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Neal

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Everything posted by Neal

  1. Neal
    Aahhh...now I know why that smiley was on my post! Me...collie blindness...I've got kelpies!
  2. Neal
    Calm down...I was merely pointing out the disparity between the two points of view...sorry if it offended but I was just commenting on the fact that several people (not one, but several) feel that a certain type of breeding is unnecessary while others can devote whole threads to the same type.
  3. Neal
    Stabs...I must admit that as soon as I posted that I thought to myself, "Actually, I can think of two exceptions." I'd be very interested to find out how Dave's 3/4 kelpie 1/4 greyhounds are doing.
  4. Neal
    Is it just me, or does anybody else find it ironic that a) some on this thread are claiming that any litter produced would be surplus to requirements when he have regular threads asking for genuine collie crosses and some are also claiming that half (or more) collie is too much when, concurrently, there's a thread running extolling the merits of 3/4 collies? Each to their own, but if I had a good sheep or cattle dog which I knew inside out and access to an appropriate other half which I was confident would add what I wanted then I'd only buy one from elsewhere if I simply didn't want the
  5. Neal
    I'd agree with all the above who've said that the best form of heating is another dog! My three have a bed box which is roughly 4' x 3' with a piece of vetbed. I've tried putting loads of other things in with them but they just get rid of it. Mine also has the day bed above but I've never known them to use it.
  6. Neal
    I've heard several people say that squirrel's even better than rabbit...though you need more to make a decent sized pie!
  7. Neal
    My second lurcher was a 3/4 beardie/border 1/4 greyhound from David Hancock's third litter of Richard x Linnet. He had an amazingly thick coat and skin and a lovely easy-going character. The chap who owned him before me said he used to live retrieve peacocks from his neighbours' garden! Although I liked him a lot he wouldn't be any good to me now as his coat, while excellent for the Cumbrian winters when I owned him, would be too much for the sub-tropical south coast where I now live.
  8. Neal

    Mucky Court

    Neal replied to oxo's topic in Ferrets & Ferreting

    Even worse with one of those multi-level hutches! I found I had to time the cleaning out carefully ie too late and they said, "This corner's too messy; we'll go elsewhere," but too frequently and they didn't settle to using one spot. Had a cat litter tray in a corner which two hobs used but the other would kick it all out.
  9. Neal
    The polar ice caps are also melting...on Mars...do you think it's their hoovers?
  10. Neal
    If, like me, you're useless at D.I.Y., and decide to buy then I'd recommend Timberbuild. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive and great quality and service.
  11. Neal

    Threat Level

    Neal replied to marky b's topic in General Talk

    I completely agree with ZacB...that was the first thing I thought too.
  12. Neal
    Thanks Tomo...I did learn just after my Mum died in 2000 but failed three tests and didn't bother again. Partly because I remember Jeremy Clarkson saying that if you can't pass in three attempts you should give up and also because I moved to somewhere where driving to get the dogs out was no longer necessary but mainly because I really didn't enjoy driving! I've always found the journey as enjoyable as actually getting somewhere. Probably because neither of my parents drove growing up and we didn't have a holiday until my Mum remarried when I was about ten. When I went to Art College in
  13. Neal
    Thanks for all the advice/opinions/feedback!
  14. Neal
    Thanks for the ideas! While walking the kelpies this morning I did have another idea, similar to the one's, of palling up with somebody with ferrets but no dog. Both good ideas and still time to mull it over. I've still got my nets, locator, collars and carrying boxes but I'd need a new hutch/cub/court as I gave my last cub away to a neighbour for her son to use for his guinea pigs. Before I make a final decision I'll also have a chat with the farmer to see if he has any idea of timescale for the development.
  15. Neal
    The farms where I have permission are gradually being covered by a tide of concrete. My two jills died early last year and these two factors, combined with the birth of my second child last year made me decide not to get any more ferrets in the short term. However, my current pup is now six months old and looks destined to a future of free-lance bushing/raking about/mooching only. I'm torn between several options. I could wait until I get some more permission...though I'm a non-driver which is why I've always been happy with the small piece of permission I do have as, although it's sma
  16. Neal
    Only just seen this thread and the reference to "Dusty" on page 2. I remember watching that film years ago and had been trying to get a copy for years. I had one old copy on video taped from the tv but I lost it...it had The Sundowners on the same tape. It's recently been reissued as a DVD and my wife got me a copy last Christmas. The kelpies and dingoes in the film were all trained by Mary MCrabb and two of mine are descended from Dusty (Noggin has several lines to him).
  17. Neal
    Although there are various elements to consider...like nose, concentration span, willingness to work cover, ability to catch bolters...not everybody will necessarily be after the same ones. E.g. some people aren't bothered about the dog working cover as they may feel that this reduces the chances of it being on the outside in case of a bolt. Conversely, some may not be too fussed about speed because either they're relying on the nets or the nature of their ground means any bolters will only go a few yards. Personally, my list would include all of the above but the one thing I'd never compr
  18. Neal
    What's that quote that goes something like..."where violence begins, knowledge ends"...? I find that what works best for me and mine is to take a step back and give them, and myself, a bit more thinking time. One simple example is that when they take up all the lead when walking them, I simply stand still and don't move forwards until they step back towards me...it works much quicker than repeated...jerk, jerk, jerk.
  19. Neal
    I must be the odd one out...married coming up for nine years and never lost mine (touch wood). Mine's just silver and was made by a bloke on Dartmoor but I designed my wife's ring myself (no smutty comments please) and, in addition to the three diamonds in it, I added another one for each of our two kids. My son loves the fact that there's a tiny blue diamond there just for him.
  20. Neal
    I find that some dogs are more adaptable than others and will change depending on circumstances. My last lurcher (kelpie/collie x greyhound) was fantastic in cover...I put this down to his first catch being in cover so he always expected to find on the inside. However, when I bought my first kelpie he just waited on the outside for a bolt...though he never got one! The lurcher was rehomed to a pet home when the kelpie was nearly six and a second kelpie was two. The first time I worked them after the lurcher left they both caught their first rabbits in opposite corners of the same field. I
  21. Neal
    Thanks...brilliant advice. Oscar says, "Thank you," too.
  22. Neal
    No photos I'm afraid, but as there have been a few hawkmoth threads in this section it seemed the best place to start it but feel free to move it if necessary. Anyway...my six year old son just came rushing in from the garden telling me he'd found a caterpillar in his veg patch. It turned out to be a stunning monster of a privet hawkmoth. After checking in my Collins pocket guide to insects we've put some privet, lilac and ash leaves in a bug observation box and it started feeding immediately. I know they pupate underground, but he wants to know if there's any way he can keep it until the
  23. Neal
    The reason the pure parent is most likely to have a greater influence is because it's more likely to be prepotent by having related ancestors (fairly close).
  24. Neal
    As bunnys says, it's the common ancestry ie quality line breeding which makes an individual more likely to be prepotent and therefore more likely to pass on its qualities. The problem is that so many of us were raised on a diet of "outcrossing is the only way to produce quality pups" thanks to some individuals encouraging this as the only way to produce lurchers that many are scared of mating relatives for fear of the evil of inbreeding. Shock horror.
  25. Neal
    Although tv is partly to blame, in that when we were younger you only had a couple of hours kids tv per day and now they can watch it all day, it's the parents who should be deciding if it's on or not. Having said that...I was against my two watching much tv until I realised that cbeebies is actually pretty good. They quite often watch something and then get inspired to go to the junk box to make something, look for minibeasts in the garden or get a book on the same topic. On the subject of class (which was mentioned above) as a reception teacher who's done home visits you can usually
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