How many is too many?

[Tiff 36]

I'm interested in hearing peoples opinions on how many running dogs is too many for one person (or a pair) to deal with properly? Assuming they are worked hard 8-9 months each year, conditioned well, bitches not bred, all trained adults with no pups/sapplings coming on etc.

 

I know everyone's home life and other animal pursuits that take time away from the running dogs vary, but I'm interested all the same in what youse all think. If you run toothed game it will probably be different than running the other stuff of course too.

Edited November 24, 2008 by His Wife

[Guest anonymous]

I reckon 2 is plenty. You are always going to have periods when both are injured but hey, shit happens.

[Tiff 36]

you mean 2 for a person, or 2 for a pair of people who both work the dogs?

Edited November 24, 2008 by His Wife

[scent 509]

i reckon 2 per person is loads

[Guest anonymous]

Aye mate, 2 for one person is plenty me reckons. You can't leave one behind when going out lamping without waking up the neighbourhood. So if you are going out alone or with a mate, more than 2 dogs would be a nightmare. Only my opinion mind.......

[hang & bang 114]

2 the most

[merle24 61]

2 i reckon maybe three, resting one for the lamp or bigger stuff .

[Tiff 36]

this all suprises me a bit, we have had 2 running dogs each for the past couple of seasons and constantly run out of dogs especially when we have visitors here for hunting. We intersperse with terrier work and sightseeing as well so it's not like we are working them day in and day out, and they are very fit, so it is normally due to just wear and tear that they get laid up, rarely do we have any major injuries except for one bitch who is a wreck waiting to happen. Kye's getting a pup and I've been looking for another for myself since my older bitch has lost both canines so she's more limited now, which made me think about numbers of dogs and what is reasonable.

[sniper 30]

depends what type of quarry you intend to hunt.......if you are hunting say foxes and rabbits then you need alot of that quarry around you to have for the dogs to run...so if youre getting a high number of foxes a year then you could do with a few dogs in youre kennel, especially biting back quarry....at the most i would say 3 lurchers and maybe a good bushing sprocker type dog....but i usually only have 2 lurchers/lamping dogs a person at the max......but i think 3 lurchers i more than suffice providing you have the ground and the quarry on that ground to test the dog to its full potential .....Sniper

Edited November 24, 2008 by sniper

[Tiff 36]

thankfully we have miles more area to hunt than we could ever do with, it is more likely that we wouldn't have the time to work a larger number of dogs to keep them happy which is a concern. I don't want to be held captive to the dogs but also don't want to be left twiddling our thumbs if a couple are laid up, bitches come in or if we ever decide to breed a litter. Luckily our bitches are just about on the same schedule and break down about once a year at the same time, normally at the end of the summer and we start roading them and they are starting to get fit, they'll all break down one after the other.

[chartpolski 22,642]

How many is to many ?????......... One more than you can afford to kennel, feed, excersise, train, work and pay the vet bils for !!!!! Simple as that !!!

Cheers.

[Tiff 36]

LOL it is not as simple as that ... which is why I asked the question

 

maybe I should rephrase it ... has anyone had a number of running dogs that was just too many to deal with (assuming there was enough quarry to run)?

[stormrider8 59]

depends what type of quarry you intend to hunt.......if you are hunting say foxes and rabbits then you need alot of that quarry around you to have for the dogs to run...so if youre getting a high number of foxes a year then you could do with a few dogs in youre kennel, especially biting back quarry....at the most i would say 3 lurchers and maybe a good bushing sprocker type dog....but i usually only have 2 lurchers/lamping dogs a person at the max......but i think 3 lurchers i more than suffice providing you have the ground and the quarry on that ground to test the dog to its full potential .....Sniper

i agree, was having this conversation with a mate the other day. Unfortunately around here theres just not enough around to work 2 dogs anymore.

[sniper 30]

depends what type of quarry you intend to hunt.......if you are hunting say foxes and rabbits then you need alot of that quarry around you to have for the dogs to run...so if youre getting a high number of foxes a year then you could do with a few dogs in youre kennel, especially biting back quarry....at the most i would say 3 lurchers and maybe a good bushing sprocker type dog....but i usually only have 2 lurchers/lamping dogs a person at the max......but i think 3 lurchers i more than suffice providing you have the ground and the quarry on that ground to test the dog to its full potential .....Sniper

i agree, was having this conversation with a mate the other day. Unfortunately around here theres just not enough around to work 2 dogs anymore.

yes mate totally agree....but if you have a good dog in youre kennel then you should try and find it some decent hard working graft....especially if the dog is good at its job good hunting....

[DEERMAN 1,018]

2 is good number, im out 4 nights a week allways go with mate so i leave one at home not ideal , but like 2 for company for other dog and injurys, lost my young dog in sept ,so get pup in may so theres 31/2 years between mine ,which works out just nice ,as i can start pilling work on pup at 2 then eas with bitch a bit .