Neal
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Everything posted by Neal
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Effective Hunting Setups , Beginners Guide ( Discussion)
Neal replied to a topic in Catapult & Slingshot Hunting
Hope nobody minds a post from the opposite direction i.e. from a novice asking questions. As I've said, I'm a complete novice but, after a lot of reading on here plus watching a few videos, I'm very intrigued by the Simpleshot Scout. Although part of me thinks it's a bit daft to import one from the States when there are so many already available here I also can't help noticing one main positive. The fact that I AM a complete novice means I currently have no idea which grip suits me best, which orientation etc and the Scout, by it's very nature, allows for a lot of experimentation in this r -
I had two pairs of muck boots and, although comfy, warm and dry, I also found that they wore out quickly and I fell over a lot (non-alcohol related!). I swapped to the grubbs stalker and it's just as warm, comfy and dry but lasts longer and I stay vertical. Not as comfy as leather boots but there's a lot of clay around here so my usual woodland walks can be almost completely underwater in mid-winter.
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Cage Trapping Rats,then What?
Neal replied to forest of dean redneck's topic in Snaring, Trapping & Pest Control
I've rarely had to worry about my aim with the ones I've trapped in my garden...they usually try to get hold of the end of the barrel. Someone else told me about it and I thought they were winding me up. Not all of them, but a fair percentage. -
Oops...I think I've got some here. One's been in my garden room for several years (or its descendants have) and this year I've noticed one on the ceiling of the kids play room! My two and a half year old daughter loves them. I have an insect book (Collins pocket guide, Insects of Britain and Western Europe) with the usual non-insect section at the back and I thought I'd found it there as steatodea paykulliana. It says "Female bite said to be poisonous to humans." However, I've just looked it up on t'internet and that species isn't found in UK but is close relative of false widow...so mine
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Mine's an anagram...I'm actually a twenty four year old make up technician in Debenhams called Lena.
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Gaz, I think that what Tiercel's trying to say is that they don't understand words in the same way as us. They know what we mean when we say, "sit" or "get off the sofa" but you could just as easily teach them to sit by saying "stand" or "brussel sprouts," as long as the continual association is in place.
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I'm with mattyg on this one...you're much better off with a crap dog because then every catch is a bonus!
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When mine were blasted it was (I think I remember correctly) with targeted sound waves. You have to lay motionless for about three quarters of an hour and the "ping", which was roughly twice per second, felt like relentless attack with an elastic band. When it had finished and I was given a paper towel to wipe off the gel, there was a red stain on it...the sound waves had actually broken the skin!
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...but the pain will pass (like the blood) and you won't have to save up to send them through university.
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Yokel: I'd forgotten that...when I had my first attack I thought it was my appendix too.
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I was at work when I passed one of mine. In the school where I worked, the gents toilet doubled up as the disabled toilet (no sarcy comments from the ladies please) and I'd got in the habit of gripping the hand rail every time I passed water as it shifted the stone slightly. On this occasion I braced myself, felt a sudden intense pain then the release of pain but it took a moment to register that no wee had come out...then..."ting!" the stone hit the pan. I was so excited I borrowed a pair of nappy changing gloves from the nursery to fish it out!
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Yes...absolute agony. The guy who treated me for two of mine (sound waves which blast them into smaller pieces) said they're the male equivalent of pregnancy. He said a female colleague of his had kidney stones and also went through pregnancy and that the stones were worse. However, never repeat any of that in front of women...I get shot down in flames every time I mention it! One of mine was stuck on the way out so had to be removed. I presumed they meant by cutting a hole...but I was wrong...they used its intended route but with a helping pull from a little metal device...my eyes
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I find it makes more sense to trust the dogs than berate them for not trusting me. Having said that mine are kelpies and, in order to keep them as kelpies, it's best to trust their superior knowledge for fear of turning them into collies. Not a criticism of collies I hasten to add...simply that I bought kelpies for several reasons and the main one was their ability to work unaided and it's possible to turn them off work by continually telling them that you know best. I've known cases where kelpies will say, "Sod it: if you think you're so clever mate then do it yourself!"
