Nipped Out...

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

Many many years ago, I was looking for a collie cross. There was one adverised in the shooting news in mid wales. Rang the chap up, and spoke to a youngster who was off to collage and his parents were not willing to look after the bitch for him. Asked what the bitch did and arranged a trial.

 

Drove up to mid wales and the place he opted to take us for a trail was a golf course on top of a mountain. To be fair to the chap he did state that her retrieve was shakey. Went out on to the course and with the full moon it was like daylightbut she still managed a couple of rabbits,all be it they were dead when we went to pick them up. I used this as a bargianing tool and got the dog for half or what he was selling her for.

 

Took her out when the moon went down and on fields with hedges and to be fair the first one or two rabbits would be dead but the rest were alive. After she had that moon under her belt she became more proficiant at catching but only a half hearted attempt at retrieving. Then one night she had had a couple of slips and caught but still the half hearted retrieve, the next slip was at the range of the blue eye lamp I was using she spotted the rabbit and off she went. She caught the rabbit so I knocked the lamp off and walked down the field. I then knocked the lamp back on and she was not where she had caught the rabbit infact I could not find her, till I spun around and she was standing where I had been standing with the rabbit very much alive in her mouth.

 

She retrieved the rest of that night, not perfect but much better than she did previously and over the next few moons she improved every time. By the time she had a season with me she would retrieve to my feet put the very much alive rabbit on the floor and just hold it till I grabbed it.

 

By the sound of your OP the signs are there that your bitch will do the same. I am no dog expert but, I wonder it is a trust thing between you and the dog. I noticed with my bitch as she got to trust me more, the better she worked for me? I wonder?

 

TC

 

 

Thanks for the write up. I dont doubt that she is the kind of bitch who could improve with time.

 

When i first got her there was zero trust, she would growl if i went to take a rabbit and run off, same with food at home. Now she is 100%. Me or anyone when im there can go up and put there hand in her food bowl, I can go into her kennel while she is eating a bone and sit next to her so she is improving lots. Its still only been 8 months ive had her for, feels like a lifetime but not that long in reality.

 

The other thing is, as you said, she DOES get better as the night goes on, same with hunting up. First slip shes a cow and hunts up for 20 seconds or longer. Second slip she slowly comes back, third slip it starts getting quicker and by the end of the night she is running back as soon as the lamp goes off.

 

I think it would be the same with retrieving, ive just never had the numbers of rabbits to see if her retrieve gets better as the night goes on, I have now so hopefully once we are bagging 6-8 a night we will see an improvement with the retrieve. In all honesty we have probably only had 20 rabbits together since i got her in June, maybe not even that, spread out over 8 months, its not alot.

 

Thanks

 

Gaz

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

Just about getting out..

 

 

Glad shes comeing along for you.

 

 

If her numbers have dropped off/Catch rate she might be a little lame. I know your in the Midlands maybe a once over off Meek?

 

Mates got a bitch. Her catch was well then just starting dropping. With no real sign of lameness? Lend up lamed with a bad shoulder, But you could hardly tell all over her stuff just never got the final kill so might be worth the £10 for the once over...

 

I will get her checked over for a tenner definitely, wont hurt anything. We have never had the numbers to run, but what she has run she has usually caught. Say out of 4 slips she would be bagging 2-3. The other night she had 10-14 slips and only bagged the 2. She should of had 6 EASILY.

 

Cheers

 

Gaz

 

Edited to add - Im not trying to make an excuse by saying I think she is lame, I dont, she just ran wank

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Thats what iam saying if she used too run 4 and get over 50% catch rate and then all of a sudden shes catching 2 from 14. Deffo worth getting check over IMO.

 

 

 

Or shes just getting found wanting on number she anit used too and just needs too build up

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

Thats what iam saying if she used too run 4 and get over 50% catch rate and then all of a sudden shes catching 2 from 14. Deffo worth getting check over IMO.

 

 

 

Or shes just getting found wanting on number she anit used too and just needs too build up

 

I will get her checked out mate. Its not a fitness thing because she caught the last 2 runs of the night and was still ready to go for more.

 

Maybe it was just unlucky. She will be out again at least twice this week so will see if we get a better result.