To Much Help For A Pup Is No Good ......

[socks 32,253]

I had a lad out with me on a ferreting job the other day and he had a nice little beddy cross grey with him ... Nice and obedient fit looking and in good nick ... But by half way through the day I could just see something wasn't right and I picked his brains over a half time sandwich ...

 

Now the problem was that this dog was looking to him for everything ... Even if it heard a rabbit coming it would look at this lad for direction ... It wouldn't hunt the longer grass but would hover around the lad as he walked about hoping to put rabbits up .....

 

He told me that as a pup he used to do everything for the pup place it next to the hole he could hear the rabbit comming from ... Walk it at heel through cover so that it seen every rabbit that bolted ...me very time it whined he would pick it up and fuss it ....

 

The dog now 2 years of age looks at this lad as the leader of the hunt and doesn't think for itself ... If the lad doesn't guide it the dog just walks around aimlessly ...........

[Bosun11 537]

Seen that type of stuff before mate but not for a long time and then mostly false marking. Youthful 'over nurture', damn shame, especially for a dog with as much natural instinct as a Beddy cross.

It can change though, simply ignore the dog, on rabbit soaked ground from the min it gets out the car, praise instinct, ignore the looks of wanting. It may mean lots of missed bunnys but the penny will drop, to an extent.

[socks 32,253]

That's more or less what I suggested to the fella mate ... He is going to have to go maybe a season with missing rabbits just to kick the dogs natural instincts back into action ........

[bird 10,014]

I had a lad out with me on a ferreting job the other day and he had a nice little beddy cross grey with him ... Nice and obedient fit looking and in good nick ... But by half way through the day I could just see something wasn't right and I picked his brains over a half time sandwich ...

 

Now the problem was that this dog was looking to him for everything ... Even if it heard a rabbit coming it would look at this lad for direction ... It wouldn't hunt the longer grass but would hover around the lad as he walked about hoping to put rabbits up .....

 

He told me that as a pup he used to do everything for the pup place it next to the hole he could hear the rabbit comming from ... Walk it at heel through cover so that it seen every rabbit that bolted ...me very time it whined he would pick it up and fuss it ....

 

The dog now 2 years of age looks at this lad as the leader of the hunt and doesn't think for itself ... If the lad doesn't guide it the dog just walks around aimlessly ...........

 

 

good post ken, suppose its letting them try act natural, and not( over) training them from young pups ? But to be honest i find a lot of colliexs will ( constantly) have 1 eye on you the other at what ever. Bryn great at ferreting vin + Tomo will tell you that as well, he does is own thing, and will mark for rabbits and does great job. But bloody hell , many time ive seen other quarry other side of a gate good 30-40yds out, sent him over to go and have look , just before i get over , but he just landed other side and feckin waited for me to get over, and what was there as gone to much eye contact on me and not hunting naturaly i think .

[Guest vin]

It needs a bit of "wild hacking" like my bitch Molly often opts for.. ... just like they do with the young falcons...hehee.

[socks 32,253]

 

I had a lad out with me on a ferreting job the other day and he had a nice little beddy cross grey with him ... Nice and obedient fit looking and in good nick ... But by half way through the day I could just see something wasn't right and I picked his brains over a half time sandwich ...

Now the problem was that this dog was looking to him for everything ... Even if it heard a rabbit coming it would look at this lad for direction ... It wouldn't hunt the longer grass but would hover around the lad as he walked about hoping to put rabbits up .....

He told me that as a pup he used to do everything for the pup place it next to the hole he could hear the rabbit comming from ... Walk it at heel through cover so that it seen every rabbit that bolted ...me very time it whined he would pick it up and fuss it ....

The dog now 2 years of age looks at this lad as the leader of the hunt and doesn't think for itself ... If the lad doesn't guide it the dog just walks around aimlessly ...........

 

 

good post ken, suppose its letting them try act natural, and not( over) training them from young pups ? But to be honest i find a lot of colliexs will ( constantly) have 1 eye on you the other at what ever. Bryn great at ferrting vin + Tomo will tell you that as well, he does is own thing, and will mark for rabbits and does great job. But bloody hell , many time ive seen other quarry other side of a gate good 30-40yds out, sent him over to go and have look , just before i get over , but he just landed other side and feckin waited for me to get over, and what was there as gone to much eye contact on me and not hunting naturaly i think .

That definitely is a collie thing mate and I always teach mine the GET ON command to combat that .........

[bird 10,014]

 

 

I had a lad out with me on a ferreting job the other day and he had a nice little beddy cross grey with him ... Nice and obedient fit looking and in good nick ... But by half way through the day I could just see something wasn't right and I picked his brains over a half time sandwich ...

Now the problem was that this dog was looking to him for everything ... Even if it heard a rabbit coming it would look at this lad for direction ... It wouldn't hunt the longer grass but would hover around the lad as he walked about hoping to put rabbits up .....

He told me that as a pup he used to do everything for the pup place it next to the hole he could hear the rabbit comming from ... Walk it at heel through cover so that it seen every rabbit that bolted ...me very time it whined he would pick it up and fuss it ....

