Starting your lurcher correctly

[Guest AngelicAcid]

GOOD THINGS COME TO ME WHO WAITS .

[labsnlurchers 39]

most of the people on here dont no what there talkin about you should start a dog about 6 months old so its got an advantage so at 12 months old it will already no what its doing

 

why? why is it such an issue to wait till 12 months so it knows what its doing at 18months? that 6 month extra puppy time is what makes a dog not the 6 months extra working. Not only that you will risk losing far more than 6 months working time when the dog gets older it may lose years because it was badly handled as a pup. There is evidence to back up my statement that starting a puppy too soon working hard in the field will harm it in the long run. There is no evidence to say that it reduces their skill/working capabilities. Teaching a puppy gradually makes a far more stable base on which to work in the furture.

Also, what advantage could there possibly be at 12 months old? do you mean an advantage over others?

[PeakOil 352]

Good advice, shame another thread ended up in the school playground.

[Guest MY LAW]

most of the people on here dont no what there talkin about you should start a dog about 6 months old so its got an advantage so at 12 months old it will already no what its doing

 

why? why is it such an issue to wait till 12 months so it knows what its doing at 18months? that 6 month extra puppy time is what makes a dog not the 6 months extra working. Not only that you will risk losing far more than 6 months working time when the dog gets older it may lose years because it was badly handled as a pup. There is evidence to back up my statement that starting a puppy too soon working hard in the field will harm it in the long run. There is no evidence to say that it reduces their skill/working capabilities. Teaching a puppy gradually makes a far more stable base on which to work in the furture.

Also, what advantage could there possibly be at 12 months old? do you mean an advantage over others?

i was not going to write any more on this subject ,but lnl if you realy want to find out the advantage then i sugest you give it a go some time ,it is the only way to find out ,i was like you 25 years ago ,stuck in my ways and belifs because of all the crap writen by the old school ,untill one night i was introduced to some one[ that i still lamp with ]showed me just how inferior my dogs was to his ,and when i asked him how he traind his dogs to sutch a level that they keept going and caught more than any other dogs i have ever seen his simple reply was [HE TAKES THEM OUT AS SOON AS THEY CAN FOLLOW HIM AND LET THEM GET IN THE WAY AND DO WHAT THEY WANT MAKE THEIR OWN WAY THROUGH AND OVER OBSTICALS AND GET STUCK IN TO WHAT EVER THE OLDER DOGS CATCH ,AND WHEN OUT FOR THE NIGHT THEY HAVE TO KEEP GOING UNTILL IT IS TIME TO HEAD HOME ]then the next night and nights after if they want to go again he dont stop them but if they just stay where they are he did not force them to follow ,it is as simple as that , all i done was to follow suit ,yes there is the odd time when you have to give a bit of help but only when it is realy neccessary ,and i have never had any trouble later on in life with any of my dogs neither has he ,and he is still doing what he has done all his life walk all night with his dogs and drag some realy big lumps about the field most nights of the week in the season [and he has just got his bus pass]so it seems that it is also very benifishal to us as well ,i am not pushing any method down any ones throat just gave advise to the person asking , what i would do with the dog in question .it would be of interest to me how old the book is that you got the info from that u put on here.ATB i would just add he has just bred a litter of pups and will keep one for his self ,they were born 4 days ago , if i get the inclination i will let you know on here how it is doing as it progresses . Edited November 19, 2008 by MY LAW

[carlton chase 37]

most of the people on here dont no what there talkin about you should start a dog about 6 months old so its got an advantage so at 12 months old it will already no what its doing

 

why? why is it such an issue to wait till 12 months so it knows what its doing at 18months? that 6 month extra puppy time is what makes a dog not the 6 months extra working. Not only that you will risk losing far more than 6 months working time when the dog gets older it may lose years because it was badly handled as a pup. There is evidence to back up my statement that starting a puppy too soon working hard in the field will harm it in the long run. There is no evidence to say that it reduces their skill/working capabilities. Teaching a puppy gradually makes a far more stable base on which to work in the furture.

Also, what advantage could there possibly be at 12 months old? do you mean an advantage over others?

no so dat you dont have to wait another 6months for it to get in to full flight

[labsnlurchers 39]

most of the people on here dont no what there talkin about you should start a dog about 6 months old so its got an advantage so at 12 months old it will already no what its doing

 

why? why is it such an issue to wait till 12 months so it knows what its doing at 18months? that 6 month extra puppy time is what makes a dog not the 6 months extra working. Not only that you will risk losing far more than 6 months working time when the dog gets older it may lose years because it was badly handled as a pup. There is evidence to back up my statement that starting a puppy too soon working hard in the field will harm it in the long run. There is no evidence to say that it reduces their skill/working capabilities. Teaching a puppy gradually makes a far more stable base on which to work in the furture.

