Dogs And Ferrets

[terryd 8,042]

Does any one find there dogs act different in the yard with the ferrets compared to working. My dog now will be 4 in march and has been around them since a pup. They are in the back yard in the hutch or run and his seen them every single day. In the winter at least so far his been perfect. Its like his in work mode and knows they are tools to do the job. He does every thing right in the field and steps back out the way and ignores them.

In the summer then to keep the familiarity going when I clean them out and let them run around the yard. He waits by the door and wants to come out and then ignores them for the most part but will look at them and have a whine or follow them around and nudge them now and again. I noticed tonight when one turned around and faced him his old lip went up a bit.

I bought a new ferret in a couple of years ago and he would single that one out of the three and follow it every where. Took him ages to treat it like the rest. So basically letting him out in the yard has the opposite affect of what I want

He all ways gives me the feeling he would love to chop them and the only reason he won't is he knows it wouldn't go down well. Bloody hard work some times

 

 

that was couple of years ago he doesn't get excited like that any more. Just follows them about

Edited June 19, 2017 by terryd

[The one 8,397]

the old lurcher will work along beside the ferrets all day without a second look at them but if you pile up the rabbits and a ferret crawls across them she will growl at them shes jealous as feck of her rabbits

[rabbit demon 301]

Got a beddy whippet bitch and one jill that have tore into each other a couple of times in the back garden. Never been any problems when out ferreting. Thought the jill was just a fecker around dogs but recently I got a terrier and she plays with all the ferrets with no grief at all. The wee lurcher has given a couple of the ferrets a shake for going near her empty food or water bowl or sticking their nose in her kennel. Shes shook them but never hurt one badly yet. Just more a warning to them to stay away from her stuff, Yet two other jills she plays with and doesnt mind. The rest of my ferrets dont even exist to her. Shes good with wee kits and my daughter even has her rabbits running around the dog and she doesnt bother them either. Yet a ferret she has worked with all her days and still works with and they want to tear lumps out of each other.

[rabbit demon 301]

So basicly my bitch catches rabbits and works fine with the ferrets but when she gets homes she ignores rabbits and gone for the ferrets. Yeah she acts differently.

[Aussie Whip 3,827]

Two of my ferrets were bottle fed after the mother died.My little whippet cross bitch mothered the young kits and guarded them.I swear they think she's the mother.In work mode when hunting.play together at home.One of the cats thought they'd join in the other day,with the two now big hobs almost killing it.Dog didn't get involved,just looked on amused.She's from an old line of ferreting dogs.

[tsteve9999 456]

I try to keep the collie cross from being too friendly because he'd be racing round having a game with them if he got half a chance.

My other dog is a big hard thing that has taken just about everything there is to take around here at one time or another and he won't go near a ferret unless we're working. To see him bounce away whenever one comes by him is really funny at times, he's like an old woman lifting her skirt and running for the hills.

Both of them work well with ferrets and I've never had a worry that there might be an "accident".

[terryd 8,042]

I had the two kits in the yard yesterday and the dog with the old grey hound muzzle on in case. All was fine until the kit being a kit came bounding up and started trying to play. Then the old dog got a bit too keen so I put a flea in his ear. He pisses me right off at times lol. Took him for a walk then and he put up 2 rabbits nearly had the one. Then hit a line and went off like a fox hound across a marsh. Walking back then down the the road he started pointing at the hedge and just followed a rabbit along the hedge before marking it to ground. I was walking back then thinking well his a right pain in the arse but dam he can find stuff. Not sure which i would prefer a more laid back sort or this keen as mustard do or die type nutter. Never a dull moment any way

Hard to be leave the same dog a few months ago I could leave to mind his side of the hedge a 100%. We really need to get back ferreting

 

Edited June 26, 2017 by terryd

[tsteve9999 456]

My 2 are polar opposites, I can take the collie x anywhere and be sure there will not be a problem and I can take the old dog anywhere once...lol

At my age I'm starting to think I prefer the collie, though he will never be anything more than a rabbit dog, but I doubt I will ever bond with him as well as I do with the old un.

A perfect example of the difference happened yesterday. For the past couple of months I've begun to let both dogs out of the car when we get back from a walk as opposed to what I should do and put Mouse the old dog on the lead.

It's no more than 5 yards to the front door but he saw a cat under next doors car and all hell broke loose till it managed to clear a 6 foot gate 3 doors down, right in front of a neighbour.

[terryd 8,042]

I am the same as you but even though its only a few yards from the boot to the gate I pretty much all ways have his lead.Because from the boot he can see over the wall plus he uses his snout. I can pass a cat now on lead but I know my dog lol. We might get there one day

Noticed its just the coloured kit that has his attention with a sly look now and again. The other kit is white though god knows why that matters. But he is coming even if I have to sit in the yard for an hour every night. We all ways get there in the end