Physical Vs Mental Maturity .......

[socks 32,253]

I find it very odd when dog men say that once a bitch has had a season she will have grown up and be mature ... Now obviously a change takes place both physically and mentally ... But grown up ? I don't think so ... My youngster has just had her second season and although to look at she is very mature and the way she works her quarry is very mature mentally she is still very puppyish ... I think she will be around two and a half before she fully matures ... It's not great to have a bitch come in season twice a year but I will have to work around that ...

 

How do you fellas gauge your dogs maturity ... By their work rate or by the way they behave in general ......

 

[iworkwhippets 12,688]

For me, for what its worth, is the way they behave in general

[paulus 26]

I find it very odd when dog men say that once a bitch has had a season she will have grown up and be mature ... Now obviously a change takes place both physically and mentally ... But grown up ? I don't think so ... My youngster has just had her second season and although to look at she is very mature and the way she works her quarry is very mature mentally she is still very puppyish ... I think she will be around two and a half before she fully matures ... It's not great to have a bitch come in season twice a year but I will have to work around that ...

 

How do you fellas gauge your dogs maturity ... By their work rate or by the way they behave in general ......

 

maturity of the body comes far quicker than the brain,

[Hot Meat 3,109]

I got a bitch here that is near 3 and when I got a lamp In me hand or we out with ferrets then she is 100% focused an got drive In Bucket loads and works like a seasoned dog. she is a pup still I my eyes she is mentally very young some times. It makes for a laugh if nowt else just watching her entertain herself if she gets bored lol

Edited December 14, 2013 by Hot Meat

[morton 5,368]

I find the maturest of bitches to still have their puppyesque moods,usually when general exercising,most switch to serious mode as and when its needed,its rare they carry it to work with them,although an old lass i owned could never resist the habit,at times, of letting bunny,s go and re-catching,then tossing them in the air until she became bored,Collie bred.

[J Darcy 5,871]

Work brings maturity......IMO

[R.A.W 1,987]

I've got a bitch pup here ( well nearly two now ) and she's still got a long way to go. We had to brave the moon last night to keep her ticking over , there were a few she missed only because of how naive she still can be ( striking to early at times and losing ground on the turn ).

I always struggle not to compare her to the older bitches but it's difficult sometimes which makes her seem a little more immature at times ........ I do know that if i keep putting the work in it'll come to point were I'm on a hill in the middle of nowhere with a massive grin from ear to ear thinking how far she's come.

 

Back to the oringal question I gauge my dogs maturity by knowledge and ability.

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

In my opinion,..having owned a few serious minded feckers,...I have found that dogs who take the game too seriously,.too young,..rarely make old bones...

Edited December 15, 2013 by Phil Lloyd

[Hot Meat 3,109]

Work brings maturity......IMO

I always thought the same but this bitch has proved it wrong she has had as much work as she needs for her age and then some Due to the fact the breeder asked me to push her harder than I usually would a pup. I don't think her being youngest dog in yard helps matters tho if I'm honest but I don't think it's the sole reason either

[socks 32,253]

Work brings maturity......IMO

Can you elaborate on that .........

[paulus 26]

I got a bitch here that is near 3 and when I got a lamp In me hand or we out with ferrets then she is 100% focused an got drive In Bucket loads and works like a seasoned dog. she is a pup still I my eyes she is mentally very young some times. It makes for a laugh if nowt else just watching her entertain herself if she gets bored lol

i have a 6 year old dog the same

[albert64 1,882]

its like the saying a bitch will mature quicker than a dog

dog or bitch they mature physically before they mature mentally in my opinion

I had a bitch that didn't have her first season until she was 7yrs old

any dog should given 2yrs to show its got what it takes to do its intended job

at that age they should have finished growing physically atleast

mines 6yrs old and still acts like a pup

[littlefish 587]

My youngest bitch was 3 years old when I got a new baby pup. Until the baby pup arrived, I did not appreciate just how far the 3 year old "youngster" had come. I love bitches over a dog any day!

[riohog 5,729]

about 3 ish I would say as a general rule ... maturing with work!! hmm. fine balance! you can soon f..ck a good dog pushing it to hard to young imo

 

 

but for sure they don't lern a lot in the kennel ..

[breeze 1,310]

Socks . . . Couldn't agree more there with you mate , Just because they look the part "Physically" doesn't no where near mean that they are "Mentally".

 

The young bitch that I have here that I bred, is a perfect example . . . Altho being 17 month's old is abit way off from fully Mature, she's had one term of being in season around 12 month's of age, and she's had abit of work so far this season, but I believe she need's another summer on her back before she can be classed an "Adult" in both way's