Picking Runs

[Allan P 1,147]

20 minutes ago, Moochersways said:

If your happy with how the dog performs and with how many your catching then what anyone else thinks is irrelevant really if it only runs what it thinks it can catch and your happy with that then great, I like a dog that will run anything I slip it on the amount of bunnies that end up being turned off a hedge or cover and end up in the bag that you'd of thought would just hop to safety, likewise when they do make it to cover a lot of the time iv had a dog follow them in hedges and catch them where they've just sat in the hedge or rough

She will run rabbits into cover no problem if the rabbit is out from the edge of it, what she won’t do is run if the rabbit is close to cover and I can live with that.  The numbers are low because there’s not that many rabbits to run and due to the ground I work her on it’s difficult. Due to the ground conditions I am happy with the way she performs, I honestly think quite a few dogs would fail miserably. 

[Aussie Whip 4,062]

15 minutes ago, Allan P said:

She will run rabbits into cover no problem if the rabbit is out from the edge of it, what she won’t do is run if the rabbit is close to cover and I can live with that.  The numbers are low because there’s not that many rabbits to run and due to the ground I work her on it’s difficult. Due to the ground conditions I am happy with the way she performs, I honestly think quite a few dogs would fail miserably. 

My best rabbit dog ever was the same. She got ripped on barbed and knocked around in thick scrub as a pup but learnt. She never was injured when older but stayed on over drive and was an awesome hunter. She wasn't an overly intelligent dog but she gave every catchable rabbit her all.

[lurchers 2,705]

4 hours ago, bird said:

True,yeh give few runs, let them get the tongue  back in, just keep eye on the dog if drop on lot rabbits in field,  just pace your self , the bottom line there not  fookin machines, there skin/bone. If you want massive bag get a gun. Both my 1xs had good stamina and pace, old Bryn knock 30 over but at 25 I knew  was not far away  Buck had better stamina, he knock 40 if  really pushed  him, and was not bred for rabbits, makes   it more impressive  in my mind,  fox /deer   hecwas bred for. But we knock  few rabbits over keep him fit.

Years ago when we go go down the road with 2 dogs and catch 100 and odd have long gone,but back then we had the dogs fit to do that.Over the years I’ve seen idiots expect a dog to run like a engine but don’t know you need fitness and when to say that’s it for the night and let the dogs rest.

[WataWalloper 49]

4 hours ago, lurchers said:

Years ago when we go go down the road with 2 dogs and catch 100 and odd have long gone,but back then we had the dogs fit to do that.Over the years I’ve seen idiots expect a dog to run like a engine but don’t know you need fitness and when to say that’s it for the night and let the dogs rest.

Only got to look at the state of most the dogs posted on here an elsewhere to see most folk couldn’t condition there hair with a big bottle a timotei never mind a dog 

[trigger2 3,113]

It's bloody frustrating. But the truth of the matter is I would rather have a dog which picked its runs and caught decent bags over a dog that run anything but didn't catch much.

Old saying is brains beats brawn.

[OldPhil 5,608]

We would all prefer a dog that 'tries' for everything and anything,...we don't wanna be wasting our time with a canine pal that ain't taking the hunting game seriously,...but,.. truth  is,.. most  dogs,.. not all, but the vast majority, of running dogs,. .will eventually throw in the towel,. .if worked regularly enough...

.Everything and everybody ,.. can be forced to quit,..in the end 

[Moonlighter123 143]

I’ve had dogs that won’t run rabbits (unless I send them on) as there sat on the edge of cover that’s too tight for the dogs to enter. They know the land well and they know that running towards such rabbits is pointless, they keep trotting forward looking for rabbits sat further out. Definitely not gutless in this case, they just learned from experience. 

[Allan P 1,147]

19 hours ago, Moonlighter123 said:

I’ve had dogs that won’t run rabbits (unless I send them on) as there sat on the edge of cover that’s too tight for the dogs to enter. They know the land well and they know that running towards such rabbits is pointless, they keep trotting forward looking for rabbits sat further out. Definitely not gutless in this case, they just learned from experience. 

Exactly that

[WataWalloper 49]

Being real tho how many folk actually see enough rabbits to sicken a fully functioning FIT lurcher never mind actually get the dog behind them

 

not many 

[Borr 5,478]

I used to know a lad who said when myxi hit his area his dog picked up a few and then never took an interest in rabbits again. But was a decent bitch before that.

[trigger2 3,113]

28 minutes ago, WataWalloper said:

Being real tho how many folk actually see enough rabbits to sicken a fully functioning FIT lurcher never mind actually get the dog behind them

 

not many 

And that can be part of a reason some dogs jack. They are seeing very few rabbits and when they do its ridiculous slips.

It does help to have alot of rabbits about you but you can still sickens dog either way

[lurchers 2,705]

45 minutes ago, WataWalloper said:

Being real tho how many folk actually see enough rabbits to sicken a fully functioning FIT lurcher never mind actually get the dog behind them

 

not many 

That’s the thing now mate there’s no where near enough rabbits for a dog now,that’s why I won’t have another lurcher because I couldn’t do any justice