How Safe Is Your Coursing Dogs With Sheep?? (Ireland)

[Saluki246 1,053]

Their seems to be a lot of coursing lads on here now, that are here in Ireland.

I know that and seen on here, Captain breaks his pups to sheep, putting in the effort and making sure they get walked around them and not have any interest in them,, fair play.

What other coursing lads on here, do the same?? I am asking this, as i was talking to a good mate of mine last night, that has land and is over run with hares, he also has sheep and every year, come september/ october, he has very bad problems with hare courses, their dogs run hares threw sheep and then when they miss or kill the hare, turn their attention on his sheep, its not a nice site!! He is sick to the back teeth with them, and a lot seem to come from the north of Ireland..

Now, i am not saying all hare course are like this, as i course a bit myself, but it seems the vast majority have dogs, that are not trained at all and run amock!

I think its madness, to let your dog run a hare, near where their is sheep and not know if the dog will go after the sheep or not!! Its a disaster waiting to happen!!

To be honest, even though lads that take the time and effort to break their dogs to sheep, should not really run them near sheep anyway, as most sheep farmers i know over here, hate running dogs and will not even let you near them, no matter how well your dog is behaved..

So folks, who's dogs are a 100% safe with stock?? Can you honestly say, your hare dogs wont chase sheep if they had the chance?

What way do you go about training them to not chase sheep, if you reckon their safe??

I also think, that its harder to train saluki saturated dogs not to chase sheep, as well as the pure salkuis, as they were bred to chase gazzel ect, i have a pure saluki myself and i keep him away from sheep altogether!!

Your experiences on this matter are welcomed.

 

[desertbred 5,490]

Dont course near sheep simple. no farmer or his sheep would be happy with a dog coursing through the middle of them. The sheep see something fast moving coming towards them the natural instinct is flight if they are in lamb abortions happen etc so just avoid it stock broken or not.

Edited August 3, 2013 by desertbred

[hounddog3 751]

In over 30 year,s coursing I allway,s make sure my dog,s were all stock broken the 2 saluki,s I have now have proven to be the hardest but I will get there with them.i allway,s stay clear of sheep as you can never trust a dog 100 percent so if you wanna keep permission a bit of common sense goes a long way.

[bird 10,013]

Dont course near sheep simple. np farmer or his sheep would be happy with a dog coursing through the middle of them. The sheep see spmething fast moving coming towards them the natural instinct is flight if they are in lamb abortiopns happen etc so just avoid it stock broken or not.

 

same with any hunting dog, got to be 100% safe round sheep. I train all mine from 10 weeks old to leave well alone.But i think when dogs pre ban start killing quarry (hares,deer,) which will +can take dogs 4-5 fields away, and the dog in wound up state, thats the real test for any dog .Ihad 1 dog that was great with sheep for 5 years, then 1 day out mooching came back with feckin lamb in his mouth, lucky he didnt kill it put it down on the floor, i give it good look over was ok i took it back to where dog had came from and put it back down. Now this dog seen sheep+lambs since he was little pup, ok he didnt kill it but it made me think about dogs+sheep i dont think you can ever trust them 100% maybe 95% .? Maybe you lads with coursing dog might not go where there is stock, but as said your quarry could take the dog to where there is sheep, and above that the test when you not any where near that dog to maybe shout at it. had another mate had good fox dog(bullx lurcher), that killed fair few foxes in its 8 years ,and it was good with sheep, maybe as it was only ever run on fox and killed quite close, and alot of times killed foxes when lambs about,maybe it getting on the quarry quick lessen's the sheep prob, dont know just a thought

[Country Joe 1,411]

Having kept Sheep its not just the running and grabbing, a Dog running through in lamb Ewes, will cause damage.

You have to remember you are out for a bit of sport, they are the Farmers livelihood.

A big difference.

[miss the fox 10]

they wouldn't eat a whole one

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Dont care what Country your in your dog should be stock broke.... No matter if its a lamper/daytime/ferreter/moocher

[Country Joe 1,411]

Dont care what Country your in your dog should be stock broke.... No matter if its a lamper/daytime/ferreter/moocher

Its running through in Lamb ewes that can can cause damage, the dog is not chasing the Sheep but if the quarry runs into a field with Sheep the dog will chase.

The pedigree Ewes Texels, Suffolk's ect lamb early and will be ready to drop late January February.

[Saluki246 1,053]

Good posts. Bird, spot on. The irish lads out their, do you run near sheep, or avoid them as well? if you run near sheep, what do you do to stoke break them to sheep?

Their a case their earlier in the year, where some lads were coursing in the west of Ireland, their dogs killed some sheep, the land was good for hares, but these lads, were a bit too early and did not wait for the sheep to be taken off!

[Wales1234 5,570]

The way I hunt I got to trust my lurchers 100% some times working out of sight for up to a hour at the moment the 3 im running I do trust with sheep nothing better than popping your head over a hill and seeing your lurchers working a fern bank with sheep in and not even looking at them

[Saluki246 1,053]

The way I hunt I got to trust my lurchers 100% some times working out of sight for up to a hour at the moment the 3 im running I do trust with sheep nothing better than popping your head over a hill and seeing your lurchers working a fern bank with sheep in and not even looking at them

 

..that's good. I also seen a similar situation on the Andrew Edwards fox hunting dvd's, his dogs were spot on and hunted for miles across sheep country.

[Carraghs Gem 1,675]

If my dog isnt 100% with livestock then he wont be worked this season... I dont need the reputation or the greif and I dont want to drain my savings to pay for injured or fallen stock. Hes 90% at minute but still fucks about sometimes

Ordered a training collar as back up if he goes deaf on me again. Ive put in extra time and training but by the time season starts my shop will hopefully be opening so I will have less time on my hands so would prefer to just craic on with working him

[Saluki246 1,053]

Is it a shock collar you were thinking of using Gem, as i have found in the passed they can stop some dogs chasing altogether. ! Nasty things them at times!

[Carraghs Gem 1,675]

A necessity in some cases... If it means the difference between dead stock or a dead dog I will use it when everything else has failed. But only then.

[Saluki246 1,053]

Sound Gem, personally, i would not use one, however, if your dog is mainly a pet, then work away.