Kids And Lurchers. How Did It Start ?

[Dewclaw69 484]

Its my 8th bithday and there;s a knock at the door. In comes my uncle, mothers brother with his 2 dogs, a blue beddy whippet dog and a sandy beddy whippet bitch. He used to come round a fair bit and i'd already spent time out ferreting with him and loved his dogs. He was a big blunt sort of bloke, shaved head, and never seen without his denim jacket, jeans and dealer boots. I really looked up to him.

out of his jacket he pulls a pup. Happy birthday he says turns round and leaves.

That's it i have lurcher at 8. He was black, broken coated and a white chest, the runt of the litter. turns out it was a poor litter. Only 3 n the litter and the other 2 had liver disorders and died young

I can remember the grief it caused that day. Not sure which one was ok with it out of my mother and father but one obviously was as we kept it.

Shortly after he delivered a big old hob ferret complete with cage and a warning that "its keen and it bites"

never bit me but i can remember coming home from school one lunchtime with a mate to show him the ferret and dog. Next thing i know the neighbou'rs knocking on the door at tea time asking if i had a ferret. Yes why ? Its hanging off the nose of my alsation he says. I'd left the latch off the cage and the ferret had obviously made a bid for freedom. My old man gave me a right bo**ocking for that i remember

.

That was it , dog and ferret. I went missing at every opportunity and had a great childhood.

I went every where with that dog. He taught me ferreting. hard as nails he was, out in all weathers and i do remember my mother once trapping his tail in the car door so from about 4 he had a kinked tail. He was PTS at 16 when i was working away at 24 .

Can't ever remember walking the dog on a lead, he was good as gold .

I'm knocking 50 now and rarely have been without the company of a lurcher. Some better than others but none to beat that first one.

 

Any memorable stories about your kids getting introduced to lurchers ???

[green dragon 694]

I enjoyed reading that mate nice little story should be a good topic atb mate

[tb25 4,626]

Spot on that d I enjoyed that.

[carlton chase 37]

Great topic

[bird 9,587]

Spot on that d I enjoyed that.

+ 2 good read that , i was bought up around bull breeds and Heinz 57's from a kid, seen few lurchers before but most were kept by travellers etc when i was a kid . one day was walking a bullmastiff bitch i was in late 20s , and seen a bloke with what i thought was a greyhound chasing squirrels across a park , i watched this and thought great nice to see a fit/healthy dog doing these things. the bloke said it wasn't a greyhound but a lurcher collie x grey x saluki grey x? lol , anyway it was 27in brindle dog looked just like a greyhound. met him few more times and he said , come early and see if the dog catch a rabbit , well it did . and i got my own few months after that day , had them 30 odd years now . will always have one what ever the x, even i didn't work it, be just as pet they are loyal, healthy, cheap to buy compared to ped dogs , and most have good temps with people+ dogs, my 2 are soft natured dogs , my big dog daft as brush lol . i see a lot of rescue lurchers/ whippets by me, and being honest the dogs look happy enough running around playing etc , they love chasse my big dog it funny watching a 35 lb whippet doing it yep there great dogs to have around you

[Dewclaw69 484]

Cracking Pic that. Wish I'd took photos with my kids. All 4 have been out with me at some stage, ferreting, lamping and all have grown up watching and helping me clean and gut the catch. Thought my daughter would follow in my steps as she was the keenest out of the lot. She came out with me regularly from about 4 to 11 then the hormones kicked in . the youngest lad at 19 has been the most consistent and still lamps and shoots with me. He'll be getting a dog in a couple of months ( a beddy whippet x) the same one i started with.

[LeonWales 8]

Nice stories lad, my daughter is 2 and loves coming out with me and the dogs. She's only 2 and loves getting her wellies on and walking up the woods.

[lurchers 2,596]

 

 

Spot on that d I enjoyed that.

+ 2 good read that , i was bought up around bull breeds and Heinz 57's from a kid, seen few lurchers before but most were kept by travellers etc when i was a kid . one day was walking a bullmastiff bitch i was in late 20s , and seen a bloke with what i thought was a greyhound chasing squirrels across a park , i watched this and thought great nice to see a fit/healthy dog doing these things. the bloke said it wasn't a greyhound but a lurcher collie x grey x saluki grey x? lol , anyway it was 27in brindle dog looked just like a greyhound. met him few more times and he said , come early and see if the dog catch a rabbit , well it did . and i got my own few months after that day , had them 30 odd years now . will always have one what ever the x, even i didn't work it, be just as pet they are loyal, healthy, cheap to buy compared to ped dogs , and most have good temps with people+ dogs, my 2 are soft natured dogs , my big dog daft as brush lol . i see a lot of rescue lurchers/ whippets by me, and being honest the dogs look happy enough running around playing etc , they love chasse my big dog it funny watching a 35 lb whippet doing it yep there great dogs to have around you

I would be the same as you if I didn't work it then it would be a pet like you said,loyal,friendly good natured and friendly.ive said to people before who want a pet get a lurcher after they have seen how ours are.

