Training to bush

[RatSnatcher 0]

Great thread

 

keep the good advice coming lads,

[Guest MOLLY]

  oneredtrim said:

Training a bushing terrier when to throw it's tongue (and when not too) will be dictated by if the owner owns one terrier or multiples.

Oneredtrim

Very true, and this can also change as the roles within the pack change also.

MOLL.

[Guest Know Fack all]

What does throwing its tongue mean

[Guest MOLLY]

The barking, yipping, screaming some dogs do when chasing quarry

MOLL.

[Guest oneredtrim]

.

Edited January 19, 2008 by oneredtrim

[Guest Know Fack all]

  MOLLY said:

The barking, yipping, screaming some dogs do when chasing quarry

MOLL.

 

 

Cheers Molly

[Guest JOEB]

  oneredtrim said:

Evening all,

There is loads to train into a bushing terrier Joe, sometimes rabbits dont always bolt and are offside of going to earth and so play a game of peek-aboo with the terrier inside the cover....using the noise from the terrier to mask an ever changing position (and still not wishing to bolt). Some terriers because they are too nose reliant are alwys just off the pace of the game, this is compounded by the wide headed rabbit by having learnt to stop dead in tandem with the terrier when it wants some confirmation via it's hearing (nose broke). Other terriers get round this slippy customer by learning to throw the rabbit a bum-steer (by dint of a quick backward step....."the gee-up".....from a stood still scanning position )...the rabbit thinks it's time for more of the same and falls for it with a movement just out of sync...because the terrier is now well versed to all the internal corridoors in the particular piece of cover (through it's earlier nose capades) and just fixed an eye/ ear-full...means it will get a result...the nose variant would still be playing ring-a-ring-aroses.

 

I'd love to hear about the fell/whippet you once depicted Chalkwarren (hope the request does not offend, anytime will do ).

 

 

Oneredtrim.

 

JOEB

[Bailey 16]

This brings up a question from another board.........How many of you let young terriers work bushes etc after small game when you will end up wanting them to go after foxes. People have said hold them and the first thing they should see is a fox and others have said to let them go after rabbits to start off. wats your opinions??

[Guest RobW71]

I let them go after Rabbits, and correct them when they start marking down holes.

If your out digging Foxes the last thing you want is to be digging a Rabbit, esp'ly if the Gamekeeper's with you or you're doing Hunt service.

 

Regards Rob

[Guest MOLLY]

You should know where your dog is at all times when it is a youngster.....a half grown pup going down any kind of set/hole could lead to disaster, because i doubt many people have locators on their dogs when just out for a walk or mooch and i know the kind of places mine bush it would be very hard for a person to get into never mind try to locate the pup. May sound silly but when they are bushing when young in familiar territory i have the pups collared and i put a couple of cat bells on it. I can hear where they are at all times, if they stop if they are running etc....i am always on red alert at these times.

Their training has to be ongoing even when adults, always checking your dog when it trys to enter a hole, its better to be over cautious than temp fate. After all if its just a bushing dog you want then what are you are the dog proving by letting it? And as someone has said its bad news for a digging terrier who enters or marks rabbit sets, if they can train their dogs not to go down rabbit holes then why cant the bushing dog trainer do the same with the whole remit of holes/sets?

A guy i know has a lovely Lakie x pet bitch. He has walked his dog the same place as mine for 10yrs. Just last summer she went off chasing rabbits as usual in the dunes of the beach, she has never returned. He presumes she has gone into one of the many sandy burrows as she always did...cos he let her, and it has caved in behind her. Not a nice ending for the dog and he is now devestated.

If you value your dog, then train it, and dont let bravado bullshit get in the way. Just because your dog doesnt go to ground because you trained it not to, doesnt make it any less of a terrier...just one suitable for the role it fullfills.

MOLL.

