WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER AS A WORKER?

[Guest Frank]

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Edited May 10, 2008 by Frank

[Guest Frank]

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Edited May 10, 2008 by Frank

[Guest reload]

I want to be a member of the real worker club, sooo bad .......But my dogs are hunting companions and mates and get to go on the sofa now and again....., maybe if they were kenneled outside, used 100% just for hunting and never got a cuddle of the mrs, or a ginger nut biscuit they could be REAL workers :laugh:

[ferretman22 1]

how do you respect your dogs when you said yourself there atool.

[scotty3968 0]

Good question Frank ,, Im on the fence there i think,,i suppose im in the pet/worker bracket i dont get out hunting every day maybe 3 times a week for sport.but my dogs are out walking every day twice a day..you say you hunted for money and food my hand goes out to you mate if you put it that way then you have to have all out workers to survive,,all though i would like to think that my dogs could keep me in food if need be..on the other side of the fence theres my mate who has purely working dogs hwich are tools who dont get much loving or contact,,just get fed ,worked and know who the boss is,,and i can honestly say his dogs arnt any better than mine.i think its just im a bit of a big softy and dont mind my dogs being part pet..

 

thats my opinion anyway,,,,ha ha

 

cheers

scotty

[Guest dotty]

do you think that it makes a difference if they are pets as well, it can't do to much harm.

with polo ponies i often have to take them hunting or for fun walks because otherwise they tend to get bored and are less kean on the pitch.

with my lurcher due to the circumstances she is just a worker at the moment but in the summer becomes a pet.

[earth&hounds 94]

No one knows then??? ...

 

Ill give it a while more, then ill delete this...

the same as you mate i worked them to the bone to hard at time but needs must have slowed right down since the lad came in to the world once he is old enough to come out with me it will chane again dogs to me are tools not pets only time they see the in side of the house is when they are pups on the way through to there kennalls you can not aford to get attatched to them as some people do if they dont make the grade there out and lurchers that get knocked up and can not work no more follow them through the door when i used to race pigeons as a lad an old fella said if you can not kill you will never win it cost the same to feed a good one as a bad en and its all true people that go out with there dog once a week will never see whot there dog is realy all about workers should be out 4 / 5 times a week and the weather has nothing to do with it if you wont perfect nights to lamp your dog you may get two a month so to me get them out as much as you can iv never been for using lurchers in the day unless running hares pre ban it lamping for me

[Guest reload]

I doubt you will get the bestout of ANY dog just treating it like a tool, they need to be your mate, not treated like a car which you use when you need too, you need to get on good terms with a dog

Dont show them any attention or affection, it makes em better workers..... :laugh: :laugh:

[Paul in North Lincs 15]

Im very similar you Frank..................my bitches are housed outside (always have been from pups, and have never been inside the house. They are socialised and good around the kids, but I the only one that does anything with them.

 

They get daily excercise ...good grub, and ran - 3 times a week on the lamp.

 

We do deal with the pest control on aprox 19,000 acres of land all in, and run 4 lurchers between us;...so they need to be upto the task.

 

I keep them them besause I love the sport,...not for money, although whatever is caught is feed the dogs, ferrets, and occasionally me

 

I wouldn't think of my dogs as 'hard'......or in any way 'extraordinary out and out workers' that get ran like fury, and catch anything with 4 legs......They are however, loyal, loving, extremely well balanced mentally and committed to the work they do. They earn their keep, feed themselves, and allow me the pleasure of the sport........

 

 

 

I'm more than happy with that

[Scallywag 78]

I think if you work your dogs frequently you build a bond with them naturally through the experience of hunting together. If you have a pet dog or hunt infrequently you have to find other ways to build that bond. I can see my dog's respect for me and the bond between us has increased each time we've been out hunting together.

I was raised with outdoor working collies. The bond between them and my grandad was as deep and strong as any I've seen.

I think if you don't work your dogs hard you have to work harder to find other ways to build a relationship with them.