[Declan. 318]

Don't remember large amounts about going out with my old man when I was young but the occasional day out on freezing sunny Sunday morning stood in the middle of the field waiting for my dad to slip the dog and watching this big solid lump of muscle run hares was and still is one of my best memories and I've been hooked ever since! although I have a saluki bull grey myself now I do remember my old mans collie grey he had off the man who can't be named (Hancock)haha before he turned into a puppy farmer big dog 28tts and a good old fashioned lurcher! but I do remember some nights during the summer months when I was about 4/5 being sat on his lap watching endless videos of the forley cup on the video cassettes of old and I used to love that music, still hear it in my head now!

[bmull 189]

im 44 i was brought up with them as me dad was a lurcher man colliexgh the only time ive never had one is when bringing up my girls

[bird 9,587]

 

 

Spot on that d I enjoyed that.

+ 2 good read that , i was bought up around bull breeds and Heinz 57's from a kid, seen few lurchers before but most were kept by travellers etc when i was a kid . one day was walking a bullmastiff bitch i was in late 20s , and seen a bloke with what i thought was a greyhound chasing squirrels across a park , i watched this and thought great nice to see a fit/healthy dog doing these things. the bloke said it wasn't a greyhound but a lurcher collie x grey x saluki grey x? lol , anyway it was 27in brindle dog looked just like a greyhound. met him few more times and he said , come early and see if the dog catch a rabbit , well it did . and i got my own few months after that day , had them 30 odd years now . will always have one what ever the x, even i didn't work it, be just as pet they are loyal, healthy, cheap to buy compared to ped dogs , and most have good temps with people+ dogs, my 2 are soft natured dogs , my big dog daft as brush lol . i see a lot of rescue lurchers/ whippets by me, and being honest the dogs look happy enough running around playing etc , they love chasse my big dog it funny watching a 35 lb whippet doing it yep there great dogs to have around you

I would be the same as you if I didn't work it then it would be a pet like you said,loyal,friendly good natured and friendly.ive said to people before who want a pet get a lurcher after they have seen how ours are.

 

yeh there's plenty at the rescue centres that need a good home, and most fit in to family life given time , same as greyhounds make nice pets . my 28 year old son got a rescue jack terrier (woody) lol I ve spoke about him before on here , he got more life in him than my 2 wimpy lurchers, bloody Buck my big dog scared of him, he bit Buck tail lol, and soon put him in his place .lol yeh you wont beat a lurcher as pet

[Wales1234 5,424]

My uncle brought me into it he's my nans brother and I was always like that side of the family total opposite to my brother!! Nagged and nagged to go out hunting from a kid so when i was 6 I went for the first time ferrets terriers and lurchers loaded and I was chucked in the back of the van with them , last thing my mother said don't you dare let him see any foxes !!

It felt like for ever in the van getting to the farm and I still

Go to that farm today !! There was a lurcher bitch called rose I use to tell everyone was mine there loved the dog to pieces a very hard bitch that day dug a fox and few rabbits I was hooked !! By 9 I was going up the mountain behind my uncles on my own caught my first fox and carried it all the way home and a hare few days later!! My uncle never lamped so didn't even know what that was till last few years ! My first hare as a young lad

[stevo79 569]