[Guest Know Fack all]

  MOLLY said:

You should know where your dog is at all times when it is a youngster.....a half grown pup going down any kind of set/hole could lead to disaster, because i doubt many people have locators on their dogs when just out for a walk or mooch and i know the kind of places mine bush it would be very hard for a person to get into never mind try to locate the pup. May sound silly but when they are bushing when young in familiar territory i have the pups collared and i put a couple of cat bells on it. I can hear where they are at all times, if they stop if they are running etc....i am always on red alert at these times.

Their training has to be ongoing even when adults, always checking your dog when it trys to enter a hole, its better to be over cautious than temp fate. After all if its just a bushing dog you want then what are you are the dog proving by letting it? And as someone has said its bad news for a digging terrier who enters or marks rabbit sets, if they can train their dogs not to go down rabbit holes then why cant the bushing dog trainer do the same with the whole remit of holes/sets?

A guy i know has a lovely Lakie x pet bitch. He has walked his dog the same place as mine for 10yrs. Just last summer she went off chasing rabbits as usual in the dunes of the beach, she has never returned. He presumes she has gone into one of the many sandy burrows as she always did...cos he let her, and it has caved in behind her. Not a nice ending for the dog and he is now devestated.

If you value your dog, then train it, and dont let bravado bullshit get in the way. Just because your dog doesnt go to ground because you trained it not to, doesnt make it any less of a terrier...just one suitable for the role it fullfills.

MOLL.

 

 

Brilliant advice for me just starting out, keep it coming

 

cheers Moll

 

Can these dogs catch the rabbits in the bushes easy enough?

[Guest MOLLY]

Thats a hard one to answer, it depends upon the dog and the type of terrain. But yes they do kill bunnies when bushing, more so when they get to know the terrain, where the warrens are etc. Or flush for the lurchers to catch. This time of year with the younger less experienced rabbits is a good time to start your terrier. Not just for kills but to learn the chase.

MOLL.

[Nell 1]

First of all the dog must WANT to go into the cover, not all terriers make good bushing dogs, same as anything some are better than others, you will also get dogs that sit and wait for another dog to start yapping before entering the cover, but if you get a good dog that wants to get into the cover and search for its intended quarry then you are laughing. Personally I always have an older terrier to start any youngster off and i prefer to go out at first light especially this time of year, there is always plenty of scent around and the youngster will on occasions see the rabbits going into the cover that have been sat out all night it sometimes gives them abit more incentive to get in after them the younger rabbits will also often make mistakes which will help the pup make a few kills. The yapping usually comes as the dog gets more keen, you will also get to notice the different tones of screams, i can usually tell what mine are after and how close they are to it by how they scream. I would also get into the cover with the dog where possible. A dog that knows how to use its nose is a must though, although this comes in time, Socks is right there is no rush

 

Its like anythng the more the dog does, the better it will get

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Having read these replies I feel I jumped in too early .Those of us that work their dogs regular and bring on pups probably do not realise we are training the dog as it comes second nature to encourage or chastise as it occurs.Ive been lucky in that I have a very good rapor with the dogs and need not do much shouting or encouraging .I believe the opening up starts in all dogs when they are frustrated at not being able to get up to their quarry.This is especially so with terriers and rabbits which outclass them on speed.Ive gotten to know what a dogs on by the sound its making ,either in cover or below ground.It is true that a terrier used for earth work should not look at rabbits but its a good way of showing the pup a bit of earthwork by starting alongside ferrets,providing its broke to ferrets.I let youngsters pull out rabbits when a dig occurs and later when they see a fox this is soon forgot.So long as the recall is installed into a terrier then its left to its own devices as far as bushing with the lurcher is concerned .I think it is the lurcher that needs the training when bushing,epecially to " get around " a bush or thick hedge.

[sambo123 676]

  MOLLY said:

A pal of mine was after advice regarding how to start a terrier bushing for the lurchers. Ive always had an adult terrier to show any pups the ropes, and to be honest when i thought about it...how do you teach a pup to go into the bush alone, locate and chase bunnies, throw its voice if you want it to? He knows about training it NOT to go to ground.

So how will he do it without any older terriers available?

MOLL.

get a rabbit skin and let it rag it? maybe that will help it realise what it has to do.with the smell?