Neal
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Everything posted by Neal
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The old kelpie in my avatar is fifteen. He's had trouble getting around, off and on, for several years thanks to an earlier rta. However, he's still happy; some days he'll walk to the wood; some days he'll just pop to the corner shop; sometimes he can only manage a short bimble around the garden to empty himself...but, as I said, he's still happy and he's given me more than I'll ever be able to repay so he can bimble about as long as he wants as far as I'm concerned.
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Completely agree with the above comment re staying polite (and having well behaved dogs). I gained my permission by asking two men with shotguns who had the sporting rights as I was interested in helping out with a bit of ferreting. One of them told me the farms were owned by the local pheasant shoot so, presuming they'd have any pest control already covered, I said thanks anyway and went on my way with my kelpie trotting along obediently by my side. I was then called back by one of them who turned out to be the tenant farmer who immediately gave me some permission thanks to my politeness and
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That makes sense...thanks everybody!
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Now I'm even more confused! Does the number refer to a particular measurement e.g. width?
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My wilko has two sizes, is it the larger or smaller? I've tried both and find the smaller ones more accurate for target practice but thought I'd check.
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I nearly had to write his eulogy today. Took him for a walk in the wood this morning and he was off mooching about in front of me as we were walking parallel to the road when I heard a screech of brakes, a yelp of pain and a car accelerating quickly. My immediate thought was, "Noggin!" but he reappeared a second later looking as happy as usual so I presumed another dog had been hit. I clicked my fingers to lay him down on the footpath and went to the edge of the wood where I could hear somebody calling out, "Your dog's been hit!" I went out, presuming he was shouting to somebody else to s
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Thanks Jigsaw; as I said early days yet but I'll keep you updated with how he gets on. Although I've only seen about half a dozen rabbits on my farms in the last few years, he put up a hare from a hedgerow last week. We were both on the wrong side and he was racing back and forth trying to find a spot where he could get through (despite being built like a tank he hasn't developed Rusty and Scout's slug-like capabilities for getting into confined spaces yet). It was making so much noise getting out that I was expecting a roe or fox until I glimpsed, through gaps in the hedge, a rabbit...un
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...and another. He's turning into a lovely dog; having a bit of a juvenile delinquent stage at the moment but I'm sure he'll grow out of it. He's far more relaxed and easy going than Scout due to the different bloodlines and is far more like old Rusty who made it to fifteen at the end of November. I'm without ferrets at the moment as my little piece of permission is slowly being swallowed up by concrete but he finally saw his first rabbit a couple of days ago which he winded and put up himself. Early days yet but he's certainly fun to have around and he's the kind of dog that makes every
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Well, that's weird! All those times I tried to put a photo of Noggin up as a pup and nothing happened and I've just tried again out of the blue and it worked. He's about ten months old in this photo; 22" and 40lbs. I did have him posed perfectly but then he noticed a herd of longhorn cattle in the field behind me.
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Apart from the dogs I almost always ferreted alone; I think I've only been out in company maybe a handful of times. That suits me down to the ground. I can go out and come back when I want and my dogs are too polite to tell me how crap I am at setting nets or digging...and they won't come on here after and tell you lot about all the ones we missed because of my mistakes.
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Congratulations! One thing to add re hosepipe that I don't think was mentioned above...it's not so much a case of literally (and liberally) hosepiping a dog but rather giving it a sudden shock. I've used the hosepipe set up through the bars as others have suggested but I don't think I've ever got a dog wet more than once. They're too clever to stand in the spot where they got wet. It's just a sudden blast of water in their environment which suddenly stops them from barking. I've heard of people doing similar with a tin can full of nuts etc dropped on the floor i.e. sudden noise which takes
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My best man was my kelpie...only individual I trusted implicitly...and who I could guarantee not to get me drunk, handcuff me to a lamppost and shag a bridesmaid! He also remembered both rings!
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I've just set up my Heath Robinson anti-barking device using the garden hose and now the cold snap means it won't work as the pipe is frozen. D'oh! Fortunately, having three kelpies, their feet are ok on anything from frozen ground to sun-baked clay and building site remains!
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All mine have gone straight onto chicken wings and turkey necks as soon as I've brought them home at eight weeks or so. Gives them a great work out at that age but within months it's just crunch, gulp, crunch, gulp...finished!
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What To Feed Dog On Holiday?
Neal replied to Country Joe's topic in Working Dog Health & Training Talk
From experience, I wouldn't temporarily switch a dog to complete for eight days after years of raw. I tried this once and they were loose for days. I've since found it easier to just find any form of meat in a local shop or supermarket. -
A school friend of mine was shot by somebody with a catapult. The doctor said that the only thing which saved his eyes was that he was wearing glasses which smashed and peppered all around his eye but effectively slowed the impact.
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I've had a few from him over the years (though not for a couple of years now as my little piece of permission is being slowly swallowed up by housing etc). I could never remember his number but always found it again in the local freeads paper. If I find it I'll let you know...he's a nice chap to deal with.
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I used to be a slow, methodical net setter until I went out with Phil Lloyd once (hope you don't mind me name dropping Phil) and he advised me that the less time I spend faffing about the less time I spend potentially making a racket as, no matter how quiet I thought I was, the rabbits undoubtedly thought otherwise. I then took that advice one step further and only netted up easier holes which allowed more runs for the kelpies. Wise words.
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Curiosity, How The Hell Did Moles Get There?
Neal replied to Tiercel's topic in Snaring, Trapping & Pest Control
While on holiday in Devon several years ago, my wife and I went to the Dartington Cider Press and saw one wandering around above ground on the grass verge near the car park. In this case it was still on grass and near its original hole but it was out for ages. It ended up with a ring of about three dozen people standing watching it bimble around for at least a quarter of an hour. Wonderful sight. -
I remember hearing about someone who was once accused of lamping...while walking their Staff with a normal hand torch. I was also pulled over once while walking between Torver and Coniston with a lurcher at heel and an old gas-mask bag over my shoulder and was asked what was in the bag. To this this day I regret not saying, "half a roe buck and a dozen rabbits," or, even better, refusing to say so that I could waste his time back at the station...and then reveal a tin of oil pastels and a sketchbook!
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As has been said now several times...great thread...good to see such a positive slant on this "type" of dog. Thanks to a lot of lurcher books and articles in the 80s and 90s we were all led to believe that in order to hunt x,y or z you needed to have a dog with particular percentages of particular breeds. You were "allowed" to own others if you really insisted but you might start certain people tutting. So, reading a thread like this, it's good to hear so many accepting (or realising...not sure which word fits best here) that what you really want/need is a dog that does what you want/need.
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Lots like that around here too; long section of them between Portsmouth and Chichester; my son even asks if we can go past "the rabbit roundabout" when we drive home from work.
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I wouldn't agree with the idea that heelers are lacking in intelligence though I would agree with the comments on their rather rough and ready style of working; this is why so many Australian cattle men are now moving over to kelpies as they want to get the stock there in one piece and in a calmer manner.
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Can't edit my previous post as I'm on my wife's tablet. Just tried to search for the stud I mentioned above and red heeler pup has just been added to pets4homes for rehoming. Five and a bit months old and £500.
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I think ads in the Farmers' Guardian are expensive so he might be better off keeping an eye out for ads in the paper itself...that's how I found my first kelpie. I also remember seeing an ad for a working heeler at stud but can't remember where...if I remember I'll put it up.
