getting the dog to look down the beam

[ukhunter 111]

Hi All Im Having trouble getting the pup's head up he tends to ignore the beam and just sniff about.

went out for a look last night sported a rabbit it was sitting still but i couldn't get the dogs attention.

i got the rabbit to move but the rabbit was off and the dog never knew it was there.

So How can i get him to look down the beam? i for got to say he's a 10 months old whippet collie cross

[Magpie_Hunter 17]

let him see another dog run first

[pigeon dave 1]

find a squatter walk up to it with dog and shine light from above rabbit ie directley down from above till it moves then let him have it

may take a while to find one to sit so tight but they are about occasionally

penny will drop eventually

[Guest allroundhunter]

Hi All Im Having trouble getting the pup's head up he tends to ignore the beam and just sniff about.

went out for a look last night sported a rabbit it was sitting still but i couldn't get the dogs attention.

i got the rabbit to move but the rabbit was off and the dog never knew it was there.

So How can i get him to look down the beam? i for got to say he's a 10 months old whippet collie cross

 

 

All the above is sound advice mate my greyhound/whippett/bedlington bitch (1yr) is going threw the same sort of paces now mate lol its great fun we slipped our dogs on a few bunnies last week and let her watch for a while.Then we let her av a go lol she darted off sure enough but stopped in the middle of the field playing round like a bouncing boxer dog lol. We then found a squatter and and pointed the beam on it lifting her head via lead and she didnt really understand to be fair but on her last run we slipped her with another bitch and she followed her right down the beam for the rabbitt.Then yesterday morning we let them off bushing and she bushed a bunnie over this nice flat field on her own an was about half a foot away from catching it am not gonna rush her in too much slowly but surely am quite lucky av another dog to work so am quite happy the way things are going good luck mucker with yours.

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

Here is how I went about training mine to follow the beam.

 

As a pup I first taught her to retrieve the bummy to hand, when she was 100% on the retrieve during the day I then brought her to the next stage. I would then bring her into the garden during darkness and command her to sit, show her the dummy, throw the dummy down the garden and hold the beam on it, command her to fetch, the penny will drop after a few session of this training, she will then be ready to hit the fields.

 

Hope this helps.

[tote 856]

Hi All Im Having trouble getting the pup's head up he tends to ignore the beam and just sniff about.

went out for a look last night sported a rabbit it was sitting still but i couldn't get the dogs attention.

i got the rabbit to move but the rabbit was off and the dog never knew it was there.

So How can i get him to look down the beam? i for got to say he's a 10 months old whippet collie cross

 

Patience on your part is all that's needed ukhunter.You don't say how many times the pup has been out but i'd hazzard a guess at not many.

 

Keep taking him out and showing him rabbits in the beam and walk him in to them if you can,I gaurantee that your pup will soon realise that where the beam shines there could be a rabbit.

[Paul in North Lincs 15]

...go back to basics

 

 

toss a ball or toy down the beam .....he'll learn to look then..if he enjoys it...also get the pup on some sqatters.

 

Some dogs pic it up instinctively - others get that revved they are looking everywhere but until they settle down.

 

good luck

[Bosun11 537]

Whilst all above can work, just try the most simple thing.... Hold your dog by the collar whilst pointing the beam, both on moving targets and squatters, direct its head toward what you want it to see. You will only need to do this for the first few, after that it'll know where to look.

Good hunting

[macster 1]

just mite be to young yet mate mine is only starting to walk up the beem an she is 2 past

[wild rover 548]

Hi All Im Having trouble getting the pup's head up he tends to ignore the beam and just sniff about.

went out for a look last night sported a rabbit it was sitting still but i couldn't get the dogs attention.

i got the rabbit to move but the rabbit was off and the dog never knew it was there.

So How can i get him to look down the beam? i for got to say he's a 10 months old whippet collie cross

 

Hi try this, forget about lamping rabbits take the pup on the lamp where you train it with its favourite dummy attach a luminous strip to dummy , keep the lamp on and do some retrieves, when doing ok, throw dummy then turn lamp on keep doing this until penny drops, it teaches them to watch the beam, run it and pick up sitters and all before they run a rabbit, I have used this method for years and it works. good luck.

[ukhunter 111]

Thank you for all your advice i will use all the of advice given and hopefully he will come good.

 

here some pic's of him at 6 months old

 

 

[ukhunter 111]

decided to give my dog a run last night it wasn’t the best of nights with the bright moon and not much wind

anyway of we went we got to the first field i flick of the lamp there was one rabbit out but is was not far that out from the hedge

i would say about 15 or 20 yards he spotted it as he was pulling at the lead so i slipped him anyway and he was off

I was expected the rabbit to make a bolt for the hedge but for some reason he just went straight down the hedge line

it gave him quite a run it turned a couple of times he was right on his tail and then he lost him as it turned bolted through hedge.

We had a few other runs and the last run was when i spotted a sitter and we got up close i slipped him

and he was off like a rocket twisted and turned the rabbit he gave him a good run for its money but it got the better of him in the end.

we made are off for to the far field which is only a little field but the rabbits were very wary

and a fox was lingering in the corner of the field so we made are way home i think all in all it was a better night tonight.

we had no rabbits but I'm very pleased with him as he was much better on the lamp tonight

i think showing him the rabbits the other night had definitely given him a taste for it given that this is his 3rd time his been out on the lamp.

 

just like to say thanks to all of you who gave me advice and please keep it coming

[ratman 1 0]

...go back to basics

 

 

toss a ball or toy down the beam .....he'll learn to look then..if he enjoys it...also get the pup on some sqatters.

 

Some dogs pic it up instinctively - others get that revved they are looking everywhere but until they settle down.

 

good luck

 

good addv but i start ball game in day light and hissss when i lob the ball

good luck

Edited October 17, 2008 by ratman 1

[ukhunter 111]

dog had his 1st rabbit last night im well plaese him

i just got to get him to retrieve rabbits to hand now he retrieves a ball to hand ok

but rabbits he retrieves the rabbit so far and then stops this will come with time i hope

[wild rover 548]

Hi All Im Having trouble getting the pup's head up he tends to ignore the beam and just sniff about.

went out for a look last night sported a rabbit it was sitting still but i couldn't get the dogs attention.

i got the rabbit to move but the rabbit was off and the dog never knew it was there.

So How can i get him to look down the beam? i for got to say he's a 10 months old whippet collie cross

 

 

Hi read the letter on thread about training a lamping pup, page 11 or 12, open the link, it may help, good luck