Black Magic

[skycat 6,174]

Lovely looking pup. I remember losing a youngster on the road, like it was yesterday: nearly 20 years ago now. She was only 14 months, but had already taken most quarry: a natural in every way. I picked her from a litter of mongrelly things: she was the only one that stood out. I honestly think I've never quite got over that and I've been paranoid about running near roads ever since. The worst one was when I had been invited to go coursing down in Norfolk. For some reason I couldn't explain, I just didn't want to go: so a friend took his bitch instead, and she got run over on a very quiet country lane. Scary to think that I might have had some premonition of disaster. It was a place where I'd been before, and have been again, but that day I just couldn't bring myself to drive down the A14: I even got on to the road but had to turn back after about 5 minutes as everything was telling me I shouldn't go. Spooky!

[weasle 1,119]

Its a complacted buissness.

It sounds like even allowing for a 2 hour walk and a hour in field pups are going to spend a long time in kennels,The more time in, the more running around they will do when out

When this pup started throwing a leg i decided,i would try a differant vet.Every one recomened this one vet of 3 tracks lectures other vets on running dogs ect.

After excaming her he asked my set up .kennel and run or 2 acres,He didnt lye on the floor convosing,in fact he said just what my old timer vet would have said.Two weeks lead and kennel,One week lead work followed by a hour in field.Followed by as much time out as i can give her .

Maybe i should go to hancock and buy a dog with a bigger iq than me

Maybe i should buy young dogs of the merry go around and give them a chance.

Spell checker not working lol

[skycat 6,174]

Thinking about those injuries again Weasle: most times the stifle joint is affected when turning very sharply on very uneven ground, or there is a collision between dogs. At least that has been my own experience. I must admit I'm very careful these days not to let two young idiots play together too much, especially when they get some speed up, but don't yet have the muscle to hold their joints together, if you see what I mean. Running fast on smooth open ground is much safer, from one point of view, than running on bumpy ground, but that don't mean a thing if the dogs collide, try to evade each other. A slip on smooth grass is just as bad as anywhere else, and short grass is so much more slippery than rough ground: you can't really win!

 

We have the dog run part of the garden (25 x 15 meters) covered in a thick layer of bark chips, about 3-4 inches thick: gives them better purchase than grass and more forgiving than hard packed earth. But it would be a bit of a stretch to cover an entire field in bark chip

 

Maybe you are just having one of those runs of bad luck: like Tomo said, shit happens from time to time and you feel that you'll never get a young dog to a workable age. Sooner or later your luck will turn. I've had rubbish dogs, all speed and no brain, somehow make it to adulthood, and other, better bred with superb brains, kill or maim themselves just when you thought it was safe to start working them. There truly is no accounting for fate.

[matt1979 766]

For what its worth, I think you have probably just had a bad run of luck with the dogs. But perhaps if the injuries you mentioned are all long bone (specifcally fibula) then this could suggest a bit of over use I.e too much exercise has played a part. As you probably know long bones contain growth plates that don't mature until adulthood and in a tall running type dog they have a lot more growing to do than most breeds. They are also placed under more tension and pressure with the higer speeds. Until the bone matures from more cartilaginous make up (softer more plyable) there is always an increased risk of injuries to these bones and the surrounding supporting ligaments and tendons. I would consider sectioning your garden/ field if I were you and raise a single pup, much easier to monitor there output exercise wise. But the reality is you can do the very best and one freak slip, trip or fall and the dogs injured, its about minimising the risk I suppose. Chin up all the best matt.

[J Darcy 5,871]

That's the thing with dogs; you give them your all and they break your heart.

 

I've had plenty of failures, and the ones that made the grade ended up dead through trying hard when out in the field.

 

There's nothing you can do about it, just soldier on.

 

One things for sure; the life of a working lurcher, and its owner, rarely has a fairytale ending.

 

Onwards, ever onwards. :victory: