Level of Failure...

[Guest anonymous]

Made a thread recently asking which are you? The type who has a dog for life or the type who goes through a lot of dogs. There were interesting replies which a lot centred around if the dog ain't good enough it goes etc. Which got me thinking.... What do you define as a bad dog? At what level is a dog bad? I must be easily pleased. A good day out for me is seeing some good chases with a couple in the bag. If I don't catch any it doesn't make it a bad day.

 

I reckon what the problem is with guys going through a lot of dogs is male pride. I hunt on my own because I prefer it that way. I have hunted with others over the years but it always ends up in a macho competition to see who's hare is the biggest, etc. If you hunt on your own you have nothing to prove, if you don't catch anything, so what? Tesco will still have your dinner and the world still revolves.

 

So folks at what level do you say, this dogs a keeper?

[arcticgun 4,548]

Made a thread recently asking which are you? The type who has a dog for life or the type who goes through a lot of dogs. There were interesting replies which a lot centred around if the dog ain't good enough it goes etc. Which got me thinking.... What do you define as a bad dog? At what level is a dog bad? I must be easily pleased. A good day out for me is seeing some good chases with a couple in the bag. If I don't catch any it doesn't make it a bad day.

 

I reckon what the problem is with guys going through a lot of dogs is male pride. I hunt on my own because I prefer it that way. I have hunted with others over the years but it always ends up in a macho competition to see who's hare is the biggest, etc. If you hunt on your own you have nothing to prove, if you don't catch anything, so what? Tesco will still have your dinner and the world still revolves.

 

So folks at what level do you say, this dogs a keeper?

 

The day "I" pick it from the litter and it moves into my home

[justin 2]

at about the level that i have defined that the dog is good with my misses and boy, good with the other dogs in the kennel, doesnt bark too much, and gives 100 percent(one dogs 100 percent may be better than another dog but as long as it does what i want it too) then the dog has a home for life...the fun isnt in the size of the bag for me...its in watching my dogs and ferrets at work..a lot of the time we will leave a few a few holes unnetted and leave it to chance just to see the dogs having a run...

[labsnlurchers 39]

I have 9 dogs in my kennels, 7 of them will be with me till they go to doggy heaven from old age. The other 2 are youngsters from a litter that i have bred myself, they will be put to work in 6 months and sold on to working homes at about 18 months old. I have a litter of bull cross 2nd generation due in 8 weeks and i may keep a couple back from that litter to bring on and sell at a later date. I never keep the best of any of my litters, as a breeder who is intrested in promoting the lurcher and the work they do and not a breeder in it for financial gain it is in my best intrests to have the best of my litters go to experienced working homes where they can excel and promote not only my breeding but also the breed. I am just starting out in breeding in my own right but have alot of experience in breeding dogs and training working dogs. I select my matings carefully to try and minimise the faults in my pups. I breed first and foremost for working qualities but i also carefully select for conformation and tempremant. And any areas lacking in the dam will be reinforced in the sire and visa versa.

I have never had to get rid of a dog because it did not make the grade but thats not to say i will never have too. I judge my dogs on far more than working abilities and if i had one that was lacking in any of the areas i would spey or neuter and send to a pet home. If the issue was temprement then i would have the animal pts. This would be the last resort though as i feel that training can work wonders. I have had 2 dogs that have been given to me because the owner was going to shoot them, with a little bit of work they have come on leaps and bounds and are now with my parents but they will never be bred from because of the problems they had there in the first place even though they may have been there due to handling or training, its a risk not worth taking imo.

As you can probably tell i take my responsibility as a breeder very seriously and always ensure that the pups new owners know that there is always a home here for the dogs if it is ever needed.

What i will say is when your buying a pup dont just look at the breeding of it, superstar dam and sire does not guarentee you a superstar pup. You get out what you put in and you need to be prepared to provide the puppy with a tried and tested route to success as they will rarely find it on their own.

