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skycat

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Everything posted by skycat

  1. skycat
    If you are not vastly experienced then stick with getting one dog until you know that dog inside out. Getting an adult dog is fraught with dangers: there are very few really decent dogs for sale as adults, and most will carry the baggage of mishandling or lack of training. If you are very lucky and drop on one that is a genuine animal for sale through no fault of its own, how will you know that? Unless you see a dog out in the field then you have no way of knowing if it is any good/responsive/well trained or able to do the job you want it to do. A dog can look very nice, calm, obedient in the
  2. skycat
    Great photo: stunning pup.
  3. skycat
    Just browsing and found this thread: really, really good photos and 'how to' instructions. Please can a mod pin this ... it deserves it.
  4. skycat
    Superb photos.
  5. skycat
    Looks like you had fun anyway: gutted I couldn't make it. A bit of ratting's a whole lot of fun for the dogs.
  6. skycat
    Get someone to hold dog's mouth open, use a small torch to see what it is: get a pair of pliers to remove object, so long as it isn't embedded in the dog's flesh, in which case vet trip, though I'd have thought something actually piercing the flesh would be bothering it a lot more than you say it is.
  7. skycat
    Massive heart compared to heart size in other mammals of similar size equals more blood pumping round to oxygenate muscles to keep the hare running for longer and faster, though a rabbit over a short distance is probably as fast or faster than a hare: rabbits just can't sustain speed for very long though. Tiny hearts in comparison to a hare. Rabbits are white meat, so show that they don't have the same quantity of blood pumping through their veins; equals less stamina. Spring loaded hind legs help as well in both rabbit and hare: bit like if you strapped on those powerisers/jumping stilts.
  8. skycat
    Which direction your kennel will face depends on the prevailing wind. It's a good idea to study the area for a few weeks. For example, our prevailing wind comes from the west, but this isn't the coldest wind: that comes from the east, so our kennels have their backs to the east: this way they also get a fair amount of sun during the afternoon as well. I would only put kennels facing south if the area is not a sun trap: can get very hot in the summer in our yard, even with west facing kennels, so dogs need shade during the hottest part of the day. In very hot weather we hang those split bamboo
  9. skycat
    Have a read: I just Googled this: http: //www.ourdogs.co.uk/News/2009/June2009/News050609/lungworm.htm http://www.dogheartworm.org/dog-heartworm-symptoms.php
  10. skycat
    So sad to read this. You did the right thing putting him to rest before the disease ruined his quality of life completely. That is the hard decision to make: when to do it. Good on you for doing it when you did, though much harder I know.
  11. skycat
    Wonder why they did it so short. Or was the entire tail infected? Just wondering.
  12. skycat
    On the radio there was some explosives/bomb disposal expert who said that it was more likely to be 'home grown' bombers, meaning less likely to be Al Qaeda, as the white smoke produced by the blast was more like a gunpowder type explosive, which has less of a range and is less powerful than the high explosive devices they use as a rule. This also meant that most of the blast was absorbed by the people close to it, which whilst very damaging to those close by, meant that there were less fatalities spread over a wide area. Just repeating what I heard.
  13. skycat
    Very occasionally a pup may have a genuinely inbred nervous temperament, but nervous pups are far more likely to be like this because they haven't had the necessary socialising at the CORRECT age. If the pup is not properly socialised BEFORE it reaches the age of 16 weeks, it has passed the window of opportunity where it can grow the correct brain connections which allow it to accept/understand/cope with new dogs, places, people, things. That all sounds a bit scientific, but it is true. So it is VERY important indeed to get the pup out as early as possible. Once you hit 4 or 5 months, th
  14. skycat
    Yes, chewing on stones, chewing to get through things will do that: good pic CG Knew a dog that had worn all its teeth down like that chewing on concrete trying to get out of its run. Also the canine teeth had a semi circle worn out of the back of them where the dog had been pulling on wire all the time with its teeth. Poor thing: was owned by a fool who never got it out enough, taking his other dogs out and leaving that one in the pen on its own. Wanker
  15. skycat
    Seen a crow standing on a tiny baby rabbit, pecking at the back of its neck: fresh out of the nest by the look of it. When the crow saw me it tried to fly off with the rabbit, but couldn't quite get it clear of the ground in time. I had to kill the rabbit as its neck was shredded and the spine exposed. Crows are nasty buggers, and clever with it.
  16. skycat
    Together with folded back or lowered ears the 'smile' is a sign of submission. The ears, and often the tail, give the clue as to whether or not the dog is being aggressive: high tail, erect ears plus showing teeth mean aggression. The 'smile' is more of a pulling back of the lips rather than just crinkling them up.
  17. skycat
    Im sure we could come to an arrangement Darryl I'll have to write it first! Seriously though, I'm heavily into post apocalyptic stuff: can you imagine a world covered in mist 99% of the time? Spooky!
  18. skycat
    Awesome: especially the first one. I'd love to use that as a book cover for a novel. It is totally surreal
  19. skycat

    Oneredtrim

    skycat replied to gnasher16's topic in General Talk

    I think he stopped coming on here. He was very good at the dog psychology thing, and training: that's the one isn't it? I did have his email address but have since changed internet provider so I can't contact him. shame. Interesting bloke.
  20. skycat
    It's been re-published by my publisher, with new photos in it I believe: http://www.skycatpublications.com/pages/titles/A%20Bird%20in%20the%20Hand.html
  21. skycat
    Get it out and about as soon as its had its jabs. I take pups out from 10 weeks old, put them in a bag and carry them when they get tired to begin with. Nothing beats early exposure to the hunting environment. Just be careful that a keen pup doesn't end up stuck in a bramble or hole! Keep a close eye on a young pup, let it wander about following its nose, meeting other dogs if you can, let it learn about nettles, brambles etc. Play lots of games with it: with a rabbit skin dummy. Let the pup see you as the avenue to all the fun it has. Pups are just like kids: the more you engage with them, t
  22. skycat
    Corny, but made me smile too.
  23. skycat
    They wouldn't have softer paws if they got correct exercise every day. Dogs don't exactly run for miles sat in a kennel any more than they do sat in a house.
  24. skycat
    If you are not sure exactly what the dog is suffering from, don't rely on answers on the internet from people who haven't even seen a photo of the dog. A correct diagnosis can only be made by someone who examines the dog in the flesh. And yes, sulphur dips are very useful. As is sulphur ointment/creme. Pity that Nu Stock isn't easily available in this country: brilliant stuff, even though it does smell a bit As has already been said, Ivermectin can be dangerous to some dogs with Collie in their breeding. If in doubt, see a vet first!
  25. skycat
    I've only ever used one on one terrier: it took two shocks as she ignored the recall: at around 10 months of age. She is now nearly 4 years old and still comes back instantly to the call or whistle, never had to shock her since. Happy dog, hunts like a demon, but comes out of cover when I call (unless she is tight on something or course). That quick shock saved me and her a total breakdown in our relationship, and avoided me getting stroppy with her, but more to the point, she never associated the shock with me. She's not a particularly intelligent dog either, with a typical terrier attitude
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