Owners Standards

[birddog 1,354]

catch rates, expectations, percentages blah blah..................don't most of us do it for the sport ? preban a good but fruitless run on a winter hare with the dog you've bred or raised from a pup would've been worth far more surely than a hare curry

[look up 406]

The only % I worry about is what the dog is giving behind its quarry each time.... I no I would never go hungry with her ...that's the way I look at it ..

[weasle 1,119]

Lamping rabbits you could do it with any old dog and should be catching decent numbers. The dog I had catch the most rabbits with both in a night and just numbers.I don't think I ever really got excited about,watching her was dull. Slow and careful but because of that she could go out night after night.

Wasn't worth taking her out for a mooch in the day because even if a good chance came up it would be missed,when you get to the stage of being bored at night and not worth the effort during the day,your partnership is in trouble.

So while a decent catch rate is important so is that excitement of watching a dog,it's that that spurs you on,to go without sleep,time with family,not going to work, walking just one more field.

[fitchet 788]

Lamping rabbits you could do it with any old dog and should be catching decent numbers. The dog I had catch the most rabbits with both in a night and just numbers.I don't think I ever really got excited about,watching her was dull. Slow and careful but because of that she could go out night after night.

Wasn't worth taking her out for a mooch in the day because even if a good chance came up it would be missed,when you get to the stage of being bored at night and not worth the effort during the day,your partnership is in trouble.

So while a decent catch rate is important so is that excitement of watching a dog,it's that that spurs you on,to go without sleep,time with family,not going to work, walking just one more field.

You talk alot of sense and i agree with your post on the other thread aswell. All the best.

[Bosun11 537]

 

All that % catch rate stuff is bollox IMO, too many variables to judge a dog on it. The dog can either catch or it can't.

It's up to you to ensure you are doing all you can to make a dog both ready and quarry available. Then when all's done, you'll see if a dog can catch or not and you'll judge it on performance not percentages.

i see your point but does catch rate not go a long way to judging a performance

 

Yes but it's the terminology your using... Catch 'rate' and the dreaded percentage %, those are not worth a toss when your running lurchers, especially on the lamp. How the feck can you talk in percentages given so many variables when out?

It had 9 runs and only caught 1... So was the dog running over the exact same ground with EVERY run, were the slips exactly the same distance, was the dog as fresh with the last as it was with the first, were the rabbits all of perfectly equal size, age, strength..etc...??

Same as catch rate... The dog ain't on a 'production line' when working each run is different and it either catches or misses.

If I've given the dog every opportunity I can manage to ensure a decent bag and it don't happen, then its time to take stock and re-think what I'm doing, then try again on a different night and so on... And either the dog improves or it don't and if it don't its still my fault for either buying in shite, or I'm a shite trainer/hunter... (its usually the latter..!)

[johnny boy68 11,726]

I find my standards have got lot lower as I've got older, I'm more into my mooching these days and prefer a nice mooch where the dogs have a good hunt and hopefully a catch or two.

 

The internet is a big thing in deciding whether there dogs are good enough in lots of cases, they read about so and so doing this and that and think if there dogs ain't doing it then they need to bring something else in that will.

 

Dogs are the tools of our trade, sadly lots of tools are into dogs aswell.

[stabba 10,745]

It's all about the thrill of the chase...rubbish...how many of you are willing to take the dog out night after night or day after day simply to watch it run and miss everything?? thrill of the chase granted...but an end product is needed also. that's why you use a dog isn't it?? To catch stuff?? loads of variables as to why a dog catches and why it does'nt. I for one am over the moon when my dog catches...after all..thats why i go out..to catch stuff...As for % catch rate...that's a whole new can of worms.

[FUJI 17,199]

I find my standards have got lot lower as I've got older, I'm more into my mooching these days and prefer a nice mooch where the dogs have a good hunt and hopefully a catch or two.

 

The internet is a big thing in deciding whether there dogs are good enough in lots of cases, they read about so and so doing this and that and think if there dogs ain't doing it then they need to bring something else in that will.

 

Dogs are the tools of our trade, sadly lots of tools are into dogs aswell.

Cracking post from an owld Cnut like myself haha...I'm much the same these days..shit I lived and breathed for the hours of darkness for over 30 years alas I still love a look with the dazzler but those dark,wet,windy nights of mid winter usually find me tucked up in my bed ...% rate especially on my daytime jaunts would see most of you at the vets paying 50 odd quid I guess but I enjoy getting out and about and when the enjoyment becomes a chore it's time to be hanging up those leads...keep on keeping on folks..Atb Andy

[birddog 1,354]

agree with loads of the latter posts, with me on some ground jazz bringing me back sitter after sitter bunny after bunny, and me being the donkey carrying them got a wee bit too business like, ok for pest control purposes but for sport? for fun?......... bringing the young belle on has rekindled a fire, watching her take her 1st bunny, her 1st sitter, her 1st successful daytime course etc .........she had her 1st run in a couple of weeks last night after taking a wee kick on her shoulder, boy it felt good watching her stretch out on the stubble.........don't get caught up in pointless shit guys get out there and do what you do and enjoy it

[s.e.s.k.u 1,893]

agree with loads of the latter posts, with me on some ground jazz bringing me back sitter after sitter bunny after bunny, and me being the donkey carrying them got a wee bit too business like, ok for pest control purposes but for sport? for fun?......... bringing the young belle on has rekindled a fire, watching her take her 1st bunny, her 1st sitter, her 1st successful daytime course etc .........she had her 1st run in a couple of weeks last night after taking a wee kick on her shoulder, boy it felt good watching her stretch out on the stubble.........don't get caught up in pointless shit guys get out there and do what you do and enjoy it

good post birddog .....sure is exciting watching pups doing the job we hoped it would ...atb sesku

[squab 2,875]

I find my standards have got lot lower as I've got older, I'm more into my mooching these days and prefer a nice mooch where the dogs have a good hunt and hopefully a catch or two.

 

The internet is a big thing in deciding whether there dogs are good enough in lots of cases, they read about so and so doing this and that and think if there dogs ain't doing it then they need to bring something else in that will.

 

Dogs are the tools of our trade, sadly lots of tools are into dogs aswell.

very well put and spot on

[J Darcy 5,871]

 

All that % catch rate stuff is bollox IMO, too many variables to judge a dog on it. The dog can either catch or it can't.

It's up to you to ensure you are doing all you can to make a dog both ready and quarry available. Then when all's done, you'll see if a dog can catch or not and you'll judge it on performance not percentages.

What he said,,,

 

I've noticed lads forget easily the quarry the dog misses,,,it's easy to remember the catches,,, a month or two back,, I was out with fella lamping rabbits...we took 18 out of 18 off one field,,,,

 

We took 69 that night,,, wich wasn't bad considering he's a bit of a gimp.....and I had to carry his catch,, cos of his narrow back

 

I heard his lamping partner that night was a bit of a fatty.....with well-developed moobs .

[TOMO 26,064]

Just big boned....

[Ideation 8,216]

There's lies. . . . .. . . damn lies. . . . . and statistics!

 

Oh. . . . and this thread has made them dales bunnys look easy as feck. . . . . If you had a dog catching 90% of what it ran on the land we run down here. . . . . you'd have a miracle!

[fay 75]

when im out I do a count on slips on catches and I no when to slip and when not 2 with my bitch I wont give her stupid 6 mile slips so every night after I do a count 4 slips 3 catches ect so by the end of the yeare I have a rough idea of how she does on percentages .if I can get her 10 good decent runs that's it for me