Question

[Gareth12 225]

Just for some fun and to get a bit of a discussion going, how would you rate the following in importance for a running dog to have, in your opinion for the type of hunting you do? Mine would be

1.Nose

2.trainabillity

3.coat

4.endurance

5.speed

6.gameness

However most of the work my bitch does is lamping and bushing for rabbits only, so obviously it will change from person to person.

[Stabs 3]

Gareth...your first four points describe a welsh hound or a spaniel! Do you really put pace so low down?

[J Darcy 5,871]

speed and trainability for me.....

[Guest HAWKEYE]

speed

determination

brains

and somethin a bit extra about them, a zest or a spark

[lucky 578]

as long as they know how to eject themselves from the car and land properly that does me for the training bit

1.gameness

2.speed

3.stamina

4.feet

5.size

[Bandit 0]

1.Gameness : The dog has got to want to do it otherwise forget it.

2.Speed : Speaks for itself.

3.Endurance : I do a fair few hours when I'm out and about on the Lamp, so he/she must stay the course.

4.Trainability: I need a dog that is steady to stock, will bring to hand every time and one you don't have to ball and shout at telling everyone and his brother where I am or draw attention to what I'm up to. At the mo I've got a 14mnth old who is good for me in every respect but will not bring to hand, these things are sent to try us I'm sure he'll come round though.

5. Nose : For my smaller Ferreting dogs this is essential, but not that important in a lamping dog.

6. Coat : No real opinion on the coat, but I'm sure someone will give me there's.

[Guest Doug]

1.Nose

2.trainabillity

3.coat

4.endurance

5.speed

6.gameness

 

 

1 Trainability. If I can't control it, it's no use to me.

 

2 Gameness. If it doesn't want to do the job, it won't do it.

 

3 Speed. That's what I need hunting where I do, and that's why we use running dogs not spaniels etc.

 

4 Nose. Why so low down the list? Any dog has enough nose to do a lurcher's job. But you need 1 and 2 plus experience for it to know how to use that nose.

 

5/6 I don't need endurance because I don't go in for marathon days/nights. A few hours is fine for me. And I'm not fussed about coat as long as it has one.

[LAMPER 0]

Good Feet.........feck me these should be way up on everyones list.

[HBG 350]

for the way i lamp,they need speed to get there,then the gameness when they get there,the endurance to do it all night(our lass says i have'nt) the trainability comes with practice.

cheers hbg

[smallmouth 1]

If I stick to reordering your original list, then.......

 

1) trainability – It’ll soon be dead on the many roads or railways otherwise and it must be biddable enough to live in the house as a family pet and be easy for my wife/daughter to exercise when I’m not around

 

2) speed – It’s a running dog after all, fast enough to catch a daytime rabbit, but acceleration and agility are just as important as raw speed

 

3) Nose – won’t find much round here without a willingness to “get out†and use it

 

4) coat – The right sort, smooth and thick like a seal, or harsh and rough. Not too heavy either way or overheating is a problem

 

5) endurance – There aren’t the numbers round here to require that

 

6) gameness – For rabbiting? Anyway I don’t need a “death or glory†lurcher, I had one once; she only made it to just past 3 years old and was all ready well stitched by then.

 

I’d have good temperament and physical soundness on my list though, and they’d be near the top

 

But I reckon good luck is really the most important quality a working lurcher can possess........