Need Recall Help With Lurcher

[luke524896 0]

Hi, my Lurcher which is Scottish Deerhound/saluki Greyhound is about 8 years old i got him when he was 5 from a friend who used him to hare course and he had got him from gypsies... im just having problems with him pulling alot and when he goes off he dosnt come back straight away he wonders off in to thorn bushes and over the other side of the field. I was just wondering if he is to old to train to come back when he is loose because i want to start lamping with him and if he dont come back its a bit of a problem. Any advice would be very appreciated thanks!

Edited December 2, 2007 by luke524896

[skycat 6,174]

So you've had the dog for 3 years and you have no recall!! Dog is now 8 years old and been doing its own thing since you had it? Mmmm!

 

Another problem: if the dog has never lamped before it would be a bit like taking a middle aged formula one driver and asking him to drive round a race track at night with no lights. Not a perfect analogy, but what I'm trying to say is that a dog of his age which has never lamped is likely to be both unfit (unless he works himself every day hard when your'e not looking LOL) and also more than likely to commit suicide running a rabbit in a spot of light. Unless he is very experienced in hunting by day and is field wise (is he?) and you have large grass fields with no obstacles and soft hedges to bounce off!

 

It IS harder for old dogs to learn new tricks, and the whole thing about running about in a pool of light when outside that pool is darkness is a dangerous and risky thing to do.........and that goes for young, fit dogs that know what they are doing!

 

But you need to work on his recall first, and the only person that can do that is you: if you don't mind me asking, what has prompted you to think of lamping this dog now? Personally I'd go and get myself a pup and train it correctly from the start rather than trying to put an old dog into a new and dodgy position, one in which the poor old bugger is likely to come unstuck. Just my opinion.

 

Sorry to sound down about it but I'd be thinking of the dog rather than my own desire to go lamping. Do the lad a favour and let him enjoy his later years as he is, if he's happy doing that.

 

Let's see a pick of the dog, and give us a few more details: difficult to offer concrete advice with not much info.

[skycat 6,174]

Come on Moll: are you still reading this or have you gone away?? LOL What do you, or anyone else reckon on this one? Be interesting to have some other input into this: has anyone started training an 8 year old dog for lamping, and succeeded?

[luke524896 0]

So you've had the dog for 3 years and you have no recall!! Dog is now 8 years old and been doing its own thing since you had it? Mmmm!

 

Another problem: if the dog has never lamped before it would be a bit like taking a middle aged formula one driver and asking him to drive round a race track at night with no lights. Not a perfect analogy, but what I'm trying to say is that a dog of his age which has never lamped is likely to be both unfit (unless he works himself every day hard when your'e not looking LOL) and also more than likely to commit suicide running a rabbit in a spot of light. Unless he is very experienced in hunting by day and is field wise (is he?) and you have large grass fields with no obstacles and soft hedges to bounce off!

 

It IS harder for old dogs to learn new tricks, and the whole thing about running about in a pool of light when outside that pool is darkness is a dangerous and risky thing to do.........and that goes for young, fit dogs that know what they are doing!

 

But you need to work on his recall first, and the only person that can do that is you: if you don't mind me asking, what has prompted you to think of lamping this dog now? Personally I'd go and get myself a pup and train it correctly from the start rather than trying to put an old dog into a new and dodgy position, one in which the poor old bugger is likely to come unstuck. Just my opinion.

 

Sorry to sound down about it but I'd be thinking of the dog rather than my own desire to go lamping. Do the lad a favour and let him enjoy his later years as he is, if he's happy doing that.

 

Let's see a pick of the dog, and give us a few more details: difficult to offer concrete advice with not much info.

 

Ive tried rabbiting in the day but they are normally sitting by the hedges and when ever my dog gets close they just jump in so someone told me to start taking it lamping because it would be easier. Also the area where i was thinking of lamping him is a big open field. I am thinking of getting a pup but i dont think i would be aloud the main reason i was alowed my dog was because he was a rescue dog but he was used to hare course. Im trying to talk my mum into letting me have a pup perhaps anouther lurcher or maybe a whippet.

[luke524896 0]

He is to old, if you persist he will end up getting badly hurt he is not a lamp dog. And probably was a U S hare dog. probably that's why he ended up at a rescue centre.

i didnt get him from a rescue centre i got him from a friend who rescued him from gypsies who badly abused him

[skycat 6,174]

i didnt get him from a rescue centre i got him from a friend who rescued him from gypsies who badly abused him

 

Same difference: the dog has had a hard life and he deserves to live out what is left of it without risking his health further in my opinion. Even lurchers who have always been looked after perfectly are past their best at 8 years old. Your lad is virtually guaranteed to be carrying some old muscle or tendon injuries: I repeat, it would be unfair to put him at risk by lamping him. and I doubt he would be physically fit enough anyway. Most dogs of that age are semi retired, muscle tone goes, not to mention arthritic toes etc.

Without meaning to be rude or treat you as someone who doesn't know a lot, would you say you are qualified to judge his condition correctly? If you want to find out how he really is get him to a greyhound vet to give him the once over: that way you'll know for certain exactly how the dog is. I have a 7 year old bitch who I have had since a pup, and she's seen a lot of work over the years and always been kept fit by running beside a bike as well as at least an hour's free running every day of the year. Even she is beginning to slow up a bit now, and it's getting harder to keep her really fit, she has a touch of arthritis in her wrists, and whereas last season she was still my main lamp dog, this season she only gets daytime work: much safer on the old girl.

[luke524896 0]

My dog

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

I would carefully and patiently work on all the basic training at home.

Poor thing looks old. I would go easy on her.