skycat 6,173 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I think that I've only had one dog who didn't have any faults: beautiful temperament, took all quarry, retrieved, worked with both terriers and ferrets, super obedient, good with other dogs, excellent day and night, very intelligent, fast, stamina, perfect feet, never badly injured ... surely there must have been a fault somewhere! But I really can't think of one. And that's not just me having rose-tinted specs on and having only memories of one long gone. Had plenty of dogs that were brilliant in one way or another, but there was always a glitch somewhere, either temperament, got too many injuries, bad feet etc etc, couldn't take all quarry. And the crazy thing is that I never paid her much attention either, never really trained her: she was just there, like my right arm, doing what needed to be done, and there on the sofa beside me of an evening looking like royalty in that way that some Saluki lurchers have. 5 Quote Link to post
FUJI 16,646 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I think that I've only had one dog who didn't have any faults: beautiful temperament, took all quarry, retrieved, worked with both terriers and ferrets, super obedient, good with other dogs, excellent day and night, very intelligent, fast, stamina, perfect feet, never badly injured ... surely there must have been a fault somewhere! But I really can't think of one. And that's not just me having rose-tinted specs on and having only memories of one long gone. Had plenty of dogs that were brilliant in one way or another, but there was always a glitch somewhere, either temperament, got too many injuries, bad feet etc etc, couldn't take all quarry. What was the breeding of your dog Penny that ticked all the boxes for you? Like you say there just always seems to be something and with mine its usually a lot of somethings haha Quote Link to post
bird 9,622 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 its about being realistic and simply enjoying them for what they are as opposed to what they are not, and trying to get the very best out of them, true somtimes we forget though lol 1 Quote Link to post
BGD 6,407 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 no such thing as perfection Only folk with flawless dogs are kennel blind. 2 Quote Link to post
look up 406 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 A yapper Is a no no for me couldnt stand being round.one... Other than that not much I wouldn't work With..atb Quote Link to post
Phil Lloyd 10,736 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) In truth,..the dogs I have now,..I would not have kept,..back in the day... But,.in terms of contentment and usefulness, for the job in hand,...I am happy with my stock. The biggest problem some guys seem to have, is in changing the goalposts,... By that I mean,...it is easier to work with a jukel that is a specialist at the job in hand, than to try and make a Silk purse out of a Sow's ear (most unhygienic as well ).. Obviously, you do get some extremely versatile lurchers,..dogs that will turn their paw to anything. However, for myself, I only wanted a wee collie cur that would work a bush, mark a warren and catch me rabbits that slipped the purse nets,..oh,..and maybe a bird for the Jalfrezi now and then,..so,.I was not asking for too much... Luckily,..I got just what I wanted...and the jobs a good'un... All the best, Phil. Edited February 21, 2015 by Phil Lloyd 12 Quote Link to post
bird 9,622 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 My cnut wont lamp in the rain its only recently so hopefully I can sort it like that, mine don't mind any type weather cold or wet, but the big wimp don't like to go in water , only if up to his chest , I going to by some water wings in the summer for him 1 Quote Link to post
nothernlite 18,030 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 no such thing as perfection Only folk with flawless dogs are kennel blind. whin has 2 Quote Link to post
peterhunter86 8,627 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 My cnut wont lamp in the rain its only recently so hopefully I can sort it Funny you said that was just reading this morning about a coursing dog that is VERY well known and it was the same in the rain? If you lived where I do it would have no option haha..even now as I'm typing its bouncing off the pavement..what type of dog buddy do you have? Whippet cross Quote Link to post
paulus 26 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 the fact you can see a flaw or two and admit it, is a start to working round it and an indication of what do in the future Quote Link to post
blackmaggie 3,375 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 always found the louder the owners boosts the more it was used to mask a flaw i was always suited has long has i got 100 per cent and i always tried to work to there strengths but i think has you get older you become more content with the dogs and getting out and less likely to seek that holy grail both in dogs and quarry just enjoy yourselfs in whatever you do 1 Quote Link to post
FUJI 16,646 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 That's exactly what I was meaning on my opening post Phil,some of the flaws these pot lickers have here as a young eager hunter as I was back in the day then I'd just not of stood for it to be honest..my favourite dog in my kennel is my cur Don..he's been a stalwart of a dog for me and will be six next month,he's still doing grand BUT since he lost an eye last season in a freak accident he will now when in forestry if he's within twenty yards or so give mouth,something he never done before..he's grand out in the open I'm guessing his peripheral vision must be all to cock whilst running through trees? Anyways he's still here lol,I live with it..I'd not cull him for it,he lost his eye doing a job I asked of him,he will work 24/7 on ANYTHING,if it breathes he will work it..I'm honest with my dogs,now his main work is on an estate beating and flushing gear out to guns and dogs,the gamekeeper and guns like him as they know something is about to break cover so i suppose its a good thing in this case plus he still gets plenty himself..his lamping days are over,he's done the big numbers,lads take him ferreting and also digging with terriers..he keeps busy but like I say many would have him pts but he's my fave lol..my boys just came through the door this minute soaked to the knackers but the old cur has put two beasts to bed this afternoon lol..not bad for an old yapping cnut I guess haha 16 Quote Link to post
skycat 6,173 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 She was out of a bitch I bred from a little coursing dog to my Deer'Grey. The owner of the bitch put a nondescript coursing dog over her: she was the only one in the litter that looked like she did: the rest were a right mishmash. I'll never know exactly what she had in her, but she had that steady Deerhound temperament with a lot more besides, but so steady and loved her work no matter what she was doing. As for being kennel blind, I've had dogs for over 40 years and never known another like her, and would be the first to admit to my dogs having faults: for example, her daughter has never begun to even show the same type of aptitude, though she's a decent ferreting and lamping dog. I think that one of the reasons Starlight was so brilliant is that she came along at a time in my life when I was doing a bit of everything, though mainly coursing, and for various reasons she got taken out doing everything else as well: though I wouldn't have taken her out if she hadn't been doing something right in the first place. I had another great bitch long before her, but she was Bearded Collie lurcher, and didn't have the stamina or running style to regularly take good hares on the fens, so I'm classing that as a 'fault', when in reality, it wasn't a fault, just that she didn't have the right breeding for several hares a day on big land. If we're talking about faults, then I'm looking at everything in a dog: ability to take anything on all types of land, temperament, biddability, soundness: the whole lot. There's not many dogs who you could say could perform well on all types of land, on all quarry and be nice to live with, remain sound their whole lives, still be working well into double figures ... oh, wait, she did rupture a muscle in old age trying to do what she'd always done, but that's hardly a fault at the age of 12. 2 Quote Link to post
sandymere 8,261 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I've never had a perfect dog but the ones that came closest were the ones i spent most time with, as a youngster had a couple of good uns though i didn't realise it at the time. These days I set my sights a little lower and look for a good lamper that's easy to live with rather than a wonder dog. no such thing as perfection Not met me then 4 Quote Link to post
marshman 7,756 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Would those of you that said they wouldn't tolerate certain faults back in the day, say they had better dogs then or now ? Quote Link to post
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