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Using a dog like a ferret?


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6 hours ago, All-terrain said:

I know a few lads with ferret dogs,couple use them with hawks, one lad has dug everything with one of he's, little Jack Russel x Chihuahua I think they are, atb At

So not a completely bonkers idea then! I imagine a dog would be more easily persuaded to come back to the surface than a ferret? If dogs were sold by weight I would get one right now?

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Get your self a PlayStation like the rest of the fantisits.

It's not exactly common though is it and would be near impossible to get the right dog. It's just bad advice telling an inexperienced person to go down that path and end up wasting time and money on  

Don't waste your time looking because there is a lot of small dogs that can't get up to a fox never mind a rabbit. If they could then nobody would bother keeping stinking ferrets. Get yourself a terri

31 minutes ago, Attaboy said:

So not a completely bonkers idea then! I imagine a dog would be more easily persuaded to come back to the surface than a ferret? If dogs were sold by weight I would get one right now?

It still won't do anything under ground that a ferret can't do better. If it gets stuck trying to get up tight tubes after young rabbits you could end up with a dead dog. To get a breed small enough it would have to be something like a chihuahua or yorkie and you will do well to find one of them that will get their paws dirty let alone enter a dark earth. The answer is yes it is a completely bonkers idea.??

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4 hours ago, All-terrain said:

Thing is though mate I know lads who have them and they are happy with them, the dogs are not daft either, I usually bump into a lad on my daily walk who has one about 12 yrs old he's worked with hawks since a pup, then there's other lads I know who have them for bushing and bolting rabbits to hawk gun or lurcher, I'm sure all out the same dogs,they won't get down the tightest of holes but they fit in most, I'm sure treehands has put a pic up of one on here before out ratting, milly I think her name is, up for it aswell the little fuckers haha if treehands reads this he might put pic up, atb At

It's not exactly common though is it and would be near impossible to get the right dog. It's just bad advice telling an inexperienced person to go down that path and end up wasting time and money on  a string of dogs that won't do the job. They might be fine for bushing but how good are they at going to ground after rabbits and what can they do down there in tight pipes that a ferret wouldn't do the job better. My advice would be to get a terrier for bushing and bolting them from cover and marking holes and use a ferret for below the ground..

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9 minutes ago, All-terrain said:

Just told ye a few lads I know have them jiggy, cracking little dogs aswell, I'm not telling anybody to go out and get one, the thread asked if anybody uses them I just replied that's all, wont bother in future At

While their are some good replies to this thread either side of the debate, it seems that even discussing doing anything differently is a hanging offence for some. 

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39 minutes ago, Attaboy said:

While their are some good replies to this thread either side of the debate, it seems that even discussing doing anything differently is a hanging offence for some. 

Not a hanging offence at all buddy.  I think you are taking me up wrong. Your first post asked would it be realistic or advisable and you said you were new to dogs. It is possible but very difficult and unnecessary. Why ask the question in the first place for advice and then when you dont get the answer you want try turn the tables on someone trying to help you. Forget about it and best of luck with your chihuahua or tea cup yorkie. Learn the hard way and waste 10 years like most other people did until they learned off of people that thought them better. Most of us have made many mistakes but were willing to listen to other opinions off of older men that thought us all a thing or 2 and more.

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On 17/04/2018 at 03:27, W. Katchum said:

I’m sure they still come in about 7 or 8lb, not sure about where you guys stay but all places iv rabbited in U.K. you have no chance ferreting them out with 7lb dog no matter now long it is??

I was out with owd superted once ferreting, I had Mushroom that black and white terrier I used to have, with us.... the damn thing dug right into a warran in a few mins and was about 6 foot deep when we opened it up ?

Couldn't see the cnut from the entrance at all, just hear frantic digging and yips coming out ?