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I agree with Casso and Tiercel...I like mine to do exactly what they're told...but before I tell them!
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Guide Dogs for the Blind, Police dogs and a lot of shepherds etc take on older dogs and they all bond with new owners well enough. However, the main problem (if we're talking working qualities and baggage of lurchers) is knowing their history.
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Train Dog To Growl/bark On Command?
Neal replied to Robie_n's topic in Working Dog Health & Training Talk
I've got a huge German Shepherd a bit like that near me too Bob. I first met it early one morning in my local wood about six months ago when I heard a woman shouting in the dark for me to put my kelpies on a lead as "He's not been socialised," to which I replied, "That's ok: mine have been!" Then, a few weeks ago, the same thing happened...she obviously didn't recognise me in the dark...so I pointed out that using the excuse that he'd not been socialised wasn't that useful as she should have been doing something about it in the intervening months rather than only walking it in the dark. -
I tried lots of different things including old carpet, straw, wood shaving, duvets, sheets, towels etc but all ended up ripped to pieces or dragged into the run and sodden. After reading a thread on here, I swapped to vet-bed and it's worked fine (touch wood).
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My kids (aged 6 and 2) have a den in the back garden made after I trimmed back a laurel hedge and my son also loves making dinosaur nests in the local wood. Also...I think I may have mentioned this on here before...some older kids made a den in the local wood which backs onto my son's school and they turned it into a communal den so that people could add their own bits and bobs...they even had a visitors book!
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I had one of my kelpie bitches put down last year. She wasn't a bad dog and I don't think of myself as a bad owner...it was simply a case of bad timing. She was nearly ten and had always been a one man dog but her attachment to me intensified when I had children. If I'd been living on my tod, miles from anyone then she may have been fine, but she was living in the south east in a family home. I loved her a lot...but not as much as I love my kids.
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I completely agree with the above advice. I always prefer not to give food treats but have to admit that, on occasion and with certain pups, it's the only thing that's worked. However, I always endeavour to cut them out as soon as possible. With regards to turning the recall into a positive experience...I've had several times when it's taken ages of cajoling in my best cbeebies presenters voice to get a pup to come to me and then thought, "I've got to let it go again else it'll take even longer next time." I remember having to do this with my first kelpie bitch on her first trip outs
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Yeah...I guess that's why a combination of the two is popular...people trying to get the best of both worlds.
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From my very limited experience of comparing beardie to border blood within a lurcher...I'd say the main difference was that they're more likely to ignore a command if they think it's wrong. This is why I think some people say they're less obedient: it's not so much that they won't do as they're told but rather that, in my experience, borders and their crosses are more likely to do exactly what they've been asked. It just depends on whether you rate biddability over a dog with a mind of its own. Each has benefits and drawbacks.
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That's why I go ferreting with a kelpie...they're not fast enough to catch anything but they keep the cattle away from the nets! Only joking!
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It depends on the breeding. My seven year old bitch is very work orientated and has "the whippet shiver" when she's standing still, raring to get going. She's probably had the best working potential...but... I still prefer old Rusty. So much so that when I ordered a replacement for him, I did a lot of research into his pedigree and related dogs in order to find out where I felt his good temperament came from and then ordered a pup with ten lines to that dog. It's early days yet, but Noggin seems to be doing ok and I really like him...he's like a caricature of old Rusty. Sorry for interrupt
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Looking For Lurcher Pup To Be Assistance Dog
Neal replied to toobendy's topic in Lurchers & Running Dogs
From what I've seen of assistance dogs they don't tend to be from any particular breed, just individual dogs which show the right aptitude and gel well with a particular owner...I guess that's why waiting lists are so long. A friend of mine has two kelpie crosses and his wife uses their kelpie x collie as a hearing dog. Once again, it wasn't chosen specifically but just adapted to the role. Is it worth simply getting a pup you like and training it from scratch...sorry if that's a stupid comment but I have no idea what's involved in training them up. Good luck with whatever you choose!
