dr John complete and sat in a draughty kennel for most of its life...if your going to do a job then do it right or atleast your best...try it and be amazed lol

[socks 32,253]

If its breed specific stamina then you are limited in what you can achieve ... As we all know certain breeds have far more natural stamina than others and in that instance all you can do is the condition your dog to the best of your ability ...........

[NickF 50]

 

In my opinion no matter where you live or how many runs you get your dog should be at its physically best including stamina ... You wouldn't train a boxer to hit only half has hard as he could just because he isn't getting a title fight ... I enjoy conditioning my dogs and watching them grow physically mentally and have the capability to undertake any task asked of them at any time ... If you haven't got your dog as fit as it could possibly be you are doing yourself and the dog a disservice ... Keep on pushing the boundaries see where you can take the dog ... An animal at its physical best has got to be worth more than one thats not reached its potential ..........

 

Totally agree Ken 100%, my point was more that some dogs have natural stamina or it's in the breeding and some don't. My dog was fit but his breeding doesn't give him the natural stamina of some other lurcher types

 

Fascinating thread. Which breeds do you think 'breed in' the best stamina and does what they are crossed with risk breeding it out? AND, how old would you say a young dog can be built up into longer hours or more open/challenging running? Can you knacker a young dog running it too hard too fast?