Why Do Coursing Men Go Through So Many Pups?

[pointer 543]

I have zero experience with coursing dogs but if a person wants the absolute best they will go through a few dogs. Terriermen are always running on young stock, many of which won't make the grade. I've spent time out with about fifty packs of hounds, a few of the best huntsmen I know have told me they have only had three or four exceptional hounds. Plenty of good ones but our of hundreds of dogs only a few stand out, it will be the same in gundogs, greyhounds etc etc. So I would imagine the lad who can only keep a few dogs and wants something damned good may go through a few dogs.

The flip side is many would ruin what might have become a good un and others won't get get our enough to know either way because they spend too much time on the Internet lol.

 

The way I see it I know enough well respected terriermen/lurchermen and Huntsman to know that even the best of dogmen go through a few dogs.

[buster gonads 862]

More people should get rid of genuine shit!

 

Breed from the best and hope for the best, plenty of shit kicking about the now!

Plenty of shit dog owners kicking about now too Haggis.

[stubblebasher 150]

More young dogs destroyed by running too soon, over running. Man has bred these coursing dogs who literally run themselves into the ground rather than stop: no wonder so many are ruined both physically and mentally before they are 2 years old as too many are owned by people whose egos are bigger than their brains.

 

Exactly ! Far too many idiots in the game !!

[shaaark 10,114]

Border lad and skycat have hit the nail on the head, if people let their dogs mature a few more months than what they generally do, there'd be more good dogs that would be catching, and a lot less ruined dogs being passed around/sold to the next gullible newcomer.

One of the things that surprises me, though on reflection these days it shouldn't, is when I read/hear of puppy comps, even if held in small fields, feckin madness, on bigger fields/land it's even worse, the one run could be the end of that youngsters coursing life, a keen pup will run itself to exhaution, and possibly be damaged for life. And before people start having a dig, I know there are some dogs that have started relatively young, but how much better could they have been if they were entered a few months later? Patience these days is getting rarer by the year.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

dont see the need to keep more than 3 dogs maximum. A pup thats been brought on, a dog in its prime and a pensioner thats earned its place by the fire. By my reckoning that's a dog every 4 to 5 years. that period of time is more than enough to pin down the breeding of your next charge.

[skycat 6,172]

Nowadays it's all about 'ME': and not only in working dog circles. You only have to look at the indignities some pet dogs are subjected to, especially the toy breeds. Larger breeds are often status symbols. Sure, there are thousands of genuine dog owners, whether working or pet, but an awful lot of dogs are simply there to satisfy their owners' egos, something to enhance the owner's idea of themselves, or to fill a hole in the persons' life. Let's be honest, how many dog owners actually ever wonder what their dog thinks about something? Do they even consider that a dog may have feelings?

 

That may sound soft to so-called hunters but one of my greatest joys is to see a dog really happy in its work, to see it fulfilled in its life. To have a bond with that dog that goes way beyond the normal 'I say, you do' dog ownership factor.

[little hedz 118]

Coursings more of a competitive field sport than others involving dogs ie matchs etc most men that lamp mooch etc there dog has only them to please and no pressure from matchs for money etc so they mostly love there dogs and over look there faults or when they fall short of the mark i think the coursing men breed hard and cull hard (or sell shit on)to find better animals either that or they fetch a higher price tag than your average working lurcher

[Phil Lloyd 10,736]

Well,.disregarding the various physical reasons why some coursing dogs don't go on to make the grade,...and why some guys appear to get through a lot of animals,...a very important issue would have to be their competitiveness,. pure and simple,....

Edited June 15, 2014 by Phil Lloyd

[skycat 6,172]

Funny you should say that Phil. I never considered myself the slightest bit competitive until I started coursing: it brought out the very worst in me. I used to be a nervous wreck before meetings, whether doubled up under rules or single handed. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I actually stopped: the whole competition thing ruined my ability to appreciate seeing my dog work a hare purely for the joy of being there and seeing applauding the skill and effort it went through to make that kill. The retrieve was the icing on the cake, and very few things have brought me as much pleasure as seeing my dog carrying its hard won prize back across huge dykes, big fields, knackered but struggling on until it had put that hare at my feet, or in the case of one rare bitch, into my hands, tail wagging, eyes shining: didn't I do well!

 

I'm a much happier person these days when my dogs only have to please me and not my ego.

