Working Greyhounds

[leegreen 2,100]

I think a Greyhound reared from a pup into the working world would fair better, learning from their mistakes.

I had a Whippet Greyhound (racing type) that did very well. Obviously not as robust as a Lurcher, but she had good feet and learnt to control herself a bit, so kept sick bay to a minimum.

Was gonna put her in pup at the age of 6, then she went and killed herself, hit a bench picking up a rabbit.

[mackem 23,827]

Was given a brindle ex-track bitch when I was a kid,maybe around 14 or 15,she was a ferret killer,cat killer and was an all round liability

[sandymere 8,261]

Sandymere what where they like for injuries running into trees and walls etc?

The little cream bitch went to a friend who worked her for a few seasons without to many problems, at least no more than what would expect from a racy lurcher, but she was a canny sort. Wish i still had the video of her running Henlow on a really sodden track to see her weave her way between the bigger dogs down the back straight, round the bends and home to win. Used her brains and stamina on the track and that come across in the field.

 

The black dog was the opposite, he ran something, basically one day walking across a field having a mooch with him a couple of months into his retirement, having been lamped just the once, he took off heading into a wood after something, alas a strand of wire surrounded the wood and the rest brings back nightmares. In truth had lurcher do the same but the greys weight and speed really compounded the collision.

[sandymere 8,261]

 

Some are better than others, a small, light bitch that stays is a completely different ball game to a big powerful sprinter. the big black dog, sprinter, in this pic got injured beyond repair hitting a fence, the little cream bitch worked well for a few years after racing.greys.jpg

 

greys.jpg

nice dogs..

did conditioning them them ready for their working season (field not track) differ at all from what you now do with your lurchers.

 

Yes they were trained for one all out effort whereas the lurcher need to be able to manage repeated runs on the lamp so for them recovery is the key.

[sandymere 8,261]

Was given a brindle ex-track bitch when I was a kid,maybe around 14 or 15,she was a ferret killer,cat killer and was an all round liability

Many lurchers are the same, that's just rearing and training not the breeding.

[PJCaswell 114]

Racing greyhounds are designed to race and coursing greyhounds to course. If you work a greyhound it is at far far higher risk than a lurcher doing the same thing. This is not just because of its truly amazing speed; but because its speed is created by a muscle and bone structure that isn’t designed to stop fast or a brain that is focused on how to kill.

But is it better that a retired greyhound lives a few months or years having fun or lives a lifetime without stretching its legs? I know which I would prefer.

[Phil Lloyd 10,736]

My Greyhound bitch, Tina,..was a fabulous catcher of game,...I had her with me as a puppy from 6 weeks of age...

Back in the 1970s, Roe deer were making an appearance in my area.

She enjoyed catching them, she was so fast and was on their hocks in moments,..they didn't seem to stand a chance.

 

Great times...

 

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Phil Lloyd

[sandymere 8,261]

My 1st ever roe was taken with a grey, had taken a fair few chinkies and the odd Fallow with them but had rarely seen a roe till that day, they where a rare sight back then. Wonder why we have the population explosion going on at the mo??

[Busher100 703]

Did those dogs take fox sandy?

[jigsaw 11,809]

 

mona on the beach.jpg

 

My Mali dog would be good across that

 

not a chance lol....

[Busher100 703]

What's here breeding jigsaw?

[sandymere 8,261]

Did those dogs take fox sandy?

Yes, in the main would run anything, had one little brindle bitch that wouldn't but she was an odd sort, very nervy on the track so retired early to the field but then retired to a pet home after a few months as she just didn't seem to settle to it.

[Busher100 703]

Did you find the nervous types more likely to Jack than the bold confident types?

[sandymere 8,261]

Not really once they were in chase mode the nerves didn't come into it but she was the exception to the rule, an odd one for a grey,

[bird 9,594]

Not really once they were in chase mode the nerves didn't come into it but she was the exception to the rule, an odd one for a grey,

true that , i worked for a bloke who had racing kennel at my old place where i lived, and alot of the dog there dogs and bitches , in my opion would tackle big deer and kill foxes all solo, they were deff up for any wild animal that ran from them. when we walked them , we all had 4 dogs at a time to take out all these dogs knew each other as they see them on the same walk every day, but feck me they still fight it you ever got to close to each other with the other person dogs, and greyyhound do alot of damage very quick, they are very strong dogs with good jaw on them. But in saying this i dont know if they would make fox dogs in same way as a lurcher thats bred to do the job getting bitten regular , and most dog tackling old charlie going to get bitten few times doing it regular , it take very strong (minded ) dog to take this stick deff