[whippeter69 88]

I have 9 dogs in my kennels, 7 of them will be with me till they go to doggy heaven from old age. The other 2 are youngsters from a litter that i have bred myself, they will be put to work in 6 months and sold on to working homes at about 18 months old. I have a litter of bull cross 2nd generation due in 8 weeks and i may keep a couple back from that litter to bring on and sell at a later date. I never keep the best of any of my litters, as a breeder who is intrested in promoting the lurcher and the work they do and not a breeder in it for financial gain it is in my best intrests to have the best of my litters go to experienced working homes where they can excel and promote not only my breeding but also the breed. I am just starting out in breeding in my own right but have alot of experience in breeding dogs and training working dogs. I select my matings carefully to try and minimise the faults in my pups. I breed first and foremost for working qualities but i also carefully select for conformation and tempremant. And any areas lacking in the dam will be reinforced in the sire and visa versa.

I have never had to get rid of a dog because it did not make the grade but thats not to say i will never have too. I judge my dogs on far more than working abilities and if i had one that was lacking in any of the areas i would spey or neuter and send to a pet home. If the issue was temprement then i would have the animal pts. This would be the last resort though as i feel that training can work wonders. I have had 2 dogs that have been given to me because the owner was going to shoot them, with a little bit of work they have come on leaps and bounds and are now with my parents but they will never be bred from because of the problems they had there in the first place even though they may have been there due to handling or training, its a risk not worth taking imo.

As you can probably tell i take my responsibility as a breeder very seriously and always ensure that the pups new owners know that there is always a home here for the dogs if it is ever needed.

What i will say is when your buying a pup dont just look at the breeding of it, superstar dam and sire does not guarentee you a superstar pup. You get out what you put in and you need to be prepared to provide the puppy with a tried and tested route to success as they will rarely find it on their own.

 

 

 

Bull x in 8 weeks do you say il see if i can purswade my mum

[Guest joe ox]

If you buy/breed a pup, bring it up correctly then it can not catch its intended quarry when it becomes an adult not only that it sometimes watches its quarry run away without even trying to catch it Would you keep it?

Edited December 1, 2008 by joe ox

[labsnlurchers 39]

I have 9 dogs in my kennels, 7 of them will be with me till they go to doggy heaven from old age. The other 2 are youngsters from a litter that i have bred myself, they will be put to work in 6 months and sold on to working homes at about 18 months old. I have a litter of bull cross 2nd generation due in 8 weeks and i may keep a couple back from that litter to bring on and sell at a later date. I never keep the best of any of my litters, as a breeder who is intrested in promoting the lurcher and the work they do and not a breeder in it for financial gain it is in my best intrests to have the best of my litters go to experienced working homes where they can excel and promote not only my breeding but also the breed. I am just starting out in breeding in my own right but have alot of experience in breeding dogs and training working dogs. I select my matings carefully to try and minimise the faults in my pups. I breed first and foremost for working qualities but i also carefully select for conformation and tempremant. And any areas lacking in the dam will be reinforced in the sire and visa versa.

I have never had to get rid of a dog because it did not make the grade but thats not to say i will never have too. I judge my dogs on far more than working abilities and if i had one that was lacking in any of the areas i would spey or neuter and send to a pet home. If the issue was temprement then i would have the animal pts. This would be the last resort though as i feel that training can work wonders. I have had 2 dogs that have been given to me because the owner was going to shoot them, with a little bit of work they have come on leaps and bounds and are now with my parents but they will never be bred from because of the problems they had there in the first place even though they may have been there due to handling or training, its a risk not worth taking imo.

As you can probably tell i take my responsibility as a breeder very seriously and always ensure that the pups new owners know that there is always a home here for the dogs if it is ever needed.

What i will say is when your buying a pup dont just look at the breeding of it, superstar dam and sire does not guarentee you a superstar pup. You get out what you put in and you need to be prepared to provide the puppy with a tried and tested route to success as they will rarely find it on their own.

 

 

 

Bull x in 8 weeks do you say il see if i can purswade my mum

 

You are very welcome to a pup young man, after seeing your dogs on saturday i have no problem whatsoever in you having one. Good luck with your mum lol!

[whippeter69 88]

Thanks ,which bull x are you breeding, was it the one that i had seen on saturday?