I must say I've always thought of working as being employed by someone for pest control purposes and hunting as freelance catching for food or pleasure. Hence I can hunt with my rescue dogs, but not work them

[Guest Frank]

Some very interesting thoughts and experinces their.

I should point out, that the bond i had with my past workers, was magic, it was as if they were a part of me!!

I gave them the odd pat ect, but never misstreated them. I think, if you make so much fuss over a dog, it gets spoilt basicly and takes the piss.

Have you ever wathched a alfpha wolf, approach the pack, he stands with his tail up and head up, whilst all the other pack members, come running up to him, wagging their tails ect like mad and licking him all over the place, he does not respond to this, just walks off, sometimes put them in their place if they over do it.

If we went out to greet our dogs and over did the fuss, ( daddys little cherab ect :sick: ), they would soon take over.

 

These days, as said before, i dont hunt intensly, just for fun and to feed dogs and ferts, back then, i was made redundent, had feck all, so sold my game behind restruant doors ect, made a bit, to keep me going. Wont be able to get away with that nowa days.

My dogs of today, are workers still, but part time, they still get treated the same way.

They respect me for this.

[salukiman 28]

i think my dogs past and pressent, have become what they are by respect and consistancy.

 

as long as you are consistant with them and have an order to things the dogs do it themself. basic traing is one thing but the lifetime of killing that they have and the abillity to adapt to conditions is awsome.so natural. and watching a puppie that you bred develop is the best.

 

my dogs are in the pet/worker as that depends on my time and how much permission i can obtain but if i could be out every night and my dogs kept as workers i dont think they would be any better. i think i have a better bond with them because i have fussed them a bit.

 

but i do think that them being treated purely as working and working 5/6 days` a week would bring fitness that my pet/working dogs will never have.

[minion 29]

Intresting thread and intresting views. I suppose you are looking at it like a lot of greyhound racers.

 

For me the dogs are pets that work. When i buy a dog it has a home for life. I dont hunt to put food on the table i hunt for sport. I take my dog out to the beach if we go for the day, I take my dog fishing with me and she lives indoors. She is great with the kids and sleeps at the end of my bed.

 

I love to get out lamping, ferreting and coursing and the dogs love it too, thats what its all about to me. But I love going for a pint at my local with the dog by my side. i love seeing the dog run in the park with the kids and getting dressed up in dolls clothes etc.

 

If I didnt work dogs I would still keep them as I love dogs.

 

I know guys who keep their dogs as "tools" and get them pts when they are past their prime - NOT FOR ME.

 

So I am a pet owner who works his dogs and proud to be.

 

Each to their own though.

[Missie 1]

My dogs are predominantly pets although I do want to do more with my lurcher. As for the other two, my ex track bitch is 8 and now too old and my failed track dog has no interest in the chase, which is why he's not on the track, he is only 18 months but has no chase instinct at all.

 

I think my lurcher would benefit from some time on the lamp, he is keen but being inexperienced myself I don't want to push him and ruin him.

[rabitin girl 16]

Intresting thread and intresting views. I suppose you are looking at it like a lot of greyhound racers.

 

For me the dogs are pets that work. When i buy a dog it has a home for life. I dont hunt to put food on the table i hunt for sport. I take my dog out to the beach if we go for the day, I take my dog fishing with me and she lives indoors. She is great with the kids and sleeps at the end of my bed.

 

I love to get out lamping, ferreting and coursing and the dogs love it too, thats what its all about to me. But I love going for a pint at my local with the dog by my side. i love seeing the dog run in the park with the kids and getting dressed up in dolls clothes etc.

 

If I didnt work dogs I would still keep them as I love dogs.

 

I know guys who keep their dogs as "tools" and get them pts when they are past their prime - NOT FOR ME.

 

So I am a pet owner who works his dogs and proud to be.

 

Each to their own though.

 

 

Same here , I love doing daytime rabiting with the dogs ,but I like them as companions as well if that makes sense