If I remember correctly he was around 9kg

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1 hour ago, All-terrain said:

Just told ye a few lads I know have them jiggy, cracking little dogs aswell, I'm not telling anybody to go out and get one, the thread asked if anybody uses them I just replied that's all, wont bother in future At

I'm not criticising anybody that has done it but those lads must of really known their game. We all want these dogs that do all sorts of things but they don't come along that often. If 1 in a hundred dogs could do it then it's a big gamble to take but if you don't do the lotto then you can't win. ? It's a bit like the way border terriers have gone, I'm sure there is some good ones out there and good men working them but for somebody not in the click you could fill a couple of wheelie bins with them before you get what you want.

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2 hours ago, jiggy said:

Not a hanging offence at all buddy.  I think you are taking me up wrong. Your first post asked would it be realistic or advisable and you said you were new to dogs. It is possible but very difficult and unnecessary. Why ask the question in the first place for advice and then when you dont get the answer you want try turn the tables on someone trying to help you. Forget about it and best of luck with your chihuahua or tea cup yorkie. Learn the hard way and waste 10 years like most other people did until they learned off of people that thought them better. Most of us have made many mistakes but were willing to listen to other opinions off of older men that thought us all a thing or 2 and more.

Sorry mate, that comment wasn't aimed at you or the other sensible, level headed and experienced people advising me here, but at the insulting idiots who are unwilling to even discuss doing things differently.

I have nothing against doing things the traditional way and will probably end up getting a couple of ferrets and maybe a terrier to flush to my lurcher but first I need to get out with someone to get some insight. Trouble is, once I get an idea in my head... Still may end up with that teacup chihuahua ?!

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5 minutes ago, Attaboy said:

Sorry mate, that comment wasn't aimed at you or the other sensible, level headed and experienced people advising me here, but at the insulting idiots who are unwilling to even discuss doing things differently.

I have nothing against doing things the traditional way and will probably end up getting a couple of ferrets and maybe a terrier to flush to my lurcher but first I need to get out with someone to get some insight. Trouble is, once I get an idea in my head... Still may end up with that teacup chihuahua ?!

No problem and best of luck. I don't think it has much got to do with been traditional but more to do with been practical and what works in general. Things are evolving all the time so traditional isn't always best but sometimes can be. The days of using strings and bells on ferrets are long gone as is pulling their teeth out with pliers so they won't kill rabbits under ground and have to be dug too. Locater boxes and collars are a perfect example of modern but practical and have completely revolutionised the sport in a good way and far less losses of ferrets which can only be a good thing.?

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2 minutes ago, jiggy said:

No problem and best of luck. I don't think it has much got to do with been traditional but more to do with been practical and what works in general. Things are evolving all the time so traditional isn't always best but sometimes can be. The days of using strings and bells on ferrets are long gone as is pulling their teeth out with pliers so they won't kill rabbits under ground and have to be dug too. Locater boxes and collars are a perfect example of modern but practical and have completely revolutionised the sport in a good way and far less losses of ferrets which can only be a good thing.?

Yep, taking the best from tradition and the best from modern innovation. Life is a balancing act.

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5 hours ago, All-terrain said:

Same could be said about terriers,lurchers and wheelie bins mate, all I know is is there's little ferret dogs out there that deserve as much credit as any other working dog,and the men that have them wouldn't swap them for anything, ill try get a little video next season of one or two working might open ye eyes a bit,atb At

Seen pics of those little dogs you talk of At, last time I was out with Th ,  not my cup of tea but they serve a purpose for the lads that have em,proper little grafters?think there's pics of them on his ratting thread :thumbs:

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7 hours ago, All-terrain said:

Same could be said about terriers,lurchers and wheelie bins mate, all I know is is there's little ferret dogs out there that deserve as much credit as any other working dog,and the men that have them wouldn't swap them for anything, ill try get a little video next season of one or two working might open ye eyes a bit,atb At

Again I never said they didn't exist. What I said was they are not common and difficult to come by. Best of look to anyone that does have them.

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