when to start pup ferreting

[skycat 6,174]

I always take pups ferreting around the 5-6 month mark to begin with: only out for an hour or two at the most: choose a nice day, not windy or very cold. Let the pup do its own thing: if they are going to make a ferreting dog this is the best way, IMO, to get a pup to start taking an interest in the holes: they are still scent orientated at that age, rather than looking for stuff to chase on the horizon.

 

I admit, this doesn't work for all pups: it all depends on the individual. I took one pup out at that age and all she wanted to do was tear about, but it had just been snowing so the snow excitement took over That particular lurcher wasn't really settled enough in her head until she was about 11 months old, but came on quickly then to be a reasonable ferreting dog.

 

The best ferreting dogs I've had all showed a lot of interest at a very early age, and I just kept taking them, only for a couple of hours locally: no point tiring a pup with a long day, especially if there is a lot of waiting/digging. Try to choose warrens where you know you'll get some quick bolts: shallow warrens if you can: they bolt faster from shallow warrens as a rule.

 

Some dogs never do like the ferreting game: what I call action dogs, always have to be hunting and doing something rather than just waiting for the ferret to produce the game. Action dogs will mark, but don't seem to have the patience for ferreting. I guess this is why a lot of died in the wool ferreters like their collie crosses, which do seem to be made for the task, though that's not to say others don't make just as good ferreting dogs, just that you may have more chance of an obsessive marker with a collie type.

 

Don't shoot me down in flames cos your Saluki type is great at ferreting: :tongue2: the above was only a generalisation

[TOMO 29,063]

for me the sit and stay, steadiness to ferret, retrieving, recall and general obedience have gotta be rock solid before thinking about it. the missus is going to go with me and look after the pup and that lets me get on with ferretting knowing that the pup is not doing stuff she's not supposed to and i will take an older dog that the pup can watch and learn from, if the pup sees her being calm or watching from a few yards away i think the new pup is more likely to develop good habits. the pup is walked dailly around rabbitty areas and is hunting up in the grass and marking well and also listening to commands despite all the potential attractions like scents and burrows. i practise the stay in these areas walking round a warren sometimes out of site, i feel this way the pup is learning all the time and come the day for rabbits everything isn't new.

 

i dont nesseserily agree with the first sentance, i dont think the dog does need to be perfect at all you mention first, at 4 month the pup is unlikly to be doing all those things perfectly, yet can still lern a great deal whilst being out,,, also i think you get a better dog from learning itself rather than taking second fiddle to the older dog. its always going to let the other dog dominate, maybee a few outing with an older dog, at first, but let it lern for its self