At What Age Is Do You Stop Running Your Dogs.?

[Dranny GLC 112]

What age is too old to run a lurcher.

[paulus 26]

What age is too old to run a lurcher.

about to take a 12 year old out as i do everyday, as long as they still want to go there is no reason not to take them, they still have four legs and a nose

[Dranny GLC 112]

Does it still catch rabbits

[trigger2 3,130]

What age is too old to run a lurcher.

alot of variables in that question. i dont think theres a right or wrong answer, theres things like old injurys that can come through, has the dog in question had a hard or easy working life.

 

also each dog is different along with each owners expectations.

[Ben Lilly 187]

when hes gets dla and needs a wheelchair

[Irishman 117]

A good lurcher should run til it drops in my opinion. But if a dog looks like its getting old and has done good service then its time to hang the boots up and retire

[paulus 26]

Does it still catch rabbits

is the pope catholic, what he has lost in speed he more than makes up for in experience,

[roybo 2,873]

Mines 8 and thinking of slowing her down

With the lamping as a toe injury she has although day time she will carry on until she don't want it

[jimmy1982 153]

When the dog cant run its quarry no more and even that wont stop um. The dog will let you no when its had enough pal. Untill that day comes keep getting them out , even if it just chill on the warrens waiting for bunnies to bolt out straight into it mouth its still doing what it loves out in the fields. Just depending on what the dog is used for aswell will say it all when its hunting carriers up.

[Bossie 90]

Could imagine an experienced but senior lurcher/working dog still being worth taking out as a ferreting dog, just to mark and catch the odd bolters. At the moment going out without my 8.5 year old dog is a pain, he's still extremely valuable to me and absolutely works for his spot in the team.He´s a must to have around. If I take the other dogs which have far less experience and not take him, I will regret it for the whole day.

Think most of the time it's the owner that will think it's time for the dog to retire, not the other way round. When it should be the dog telling you it's time. We all like to see a dog working for hours, high work rate, flying as a 3 year old. Some will feel awkward to go out with an older dog, especially if your hunting partners have a two year old dog which can't get enough.

 

I personally will take my dog out as long as he likes coming along. Though he might not be as fast as he once was, his 100% true marking alone is a great asset and addition to the team. He still puts a smile on my face and on his own. Which is the most important thing I guess.

[skycat 6,173]

I have never retired a dog, as in leaving it at home when I take the others out. As they get older, stiffer, carrying old injuries, less prey drive (in most, not all cases) they are just happy to potter about and catch the odd rabbit that comes their way. I suppose it depends on how you work them, what type of land you have access to: mooching about, a bit of bushing, keeps older dogs happy, and their experience is invaluable to youngsters learning the ropes. I would never leave a dog at home unless it didn't want to come out, and by that time most of my really old ones have been near to the end: cancer in the last two oldies I had to have put down, but they enjoyed their times out just as much, and so long as they weren't showing signs of pain I kept taking them out. It's just like old humans: the more you do and keep active, the longer you can keep going ... I hope!

[mushroom 12,827]

Does it still catch rabbits

Does it fec it's his fuzzy model :laugh:

[paulus 26]

I have never retired a dog, as in leaving it at home when I take the others out. As they get older, stiffer, carrying old injuries, less prey drive (in most, not all cases) they are just happy to potter about and catch the odd rabbit that comes their way. I suppose it depends on how you work them, what type of land you have access to: mooching about, a bit of bushing, keeps older dogs happy, and their experience is invaluable to youngsters learning the ropes. I would never leave a dog at home unless it didn't want to come out, and by that time most of my really old ones have been near to the end: cancer in the last two oldies I had to have put down, but they enjoyed their times out just as much, and so long as they weren't showing signs of pain I kept taking them out. It's just like old humans: the more you do and keep active, the longer you can keep going ... I hope!

he still loves it and to be fair he will die in the field if i have a hand in it.

[yellowdog 12]

I have only had one that reached a good age (13) she pretty much gave up herself, no longer did she want to look over every wall for something to chase and she was wise enough to know that her old legs were not up to catching a fit rabbit on fair terms (any dog with brains soon learns what it cannot get) but she did still poke her head into a bush now and then for a mixi or the like (sometimes in embarrassing places) . I can think of nothing worse than carrying a carcass of a once loyal dog off a field because I asked for too much too long.

[paulus 26]

I have only had one that reached a good age (13) she pretty much gave up herself, no longer did she want to look over every wall for something to chase and she was wise enough to know that her old legs were not up to catching a fit rabbit on fair terms (any dog with brains soon learns what it cannot get) but she did still poke her head into a bush now and then for a mixi or the like (sometimes in embarrassing places) . I can think of nothing worse than carrying a carcass of a once loyal dog off a field because I asked for too much too long.

and the alternative is to what, retire it in home and watch it go down hill, sorry but ive done that and will never do it again, when he can no longer do it or in pain i will take him out to do what he loves and bury him where he has spent the greater part of his life. im not one for taking them to a vets and putting them through that stress,