Also, what advantage could there possibly be at 12 months old? do you mean an advantage over others?

no so dat you dont have to wait another 6months for it to get in to full flight

 

oh so its for your benefit and not the dogs, so it doesn't make the dog perform any better in the long run.

[jakeuk1 0]

I nearly ruined a dog by working him too young, he was 6 months old and it was my first lurcher. (i was about 15 at the time and a bit too keen!)

After a few nites with him running but catching nothing, he started pulling up and eventually lost interest in rabbits.

round my way is full of small fields where a dog needs to be quick to catch. I wished i had waited till he was fully mature.

It wasnt till he was about 2 years old and after after a long break from working he started picking them up.

[Guest MY LAW]

L+L dont know if you read my last piece on here but i did ask if you would let me know how old the book was you got the info JOINT AFFAIRS from .im interested .

Edited November 20, 2008 by MY LAW

[labsnlurchers 39]

It was a paper written by Susan Thorpe-Vargas Ph.D., John Cargill MA, MBA, MS

dont know the date. I was speaking to a friend of mine who breeds dogs and hunts with dogs and is very well respected in her field. We were discussing the issue here and she mentioned the fact that hip scoring in dogs does not take place till 2 yrs of age or above and this is because the hip bones are not set and the score would not be true to the dog.

[Guest MY LAW]

It was a paper written by Susan Thorpe-Vargas Ph.D., John Cargill MA, MBA, MS

dont know the date. I was speaking to a friend of mine who breeds dogs and hunts with dogs and is very well respected in her field. We were discussing the issue here and she mentioned the fact that hip scoring in dogs does not take place till 2 yrs of age or above and this is because the hip bones are not set and the score would not be true to the dog.

im not trying to get into one with you ,thanks for the answer ,if you could roughly find out how old the writings are it would be a help .only there does not seem to be mutch writen about this sort of thing for a number of years by any one with the proper knowledg ,im just trying to find out if it is still thought of in the same way ,and is it all dogs or just non working dogs or are working dogs thought of different ,because we see damage in the show seen of all sorts , but in this game to be honest i have never seen one that has been affected .just like to add i was a whipper in to a pack of fox hounds and so was my brother and you know what a hard life they get from day one . Edited November 20, 2008 by MY LAW

[brookie 1,193]

all my dogs are started around 6 mths old if they are bred right they are more than capable of catching at that age i cant wait around 12 to 18 mths to see if its capable of making the grade ive had pupps at 9 and 10 mths old doing 20 pluses regular on the lamp heres one im running now shes 14 mths old in the pics shes 7 mths old

[labsnlurchers 39]

yeah sure ML, i appreciate what your saying. lurchers are not genrally genetically predisposed to problems although greyhounds can have problems with their patella (i think) although this is not in any significant number and if the cross is mastiff or german shephard etc then there is a likleyhood that there may be genetically predisposed problems within the pups skeletal system already and over exercising is likely to aggrevate the situation. Even though there is a small likelyhood of predisposition the hard working of a pup who's joints are not yet set and who's brain is not matured is just increasing the chances of future problems. The effect on the skeletal system from excessive working at a young age will be increased wear and tear, because the joints are not set the bone will wear far more easily and stretch the ligaments and effect the synovial fluid imo.

I just dont see the point in it, my pups are all started as i have mentioned in this thread and in my opinion are no better but definately no worse than the next dog regardless of the age that it has started. So where is the benefit in starting a pup at such a young age, i know there are potential problems but i dont see any benefit?

[labsnlurchers 39]

all my dogs are started around 6 mths old if they are bred right they are more than capable of catching at that age i cant wait around 12 to 18 mths to see if its capable of making the grade ive had pupps at 9 and 10 mths old doing 20 pluses regular on the lamp heres one im running now shes 14 mths old in the pics shes 7 mths old

 

Fair play to you, its your dogs your choice and your problem.

I can usually tell if a pup is going to be worth its weight as a worker in the field with out actually working it hard. Just observing its behaviour will tell you with some degree of accuracy, yes its not 100% but neither is your method imo and my way of doing it has no effect on the dogs health and welfare in later life, if you keep yours that long??? how many a night do they do now, bet no more than mine or any other sensible persons???

[Guest MY LAW]

L+Lyou might not ever try my method ,but if ever you do you might get a bit of a suprise ,each to their own ,ATB

Edited November 20, 2008 by MY LAW

[labsnlurchers 39]

L+Lyou might not ever try my method ,but if ever you do you might get a bit of a suprise ,each to their own ,ATB

 

come and have a night out with us and see mine work and you may be suprised. atb x