Been a long time... lurcher update

[Vicky Steadman 328]

Haven't posted on here since December 2013!

Thought it's time to show my face again.

When I last posted, my young bitch Nancy was a family pet catching rabbits around the farm and stables. I was young, clueless, no idea how to work a lurcher and totally thrown in at the deep end. I picked brains for info, watched others from a distance and then found my own way with the bitch who is now 6 years old.

She became a pretty damn good dog. I have ended up having several ferrets, and bred litters too. She is a remarkable ferreting dog with a brilliant nose, patience of a saint and cat sharp reflexes. Her downsides were that she never learned to retrieve, and was bossy with other dogs, but otherwise she is has loved ferreting and rarely needed nets. I also got into lamping with her and she proved herself to be good at that too. For 3 years I worked on a large farm, for 15 months I lived on it too. During those years were lamping up to 5 nights a week through winter, plus ferreting at weekends all through the year. She would have a crack at anything. She also became a very neat little lure coursing bitch, winning a few competitions around the country and did a fair number of shows too. She's traveled all over with me. 

Unfortunately, I admit I did too much too soon with her, she is more like a 10 year old now than a 6 year old, but we can only learn from our mistakes. She has nothing left to prove to me, she still enjoys ratting and mooching with us and now and then I treat her to a shine about on the lamp to keep her on her toes but without regular trips to the bone man and supplements she'd be a crippled mess by now! 

But she's taught me so much, I owe it to her to offer her the best retirement when the time comes that she can't enjoy any form of work now. She has been a brilliant little bitch for me. A few photos of some of her highlights.

[roybo 2,873]

Everyone makes mistakes early on ,you sound like you've learned from them ,some carry on making the same ones for years.

  Your dog sounds like it's had a great life and if asked I'm sure it wouldn't complain.

[poxon 5,768]

Great little bitch I rate her good read as well Vicky I was impressed when she come for a run down on my land most smaller type dogs are found wanting on the big land my way but she did impress me 

[Jerry71 269]

She looks nice type, I have a 8 year old whippet x and he's been a good all round worker and got me through some dark times. He is now retired apart from a bit of ferreting. He will stay with me until the end, he spends his time on the couch or pottering about the garden with tinker our ten week old bedy x greyhound. A few times folk have said pts which I could never do, he as earned the right to have a happy retirement after all he's not just a worker but my best mate. Atb