[labsnlurchers 39]

If you buy/breed a pup, bring it up correctly and it can not catch its intended quarry not only that it sometimes watches its quarry run away without even trying to catch it Would you keep it?

 

What breed? how old? I would give it a fair go and im pretty confident i could iron out the creases! if it came right i wouldnt use it for breeding though just because of the problem with breeding pups that need too much help in getting the hang of things.

[Guest joe ox]

If you buy/breed a pup, bring it up correctly and it can not catch its intended quarry not only that it sometimes watches its quarry run away without even trying to catch it Would you keep it?

 

What breed? how old? I would give it a fair go and im pretty confident i could iron out the creases! if it came right i wouldnt use it for breeding though just because of the problem with breeding pups that need too much help in getting the hang of things.

 

Some "creases" cannot be ironed out.

[artic 595]

I have always given my dogs time. These dogs go through a lot in their career's. Knocks, bumbs, cuts, sprains etc.......

 

Like i've said before i've been lucky not to have a dog which has failed (for what i expect them to do|). What i have seen is too many dogs being re homed way too early........

 

They have written the dog off too soon by not giving the dog TIME.

 

How much time do you give a working dog?

 

My dogs dont do much in the first 2 years. They need to grow, mature, and be obidient in my books before the real work begins. Preperation is the key.

 

They are your tool of the trade, respect them.

 

[TirNanOg 0]

if your happy going out on your own and getting little or nothing thats your choice a lot of lads is like this there lurcher is 90% pet and 10% working dog they maybe have a walk round a few fields on a saturday or lamp it a couple of nights a week and there happy whatever they come home with as long as its not injuries lol theres nothing wrong with this if its what you want to do and its got nothing to with with wheather you like to do it on your own or with mates, but if your dogs shit you will get less slaggings off if your hunting alone lol. but a lot of lads want a good dog that is tested hard and performs to its best to get a dog like this you have to get out there and put a lot of game infront of the dog to see its good and bad faults and if theres more bad than good then the saturday lads would probably keep the dog and kidd themselfs on they dont really mind cos there not out much and there only pleasing themselves but the lads who are honest about what they want out of a dog will not put up with anything less than thebest, things like yapping dogs or stopping at fences not giving 100% being too slow or not a good courser the best thing to do with dogs that arent up to the standards is find them a pet home where they wont be past about or put them down. any lad who says he has never had a dog thats not came up to standard must have been a very lucky fella or hes telling porkies we have all had a bad dog its wheather or not we can put up with the dogs bad faults and live with them or not. the problem with lurchers today is there is too many saturday lads breeding from there dogs that have not caught very much they should stick to what they do and leave breeding lurchers to the lads who are testing there dogs to the full then there would be less shite about!!!

[labsnlurchers 39]

Thanks ,which bull x are you breeding, was it the one that i had seen on saturday?

 

No the brother to her and my other bull cross bitch.

[donk 12]

Dont bother me what my dogs can do or cant do,theyve both done most kinds of stuff pre-ban.

When im out im out to have a good day,if we catch thats good,if we dont im not bothered

Been on my own with these 2 dogs for 3 years now,their like mates to me,like i said in the other thread i'd only get rid of them if they had some terminal illness that was making them suffer,or if they turned vicious with other dogs or people.

My bitch is nearly 6 years old now and has slowed down a bit,she still loves going out and i still enjoy watching her work.

My dog hasnt been worked to his full potential,my fault due to my circumstances,hopefully get him out every weekend this season give him the chances he deserves.

[labsnlurchers 39]

If you buy/breed a pup, bring it up correctly and it can not catch its intended quarry not only that it sometimes watches its quarry run away without even trying to catch it Would you keep it?

 

What breed? how old? I would give it a fair go and im pretty confident i could iron out the creases! if it came right i wouldnt use it for breeding though just because of the problem with breeding pups that need too much help in getting the hang of things.

 

Some "creases" cannot be ironed out.

 

Yes, some cant be ironed out and you may never get it to be a world beater but im pretty sure you could get it to chase and catch its intended quarry to a level that would suit someone but i definately wouldnt breed from a dog like that and i wouldnt keep it either. i'd get it too its best and then find a decent home for it where it would suit the owners requirements.