Well I'm gona chuck my 50ps worth in. About 20years ago my mum bought me my first dog a little jack russell called Toby. Well it was for me and me brother but he was my dog. Couldn't believe it when I got home from school, we lived in a pub at the time and my mum and dad were always busy so getting him was brilliant. I got home from school mum happened to be showing him off to the locals when I walked in. She said to me "what do think" I couldn't believe it! I was smiling like a Cheshire Cat. I scooped him up and went straight upstairs to my room. From that day on he came everywhere with me. There was a place local to us by the seafront called the warren which was full if rabbits hence its name and everyday well nearly everyday we went down there for hours. I could walk him without a lead he was a greatest little dog he followed me everywhere.I can remember as he got older he started ploughing through bushes which would make me panic a bit but over time I new he'd always come back and then I remember one time I heard loads of commotion going on a loud scream and bang!!!!there he was with a rabbit hanging out of his mouth.i couldn't believe I loved it. When I got home and told my mum home she didn't believe me. So next time it happened i took it home and she said didn't want it in the house lol.. But my nan said il have it!rabbits lovely, so my Nan's house became the place I took all my rabbits. I had so much fun being out with him he even slept in my bed. Sadly When i left home my mum said I couldn't have him which i was gutted about at the time. But I think she made the right decision really.When I went home to see them he went nuts and I'd always take him out for a run. Them days have always stuck with me and I've since. owned other dogs. But last year I thought do know what? I'm Geting a lurcher. I want to feel that buzz when out hunting with your dog. My mate has one and goes out all the time and I'm always interested in hearing about his hunting trips. After work one night I went to see a litter of beddy whippets and one ending up coming home with me. I walked up the drive and my mrs was washing up at the window and said!! What have you got under you coat and I said what do you think about that!!! And I plucked little blue out!!! I looked at her face thinking "please don't do ya nutt" and she said ahhhhhh I love him!! Thank god for that lol. That day we went and picked my son up from school with the pup in the car. His face when he saw him it was amazing. There best buddies now they love each other to bits .So now we got ourselves four ferrets and this year were gona start taking them out. All thanks to my jack russell, him showing me what dogs are really for. I'm sitting her writing this with our beddy whippet under my feet. Happy days!!!

Thanks everyone atb?

Edited September 11, 2015 by stevo79

[ivebeen 176]

Started taking my nephew out with the dogs(bulldog and terrier) at about 5 or 6 years old. Just chasing rabbits and the odd moggy or coyote chase. I still remember the first time he seen the dogs catch a rabbit. We entered the terrier into a brush pile and had the bulldog waiting back a few yards for a bolt. Well the terrier managed to grab one in the brushpile and draw it to the surface. At the sound of the bunny screaming I can still remember my nephew shouting "Uncle uncle, Grim caught a rabbit she got one!" His expression was priceless and I was darn proud to have introduced him to dogs and have success that afternoon with dogs i raised. Well Grim the terrier brought the bunny to the surface and I told my nephew "now take it easy, but pull her and the rabbit out and give her a lot of praise for doing her job" he proceeded to yank the dog and bunny out while screaming "good girl Grim, good girl!" And patting her on the head with the bunny still in her jaws. I could tell he was hooked from that moment, and he continues to ask to take the dogs out with me a few years later now. Attached is a picture of his first rabbit, and just a few more pics of him and the dogs over the years.

Now I have my own son who is only 1month 11days old and I cannot wait to take him out for some rabbit runs and coyote courses with the lurchers and whippets when he is old enough to sit on my shoulders for a few hours on a cold dark night or early frosty morning. The joys in seeing a young lad learn and enjoy dog work are immeasurable, and surpass the joy I first got when running the dogs all by myself. Not many greater gifts we can give to the younger generations than showing them the old ways and country living, especially when it comes to the dogs!

[Leesy 35]

First running dogs i encountered were whippets, my grandad was a well known whippet man from cumbria. He bred, worked and raced his dogs, and took me with him from the age of about 6. At aged 8 he gave me my very own little brindle bitch pup he'd bred himself. I thought my life was fulfilled

 

My mam would only let me go racing every other sunday as she made me go to sunday school on the sundays between!! I would sit in church drawing pictures of whippets, and if ever the rev asked if anybody had anything they wished to pray for i would put my hand up and say "help sally run faster", although grandad proclaimed she was one of the fastest he'd ever bred. The only big book i was interested i was my dog breed book. SLly was quick on a track, but lightening on a rabbit, and caught for fun whenever we took the dogs out for a mooch.

 

When i was 20 i moved out of home and went to a rescue centre and found my first lurcher, a shy little col/whip at 5 months old too nervous to come out of her kennel. I asked the lass working there to fetch her out, the little bitch came out, put her head on my knee as i sat on a bench and just looked me straight i the eye...i took her home immediatley. I have goose bumps now just thinking back

 

I'm 34 now and still have her, shes been a belting pal, always done everything i wanted her to and more, including chasing, catching (by the leg) some scum bag i was chasing after he robbed my mountain bike! Ha ha, thats a day i'll always remember. She even lead me by her nose back to my tent in ireland when the 2 of us were on a road trip and i thought it a good idea to taked a drunken walk across the countryside by night and lost my way!!

 

These days i also have a 16 month 2nd gen lurcher dog too whos entering his first real season this year. My 9 year old son isnt really interested but my 10 month daughter is all over the dogs like a rash, shes just like i was, found her feet holding onto the dog. Hopefully she'll be out with me in her wellies next year.