rob190364 2,594 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 If you can have a max of 2 dogs what would be the most effective for day time rabbits... 2 medium sized lurchers, at least one of which that will enter most cover or a terrier and a lurcher? Thoughts from people who've worked both combinations in the past would be helpful. Quote Link to post
socks 32,253 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 a good OBEDIENT terrier and lurcher or a cocker/springer lurcher team ....... Quote Link to post
rob190364 2,594 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 a good OBEDIENT terrier and lurcher or a cocker/springer lurcher team ....... what are the best terriers in terms of obedience? What I'm after is a combination that initially will be good for rabbits but is able to step up to other things when I've had a season or two or rabbiting. Quote Link to post
socks 32,253 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 if your talking about using the terrier for rabbiting for a few seasons then using it for digging dont bother ... you will need two different dogs for that ... the temperament needed for a digging dog will not be any good to you as a bushing mooching dog ... as for biddability and obedience i have found a border hard to beat ... as for a digging dog its more about the breeding than type ......... Quote Link to post
rob190364 2,594 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 No worries. Just thinkin in terms of rabbiting then, are any of the others any good...russels, lakies, beddies etc or are they all just mainly digging dogs? Quote Link to post
rob190364 2,594 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 And for just rabbiting, wouldn't a beddy/whip alongside another lurcher work just as well as terrier and lurcher combo? Quote Link to post
mushroom 13,722 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I've used terriers for years now I use a staff and medium/large lurcher (26.5") the staff truely has grit and determination she will range far and wide and recall to the whistle! the lurcher is learning his trade from her and he seems to be doing ok but he's young yet so time will tell. TBH can't wait to get them over here in Spain with me to hunt in the mountains, will be good to see if they measure up Quote Link to post
blan89 159 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 ive got a terrier off a lad who wanted a digging dog but it turned out his dog was scared of the dark so he's ok,but i wouldnt buy a terrier pup for bushing,imagine if the terrier runs off into deep cover and goes to ground somewhere he shouldn't. Quote Link to post
socks 32,253 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 if you want an out and out bushing dog that will work all cover be steady and obedient then you need to be looking at a springer or a cocker as thats what they were bred to do ... most terriers will work cover well but go deaf when on quarry and will try and snatch it out of the lurchers mouth once their blood is up and have worked hard to push out a rabbit ... a small little cocker from good working stuff would be perfect for what you want ...... Quote Link to post
malone 1 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 good response. and with my little experiance i have found a lot of terriers bark after rabbits especally when the rabbit breaks cover and you wouldnt want that passed on to your lurcher would you? Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 good response. and with my little experiance i have found a lot of terriers bark after rabbits especally when the rabbit breaks cover and you wouldnt want that passed on to your lurcher would you? True, but i've neevr seen it happen. Personally i find the barking what gives them the edge over spaniels (and i love spaniels). When working certain areas, covers etc, it's very handy to ave a dog sounding on quarry to put the lurcher in the right place at the right time. As for small lurcher vs terrier/spaniel. NO lurcher will enter and work cover like the other two dogs. Quote Link to post
jf1970 328 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 i don't have experienced dogs as i'm only starting out, but i take out my lurcher and cocker when out mooching, they are both relatively new to the game but hopefully they will click and form a good partnership, i do enjoy out mooching during the day as much as lamping but as yet all they have had are a few myxi rabbits, time will tell Quote Link to post
rob190364 2,594 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 What I was trying to get at was which would be the most effective overall. Obviously areas where there's thick cover a terrier (or spaniel) and lurcher combination would work best. A small lurcher that would enter cover would also push out rabbits, just not as many as a terrier. So the lurcher would do the job of the terrier to some degree, just not as effectively. Whereas in more open areas, two lurchers would be better but in that situation a terrier would be virtually redundant and would probably end up running round yapping but never catching. So in that situation the terrier couldn't do the job of a lurcher to any degree. But would the use of the terrier in areas where there's cover outweigh the advantage two lurchers would give you out in the open? I know it's difficult to answer definitively because it depends on the ground your working but the places I go are quite diverse, they range from big open fields with warrens in the hedgerows (where I go ferreting), to woodlands with medium cover and the odd thick patch of brambles, to small meadows with big thick patches of brambles. I was just after a few opinions of people that have tried both, to see which they prefer and which work best. Quote Link to post
jack2o 45 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Edited August 7, 2011 by jack2o Quote Link to post
socks 32,253 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 i have used both and other combinations and the ground you are describing definately suites a a spaniel lurcher combination ........... Quote Link to post
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