The dog now 2 years of age looks at this lad as the leader of the hunt and doesn't think for itself ... If the lad doesn't guide it the dog just walks around aimlessly ...........

 

good post ken, suppose its letting them try act natural, and not( over) training them from young pups ? But to be honest i find a lot of colliexs will ( constantly) have 1 eye on you the other at what ever. Bryn great at ferrting vin + Tomo will tell you that as well, he does is own thing, and will mark for rabbits and does great job. But bloody hell , many time ive seen other quarry other side of a gate good 30-40yds out, sent him over to go and have look , just before i get over , but he just landed other side and feckin waited for me to get over, and what was there as gone to much eye contact on me and not hunting naturaly i think .

That definitely is a collie thing mate and I always teach mine the GET ON command to combat that .........

 

good point ken, to late with Bryn he set in his ways now 6 year old, but a good one think about in the future

[trigger2 3,452]

I had a lad out with me on a ferreting job the other day and he had a nice little beddy cross grey with him ... Nice and obedient fit looking and in good nick ... But by half way through the day I could just see something wasn't right and I picked his brains over a half time sandwich ...

 

Now the problem was that this dog was looking to him for everything ... Even if it heard a rabbit coming it would look at this lad for direction ... It wouldn't hunt the longer grass but would hover around the lad as he walked about hoping to put rabbits up .....

 

He told me that as a pup he used to do everything for the pup place it next to the hole he could hear the rabbit comming from ... Walk it at heel through cover so that it seen every rabbit that bolted ...me very time it whined he would pick it up and fuss it ....

 

The dog now 2 years of age looks at this lad as the leader of the hunt and doesn't think for itself ... If the lad doesn't guide it the dog just walks around aimlessly ...........

another thing ive noticed with some dogs. they can jump but have always been lifted over fences since pups, and have become reliant on being lifted over and pretty much refuse to jump.

[Wales1234 5,682]

Always get him out a young age with the older lurchers teaches them that they can range and not worrie they will loose me !! Also if the hover around me a tap on the are and say find him . usually springs them into action I love watching the lurchers hunt so a lircher by my side drives me mad

[paulus 26]

Always get him out a young age with the older lurchers teaches them that they can range and not worrie they will loose me !! Also if the hover around me a tap on the are and say find him . usually springs them into action I love watching the lurchers hunt so a lircher by my side drives me mad

the ability to do both is in there, close quartering is a great attribute when flushing to the gun its no good the dog being 100 yards down the field its all about training and the dog knowing whats expected in certain situations, no different to a dog being able to hunt up in the day and return to heal once the lamp goes out at night

[Ideation 8,217]

Just send him down to hang out with my whippet . . . . . . He can certainly hunt 'independently'

[Wales1234 5,682]

I dont do any shooting or anything but they do know to stay close in fields for ferreting and stuff ! The blue bitch doesnt hunt up in the night not through anything I done just doesnt do it scared of the dark I think haha

[paulus 26]

I dont do any shooting or anything but they do know to stay close in fields for ferreting and stuff ! The blue bitch doesnt hunt up in the night not through anything I done just doesnt do it scared of the dark I think haha

tape a torch to its collar

[sandymere 8,263]

I think perhaps it’s a bit to do with the personality of the owner, some seem a lot more controlling than others and dogs tend to develop to answer that trait.

There’s also a little age aspect, when a young lad my dogs were trained more formally and some looked to me more but with age I tend to let them develop to suit their traits rather than mine without much in the way of formal training and I look to them more. An example would be; in a stubble field 30 odd years ago squeaking, the dog leant into the collar but I thought to soon so held him and waited for another minute or so. By the time I flicked the lamp on there was just a tail disappearing. Ten years later, same thing, feel the neck in the collar and slip the dog then flick the lamp on. a nose in the dark is better than any sense I have, learnt to trust the dog.

[Bosun11 537]

I think perhaps it’s a bit to do with the personality of the owner, some seem a lot more controlling than others and dogs tend to develop to answer that trait.

There’s also a little age aspect, when a young lad my dogs were trained more formally and some looked to me more but with age I tend to let them develop to suit their traits rather than mine without much in the way of formal training and I look to them more. An example would be; in a stubble field 30 odd years ago squeaking, the dog leant into the collar but I thought to soon so held him and waited for another minute or so. By the time I flicked the lamp on there was just a tail disappearing. Ten years later, same thing, feel the neck in the collar and slip the dog then flick the lamp on. a nose in the dark is better than any sense I have, learnt to trust the dog.

I think you have a good point there Sandy, youngsters, particularly keen youngsters, will put a lot of effort into a dog because that is what they think is best, based on what they are told to do and its us older ones that tell 'em...!

I do think as we get older we come to an understanding based on a dogs instincts, ability's and capabilities and learn to run with those more. That feeling of trust between you and your dog comes with both age and experience. Takes a long time to come and it can be broken in an instant but when you know you got it, you are indeed a lucky fellow...