Best Start For A Pup..ferreting Or Lamping?

[Leesy 35]

I'm at a cross roads and I hope you guys can help me out. Basically I'm wondering which is the best way to enter a young dog into work, ferreting or lamping? Your avice and reasonings would be very much appreciated.

[paulus 26]

As your topic appears to be in the wrong section, (a non hunting post), we have moved it to the appropriate forum.

 

Read the forum rules, top of the section.

 

This is an automatically generated reply.

[dogger 100]

ferretting. once its seen rabbits during the day it will know what to look for on the lamp

[skycat 6,173]

Ferreting without a doubt, for any dog, regardless of what its job will be as an adult. I've started all my dogs this way: coursing, foxing and lamping dogs. They all go ferreting first, usually around the 5-6 month mark, though not all are ready at this stage. It's a matter of assessing and knowing the pup.

 

Ferreting teaches a dog that you are an important route to hunting, so the pup learns that it gains reward through you, not by feckin off and doing its own thing. Ferreting also teaches self control on the dog's part. It learns to be patient, to watch, to use its nose and ears, and to work as part of a team.

 

Once a young dog has learned all this, it will be a much better proposition on the lamp, and far less likely to disappear running endless rabbits in the dark. Not to mention the fact that it will have learned a certain amount of field and prey sense: learned how to negotiate ditches and hedges at speed, much better than crashing about in the dark and risking killing or injuring itself badly.

[s.e.s.k.u 1,893]

Ferreting. ..just read the above post. .pretty much sums it up for me. .atb enjoy the pup

[Giro 2,648]

I have started mine on the lamp and ferreting close 2nd..

 

I personally am not at my best when out ferreting..

 

I find it hard work and prefer the lamp..

 

I am not much of a ferreter at heart. but do my share in the winter.

 

If your ferreting I would go for open sets..

 

This time of year be prepared to dig - crawl around in nettles

 

If you go for the ferreting, take a pal to do most of the graft. That will enable you to concentrate on the dog more..

 

 

Lamping walk out to a sitter in the biggest field you can find.

 

I have never found pups to run off in to the dark hunting up.. A basic level of obedience is required, before any youngster sees a live quarry..

 

Once they are introduced to rabbits its a nightmare if they have not got the basics..

 

 

My best advice would be take your time..

 

Grounds hard here.. folk think ferreting is easier - grabbing netted rabbits and learning to mark..

 

If you miss a pop hole and your wee worker gets dragged across a big field and bangs its toes up you will be sick...

 

Loads of variables to consider..

 

I have poor patience for ferreting and its not fair taking that out on a young dog.. Thats much more about me though

[Flacko 1,732]

Well put skycat.

[roybo 2,873]

I started my old bitch off on the lamp,took her ferreting once or twice when young,but lamping 90%,wasn't really until she was 3 to she really done any ferreting ,never seen a ferret in that time,but soon got back into it,although takes an hour to settle.

[nothernlite 18,030]

Ferreting for me second season before they see a lamp if there lucky lol prefer daytime to night like to see a dog work for its catch jmo

[gnipper 6,042]

If you're walking the pup out and about in the country they enter themselves to work in no time at all sniffing around and putting stuff up and learning about holes and obstacles. The choice of ferreting or lamping is up to the owner, I've gone the lamping route with mine because he's old enough but the ground isn't suitable for ferreting yet.

[Tiercel 6,986]

While I think skycats post was full of good advice, I actually prefer the lamp to start them off.

 

If a dog is to be duel purpose, day and night, they both need a different type of skill sets from the dog. When a dog chases a rabbit in the day and it goes into cover, hedge whatever I would expect that dog to follow the rabbit. Same with hunting up the dog has to work for the rabbit, using it's nose and the wind.

 

When you have a young dog say 12 to 18 months that has been brought on during the day, used to following prey and hunting up. It is a big ask of the dog to stop all he has learned, and as soon as a rabbit enters cover, and the lamp knocked off just to give up the chase and return to you. Some will of that I have no doubt, but, most won't and it takes a lot of effort to get them used to the duel roles.

 

If a dog is taught from the off that once the lamp goes off it returns, Then when it chases during the day, it may stop at a fence, hedge etc; but that does not worry me, as I have always found that it is easier to egg a dog on than it is to stop it.

 

Just my way.

 

TC

Edited September 3, 2014 by tiercel

[johnny 2 367]

I'm at a cross roads and I hope you guys can help me out. Basically I'm wondering which is the best way to enter a young dog into work, ferrfor meeting or lamping? Your avice and reasonings would be very much appreciated.

for me I prefer lamping but what age is the dog?

[Taggy123 59]

100% agree with tiercel on that one. Bringing a dog on in day time can cause some habits that you wouldnt really want in lamping dog so would get a young dog dialed into lamping first. cant see the lamping work thats been done with the pup affecting the ferreting side of things. Atb taggy.

[skycat 6,173]

Interesting thoughts there. But if dog didn't follow its rabbit into the hedge round here they'd lose a lot. Our rabbits are very spooky and we have a lot of light pollution. That said, my dogs have to learn NOT to stop at the hedge when first lamping, as they are used to losing rabbits in tight cover during the day: I guess it all depends on the type of land you hunt over ... and the dog's mentality of course. Different breeds/types show different traits both by day and on the lamp.

[Giro 2,648]

Thing I like about the lamp, it allows a dog to make a few mistakes on a run..

 

Bolted rabbits can be hard..

 

I read a Paul Dooley blog the other day..

 

It was about training a dog, not to mouth rabbits in the nets..

 

It Was very interesting and made me think where i had been going wrong