[buster gonads 862]

Another thing that piss's me off about some coursing men [local to me any way] is the fact that some of them catch Hares, put them in bags so they are out of site, then dump them in the corner of a field thinking job done, if you,r going to kill something edible then for god,s sake eat it or give it to someone that will .

[arcticgun 4,548]

Some intetesting post's, deffo see where skycat coming from regarding becoming competitive, you find yourself gravitating towards that fairly quickly in coursing lol

 

Little point in sending boys too do mens jobs, thats my take on running pups, thetes no need to own tons of dogs, few quality ones do just as well given right introduction, cant all be the best, first priority should be to get too 'fair days sport' sort of dog thats progress anymore than that its luck or pure skill and knowledge and fair play too em, the info is out there on how to get the best out of even average, when it comes to applying it, that takes hard graft n dedication, which most lack

 

theres one current top level courser with class bitch started out around same time I did maybe a little later, he far exceeded my progress, simply cos he out more and more dedicated and by his own admisson he lucky he has time and funds too runtop level, he did breed his own champion as well , he first too admitbhe taught by others , spent time with manynmen and itscall paid off, fair play too him, somemen been inngame 40 years longer and made very little progress different stock three times a season buy n sell cant do the ground work with pups properly etc always blame stud pup anyone but themselves lol

[Millet 4,497]

Another thing that piss's me off about some coursing men [local to me any way] is the fact that some of them catch Hares, put them in bags so they are out of site, then dump them in the corner of a field thinking job done, if you,r going to kill something edible then for god,s sake eat it or give it to someone that will .

I don't agree with that either Buster but with this stupid ban folk have little choice other than to dump there road kill so they have no evidence on them if they get caught walking there dog's..

 

One thing though that i can never understand is why some folk have so many dog's.. one is company and two is a crowd so too speak,,, it's a challenge getting the best out of one pup even on good land.. let alone 2/3/4/5 dog's and so on..

[forest of dean redneck 11,183]

A dog should be tried til it's 3 ,if then your not satisfied ,rehome/pts etc,too many try dogs before their year old then their sold to some mug when their only 14 months old etc.

[arcticgun 4,548]

Think your right fdr 3 year old you well know what ya got in your hands, shame instead of merrygoround they dont go too lampers as they make very durable allrounders as well,

[BIGLURKS 874]

Could some one more in the know that has been say coursing the fens clarify the avg working age of a coursing dog I know most lampers ferreters will say the old dog made 10 or 15 or so on and some make 6 due too injurys but not having a great knowledge in coursing but in track dogs I did know that more then usual you were lucky if a track dog made it too 6 counting or even 2 if they made the grade and in the getting too 14 months then the trials grading racing dog maybe 2 before you've found the distance and times your dogs doing then counting in factors of injuries if the dog finds too be better at hurdles then flat the extra tension and injuries they go threw they may have 2 too 4 years racing so as that standing you need a pup coming on every year and a half too replace a track dog and as the shape of a pure greyhound and coursing dogs doesn't vary much between the in saying how much greyhound is in your coursing dogs half maybe 3/4 too saluki maybe reversed Iam not sure but the coursing men will know more then me but how many times do you hear a beddywhippet is the best coursing dog in the country mooching dogs tend too be the slight bit more roubust types and I would say coursing is more demanding on a dog or the same as a track dog compared too your ferreting or odd night out lamp dog that don't have too be tested too the same degree as what track and coursing dogs will go threw how many days in a month would coursing men be out matching there dogs against a hare they will still have the same fitness routine as what you will with track dogs if you ever work in a greyhound kennels that are racing you will soon find out how much work has too go into just one dog not 50 Or a 100 I know the how much goes into it I worked in kennels when I was younger the constant weighing of a dog getting food preparation perfect not too much excersise working mucsle rub downs the therapy a getting everything just right will coursing men be in the same standing in feeding exercise and all round attention too detail I'd say so you here prices of good match dogs won't be far of some open class greyhounds even more for proven dogs so coursing dogs are a competive sport so they will generally have the same litter wastage falling the grade as track dogs and injures I think it's just the way you look at a sport I think it's not far off from track racing different rules obviusally but the basic fundamental thing is winning look at how many track dogs I've had in the space of 10 years we had 30 dogs some dint make the grade that was 10 of then 8 dogs retired before 3 years of age due too injuries and not winning10 retired about 6 due too injures and not achiveing same results as they would in there prime and 2 died on the track one heart stopped other crashed so higher demand for winning = higher demand for the next winning dog well that's my view of it any way