lurcher anticts

[josh! 0]

when out lamping fox's with the lurcher's the fox can be called in to slipping distance without the dog making a sound or moving around, but when out shooting them the dog goes nuts as soon as the fox gets with in 100 yards i thinks its becuse 9 times out of 10 there a dead fox at the end of the lamp for her to rag or a half dead one fox her to play with, she makes such a commotion jumping and wingeing with excitment. 3 charlies came into range last time i was out with foxdropper but didn't hang around long enough for a shot because of the dogs anticts! i don't want to have to leave her behind when ever invited out shooting because she is always useful for catching the missed and wounded charlie, or retrieving them. has any one else had this problem, is there anything that i can do to stop this behaviour whilst out with the rifel???

[Guest mush]

should think the thing to do would be to take the rifle with you for a time and only slip the dog. if it works and she stops thinking theres going to be something dead to rag when you have the rifle with you, you will then have to sometimes take the rifle even when you are just running the dog so she doesn't go back to her old ways.

[Guest SJM]

Mush is right you will have to desensitize the dog to the rifle, its hard work, my bull x bitch the one in my avatar goes ballistic if she hears me cocking the air rifle or even opening the tin of pellets, I used to shoot a lot of birds and rabbits out the back and out of laziness I would go into the kennel open the door and let her out to go and fetch it cos she loved doing it so much, but now its turned her into a crazy loon and she still goes mad even though I havent let her have a retreive for ages. I could probably sicken her out of it by cocking the gun and firing it loads of times while shes sitting beside me and then just go and put it away, but half of me likes the fact she is all fired up cos one day I might shoot something "interesting" and shes the very dog to slip on it if its not dead. The noise thing poses a problem at night when your calling foxes in though my old dog sometimes has a whinge if the fox is taking its time coming in, I tap him with my finger and hiss BE QUIET in a low but gruff tone and that usually shuts him up but not all dogs are the same.

[gelert 1]

Take a rifle out and shoot a fox but don't let her rag it keep her on a lead walk her up to about 5 yards away and make her sit while you look at it, get rid of it without her moving

 

then slowly build it up, if she's quiet when you shoot let her out(but not every time) when you wound one let her go! but keep her guessing and if she makes a noise or so much as moves then don't let her have any fun

 

to practice this tie her up and fire a shot, then fire a couple on the lamp, she should be quiet, have a squeak and shot nothing. if shes quiet make loads of fuss of her

 

i do all my foxing with my dog at my side(he's not perfect, he runs in when i shoot) but when i stop and he hears the bipod click then he sits and is silent, doesn't move till i fire.......then he races the bullet!!! lol

 

but its good enough for what i want!