BIG DOG SMALL DOG

[Guest the poacher]

i got a 25 inch 1/4 bull 3/4 grey he is 25 inchs and 70 lb he will catch rabbits in small or big fields never had hare or deer because that aint my thing took foxes single handed with ease before the ban he also works well with the terriers marking etc and was a good dog at the end of a dig before the ban

[Guest ROXY]

I have owned 24, 25 ,and for a short time a 27 inch dog, i now own a 22 and a half inch 65 pound bull cross who i think is doing well , with the potential of being a better dog in my eyes for what I require than any of the bigger dogs i have owned, lamping bunnies , terrier work and general mouching .

[marko 30]

as said depends what you are using the dog for if its bunnies ,ratting mooching out with gun then 21-23 whithwhippet in it then you cant go wrong as said they are quicker of the mark and more nimble and turning is very good on these small dogs my lurcher is wheaton whippet beddie 21 inches and does just fine plus she can jump the ditches were i have permission these ditches are 10 ft across very handy for rats and such she is quicker than the terriers and over the other side before the dogs have swam across,all i can say is she suits me but horses for courses as said its a hard choice but big is not neccesarely better good luck.

[Guest furryferter]

I have owned 24, 25 ,and for a short time a 27 inch dog, i now own a 22 and a half inch 65 pound bull cross who i think is doing well , with the potential of being a better dog in my eyes for what I require than any of the bigger dogs i have owned, lamping bunnies , terrier work and general mouching .

22"and 65lb I take it its very racy then

[heart of wales 19]

As a professional pest controler I am dealing with mostly rats and rabbits during the day ,for that type of work it has to be a beddlington whippet or similar dog.

There again I love lamping the land We own and I have permission on feilds that can vary in size from 5 acres to 50 with all sorts of quarry unfortunately because of the ban When much GSD X Greyhound pup starts woking in about 12 months the only thing I will be looking to take will be rabbits.

 

I think there is a lot to gain from owning two lurchers one over one under depending on the ammount of work you got.

[Guest ROXY]

I have owned 24, 25 ,and for a short time a 27 inch dog, i now own a 22 and a half inch 65 pound bull cross who i think is doing well , with the potential of being a better dog in my eyes for what I require than any of the bigger dogs i have owned, lamping bunnies , terrier work and general mouching .

22"and 65lb I take it its very racy then

racy enough to kill a hare last week on a fox drive with ten guns and a photo as a witness.

[dickyboy 1]

IN GENERAL gotta be a big dog to be an allrounder....yeah a whippet will be better than a deerhound at rabbits but there ain't many whippets that will pull a big fallow or red or sika admittedly there ain't many big dogs that will do it but a damn sight more big dogs will than small dogs!!

 

thats why there are different dogs people who don't want to catch big game or just want to run small game on shorter cover then you get a small dog....but like it was said before an 18" dog will struggle through 18" thick heather or cover on a hare so a small dog can't be taken to any part of the country on any ground and have a good chance on any quarry....so all rounder = big dog 24/25" +!!

 

my dog has taken partridge, fox, rabbit, roe, and put a bend into the only hare he's run!! he's 26" and around 70lb

[Guest furryferter]

I have owned 24, 25 ,and for a short time a 27 inch dog, i now own a 22 and a half inch 65 pound bull cross who i think is doing well , with the potential of being a better dog in my eyes for what I require than any of the bigger dogs i have owned, lamping bunnies , terrier work and general mouching .

22"and 65lb I take it its very racy then

racy enough to kill a hare last week on a fox drive with ten guns and a photo as a witness.

Dont take it personally roxy it was a joke ....you keep killing hares with your 22" 65lb dog

[DIGGIT 6]

As a professional pest controler I am dealing with mostly rats and rabbits during the day ,for that type of work it has to be a beddlington whippet or similar dog.

There again I love lamping the land We own and I have permission on feilds that can vary in size from 5 acres to 50 with all sorts of quarry unfortunately because of the ban When much GSD X Greyhound pup starts woking in about 12 months the only thing I will be looking to take will be rabbits.

 

I think there is a lot to gain from owning two lurchers one over one under depending on the ammount of work you got.

nice point mate,owning 2 dogs no1 has come up with that, i was wainting for that, thanks for the reply

[IanB 0]

Personal choice I'd prefer a dog between 25"- 27" thats in an ideal world and if it wasn't I'd prefer it to be bigger rather than smaller..

[chester 147]

it's not the size of the dog in the fight . it's the size of the fight in the dog .it's ether got it or at ain't

[Guest markbrick1]

22 inch is ideal mine range from 19 to 22 and they will catch rats rabbits hares and fox they have raced many 27 inch dogs and beat them they turn on a sixpence and they dont sound like a lorry runin down the beam they go through the bush were big dogs cant get and we dont have deer down here so give me a little dog anyday

[Clipper 207]

ive got a 22 1/2 inch bitch 24+ bitch an a 25 + bitch, travelling to far away places the big dogs come in to their own , im in cheshire , an when me an my lad go lamping ferreting , i take 1 big dog an the 22 inch bitch the little dog leaves the other for dead, but the biguns have their uses and the next dog i get i would be looking at 23 up to 25 an racey built ,,,,,,,, deerhound greyhound smallish bitch 26 in put to a straight 24 in whippet grey would be my ideal dog :)an pick a smallish bitch out of the litter

Edited January 4, 2007 by Clipper

[Nell 1]

It depends on other factors too, type of land you hunt, your main quarry, method of hunting etc.

 

As for me, at the minute I have a lurcher/lurcher bred dog, I have owned for 5 years, a good friend of mine has bred the same type for 20 odd years, the dog has a lot of whippet in his make up and stands at just under 24 inch, he has takes rabbits with ease, has caught a few hares in his time (although obviously not great numbers!), regularly takes fox and even pulled 2 roe (one with assistance ) He has never let me down in the five years I have owned him. I have had bigger dogs in my time, some good, some not so good.

 

I do a bit of lamping/squeaking but mainly work cover with terriers and any lurcher I have has to be willing to tackle whatever bolts, so again for me I wouldn't be too bothered how big the dog was as long as it does as I expect

Edited January 5, 2007 by Nell

[whin 463]

best dogs ive had were 24 to 28 for were i hunt localy , but it was not the size it was the breeding and entering that counted they all took rabbs fox roe and hares , but for bolting rabbs the bitch at 24 took some beating electric pace and a good mouth,the whippet grew is a good rabbit dog , at night but for running any were etc tyne x mhirn the saluk cross and the saluk collie cross have feet like shovels great dogs,, to me mouth ability come through in the breeding saw five gen eraition s of my collie line and three of the saluk line , they all have good traits bred through and some times , not so if not worked regulary