Little bit dissapointed with start of season

[joel222 65]

After a good first season last year, my young dog has just turned two and we began our second season last week. In three outings in an area where if you see 5 rabbits in a night you are lucky, he caught two. The problem is that its as if he's never been lamped before, not following the beam and therefore not spotting the rabbits soon enough, everything else is good, returns straight back to me after lamps off and retrieves rabbits. Its just frustrating how he's missing catches that should be in the bag because he's not watching the beam. I hope it clicks in soon!

[Don 5]

Hi mate, dont get disappointed, the more you lamp him the more he'll learn, also dont forget that he's probably not that fit yet neither as its only the start of the season, I've got a 20mth old and she's a bit the same, its frustrating but the more you do the sooner they'll learn.

 

My mate had the litter sister to my last dog, she was slow to catch, I bet she missed well over rabbits at first and sometimes she just didnt look interested, my mate was really frustrated with her and was ready to get rid, I convinced him to keep her and she turned out to be as good as any dog he had in the past, regularly catching 20-30 rabbits a night.

 

My thoughts are that the dogs first 2 seasons are the learning stage, rabbits are harder to catch than a lot of people make out!

 

Just keep at it mate and you'll get what you want.

[whin 463]

don get agrip mate if i had adog not caching rabbs at a year i would wonder what the fech is wrong with it most mongrly ill bred dogs can catch a rabbit dont get me wrong there rabbits and there rabbits ,dales cumbria some of the dscottish borders rabbits are easy but fast land winter wheat paddocks , golf courses they can show adog up iof he aint pacy at times

[sandymere 8,261]

I’d expect a youngster to take a step back at the beginning of a new season, get it out a few times and it will soon switch back on.

[Don 5]

Whin have think about what the lad has said, his dog HAS been catching rabbits at a year, as he said he had a good season last year, a dog just doesn't stop catching rabbits. He's been out three times this season where he's lucky to see 5 rabbits a night, so if my maths is right he's seen 15 rabbits but probably less and out of them probably half of them would be field edgers not worth a run, so he may only be able to run the dog on 7- 8 rabbits, so the dog has caught 2 rabbits which is 25% catch rate on what I would assume at 2 years old is an unfit rookie lurcher with only one season under his belt, a season by the way which was covered in snow for almost 8 weeks.

 

The reason for my initial reply was simply to cheer the lad up, there's far too many lurchers that are passed on too the lurcher merry go round at the first sign of a disappointment and never allowed to show their true potential. I have owned lurchers for over 14 years and the shite I hear spouted from some people about lurchers on their first night out catching 15 - 20 rabbits really pisses me off, by the way, speak to the same lads a year on and they'll have a different lurcher doing the same at 6mths old, when you ask them what happened to the other lurcher, they'll tell you a tale about how it was lacking this or that without ever considering it may be some of their own wrong doing.

 

Last year a lad around our way got rid of his pup as it wasn't catching long ears at 10mth old ???????, the same poor dog met his end less than a year later by collapsing in the field after coursing its 6th long ear of the night, by the way the poor mut hadn't been out its kennel for nearly 2mth and was on to his 5th owner by then!

 

What I'm saying is that at least give the dog a chance, some dogs are better than others, my dog isn't perfect and I've yet to meet a one that is, as long as I get out a couple of times a week with the lamp and have some sport I'm a happy man....Happy hunting!

[thepoacher 6]

probably to keen, few more nights out get his timing , fitness right and he,ll soon settle into the game

[Don 5]

probably to keen, few more nights out get his timing , fitness right and he,ll soon settle into the game

Exactly my thoughts mate, give the dog a chance!

[joel222 65]

Thanks for the replies, under no circumstances will this little dog part from me until it dies, i have know doubt that he will coime good, just saying that it's frustrating thats all. Whin, read my original post properly, he is catching rabbits just not spotting them very quick.

[WILF 44,283]

In three outings

 

Theres your awnser mate...........early doors for a rusty second season dog..........dont worry, just enjoy your dog and keep at it

[skycat 6,172]

Last year a lad around our way got rid of his pup as it wasn't catching long ears at 10mth old ???????, the same poor dog met his end less than a year later by collapsing in the field after coursing its 6th long ear of the night, by the way the poor mut hadn't been out its kennel for nearly 2mth and was on to his 5th owner by then!

 

 

Those sort of people should be made to run until they collapse with burst heart and lungs: more good dogs ruined by over running in the hands of idiots than anything else. :censored: :censored: :censored: Fecking brain dead sods.

[torchey 1,202]

Last year a lad around our way got rid of his pup as it wasn't catching long ears at 10mth old ???????, the same poor dog met his end less than a year later by collapsing in the field after coursing its 6th long ear of the night, by the way the poor mut hadn't been out its kennel for nearly 2mth and was on to his 5th owner by then!

 

 

Those sort of people should be made to run until they collapse with burst heart and lungs: more good dogs ruined by over running in the hands of idiots than anything else. :censored: :censored: :censored: Fecking brain dead sods.

sods,,,,definitely mild mannered female

[Don 5]

Thanks for the replies, under no circumstances will this little dog part from me until it dies, i have know doubt that he will coime good, just saying that it's frustrating thats all. Whin, read my original post properly, he is catching rabbits just not spotting them very quick.

Thats the style mate, keep at it he'll do you proud!