Maximus Ferret

Used to work in a stables myself and enjoyed it as much as any job. I bottomed out looseboxes and got horses ready to ride but got to ride top class horses myself when their owners didn't have time to keep them exercised. Getting paid for riding was great, I'd have done it for nothing at that time.

Apart from the coat they look similar. What made you choose the smooth Davo?

Maybe, but not today it isn't

If it was me and I'd gone over the whole leg and foot including the shoulder, and couldn't find any swelling or warm place or sore bit, I'd rest him completely for a few days and only take him out to empty himself on a leash. If that didn't sort it I'd seek professional help. Best of luck with it. Those hard to trace lamenesses can be annoying. (with the hot weather and all check for cracked pads under his feet and if you've been doing roadwork, for thin spots in the skin of his toe pads. These would show as tiny smooth circles near the front of his toe pads)

When you're ready to step it up I'll lend you me jet ski.

I'd like to try a half cross beardie at some point, just to make my own mind up on it.I've a feeling I'd do well with it. After a lifetime of mainly collie crosses I've seen some good and one or two almost useless but by now I seem to gel with them and get enthusiasm from them.

I'm 62 and if I didn't have my son and daughters dogs to look after, as well as my own two, I'd have wanted one from scottish hare hunters first litter from the deer cross bitch. I'd have the work for it too as my collie cross is getting on a bit now.

Don't let age stop you mate. Just keep reasonably fit and avoid getting fat and you should have another 20 years of mischief in you at least.

I've only got experience of one and she's fine. Quiet and well behaved in the house and in the field. Only thing I'd fault is she's a bit "careful" when after foxes but I don't hunt them deliberately these days. Every border cross I've owned bar one has taken them naturally. Actually, now I think of it she was a bit sensitive about electric fences for a while and that's annoying here because most rabbits live in stone walls which are lined both sides with shock wires. When she was younger she twice struck at rabbits and got her mouth round a wire so can't blame her really. It's a wonder she still chases at all Anyway she's over it now and she's right handy to me as a nose dog hunting woodland and still gets plenty rabbits on the lamp.

It was a litter of threequarter border collie and a quarter greyhound. A couple of people on here had pups.

I wouldn't know as I never saw one run but the people on Colliecurs that owned them liked them as workers. (So far as I can tell from looking at the site they no longer have Alex but do have a son of his by a sister of Delboy, woody etc.)

Of course the breeding matters or you could catch hares with a yorkie. Any successful man holding a lead has an appropriately bred dog on the other end, no matter how good he is at training. As a rule the better the breeding the easier the success.

You need to start with about threequarters of what it would eat if it had the chance to stuff itself then adjust the amounts until it holds weight with the exercise it gets. Best to wash out the dishes after they eat too, especially in this weather.

The dog Alex had great feedback as a sire of workers on "Colliecurs" forum.