What Traits To Look For And Build On

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Was thinking about the thread discussing how you choose your pups, and just wondered - once you've chosen the pup, what sort of traits do you look for and build on while the pup is young if you are training it for rabbits.

 

While I'm new to the working dog scene, I've always had and worked with dogs before I moved to England. They've all been pets - bar the wolf x, who was a pet/hunter and in a class of her own - and I know what things I would look for in my pet and the steps to training it as such. So I just wondered, with a lurcher pup ... what should I be aiming for in the early months, and what's different about training a dog to hopefully work, mostly in the daytime (I'd find it hard to get out lamping, being on my own with young kids).

 

At the moment, my pups just doing what all my pups would do at this age: lead walking, recall, sit, leave it etc. But should I be looking out for more subtle characteristics and building on them?

 

Doing my homework and reading up both on here and elsewhere, it would seem that, ideally, I should have a ferret to train the pup with. That's not really feasable for a couple of reasons: I've got the murderous Grey who would just eat a ferret, and I've never had a ferret so wouldn't know where to start with one I like a challenge and would give it a go, but I think I'd need a lot more help than I already do!

[Royston2 0]

I think you can work on anything at a young age that the pup finds fun lets face it they love to play and if you can envolve a little bit of obediance training with in the game brilliant be it recall retrieve or anything like that good luck either way plenty of socialising brings a pup on quicker than anything else in my oppinon.....

[sandymere 8,263]

I think you can work on anything at a young age that the pup finds fun lets face it they love to play and if you can envolve a little bit of obediance training with in the game brilliant be it recall retrieve or anything like that good luck either way plenty of socialising brings a pup on quicker than anything else in my oppinon.....

 

 

I'll 2nd all that, good advice.

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

I think you can work on anything at a young age that the pup finds fun lets face it they love to play and if you can envolve a little bit of obediance training with in the game brilliant be it recall retrieve or anything like that good luck either way plenty of socialising brings a pup on quicker than anything else in my oppinon.....

 

 

I'll 2nd all that, good advice.

 

Yep, me too She's getting plenty of play and socialisation; that's what being a puppy is all about!

 

What I mean is, my first lurcher was just a pet. Lots of fun to walk out with, live with etc. But looking back I can see that he had enormous potential for working rabbits and, being a novice, I never picked up on it, until the day he bounded out of the woods and dropped a live rabbit at my feet. I was like :dance: That was the very second I caught the bug for bunnies. In hindsight I wish I had done more with him. Now I've got the new one I'm a bit over keen to do things right

[Royston2 0]

Well don`t try to hard mate there isn`t much you can do only standard obediance i think any dog be it a mongrel will chase if things run you should be fine keep things short and sweet and your`ll be loving the bunny stew come the season get yourself a ferret that will put more chances your pups way come september...