Newbie - general info needed about lurcher training

[Guest gododdin]

Hi all - I'm new here and was hoping for a bit of advice. I had a lurcher years ago and she was very handy with rabbits and those other things you're not allowed to mention now . I've been without a dog for a while but my daughter finally persuaded us to get a pup (as a pet really). We went for a cross between a German Shorthaired Pointer (mother) and an unspecified something else because it was free to a good home.

 

Well, the dog is now 5 months old and I'm convinced that there is running dog in there - she has that deep chest, long legged look - know what I mean? Very fast and very bright. So I'm thinking of giving her a go. We have millions of rabbits hereabouts and now that I've checked the sticky about the law I can see that it's still okay to lamp rabbits in Scotland.

 

So the advice I'm hoping for is - at what age should I start her off? Is she too young just now? I seem to remember something about 6 months, but it's been a long time since I was involved. I used to have Plumber's Lurcher book but I must have lent it to someone. Any good alternative books that you can recommend?

 

Also, can anyone recommend a good lamp? Technology has moved on since I was last involved and there's a lot of choice - I'd like to make sure I get the right one.

 

Thanks, G

[Lennard 10]

Hey...welcome on here...

 

If I were you I would stick to normal obedience and fetching tennis balls or so with the lamp, I would not show the pup any game on purpose before it has a reasonable recall routine. If it does not have a routine of coming back it might start hunting up for itself and that is really annoying if you want a dog that runs and comes back when it has lost sight of the rabbit.

 

I would wait for her body to harden too and get experience with wire and bramble and everything just playing.

 

As for lamps...here we do not have these nice lamps like you guys have in the UK..I used cheap ass 6V 55W lamps that only shine for 20 min but I have a pimped one to 12 V 55W with the battery in the back pack...it works well...

 

L

Edited December 21, 2007 by Lennard

[Guest gododdin]

Thanks Lennard

 

So at the moment, what I should be doing is building her up with lots of running after tennis balls, and making sure she brings them back? That's great and is more or less what I'm doing. Just at the moment she will bring a ball back but stops a few feet away - won't bring it to hand. She'll drop it on the ground though when I say 'leave it' and I can then walk forward and pick it up. Any advice on getting her to bring it right back to hand?

 

Thanks, G

[doxhope 2]

Bound to be someone on here that could help you with that matie

[Lennard 10]

Hmmm I don't know...depends on your standards...mine won't retrieve to hand but will stop a few meters from me and I can take it...but it does so without a command...maybe I could get it to bring it to hand but then I would need to make additional noise...

 

Our normal routine is pretty "volatile"...I move within a minute or so...I bike around with dog leashed and shine on interesting spots...when there is something there, the dog is released and runs it in the beam...when the quarry is lost or caught I turn off the beam and give a signal and I expect the dog to stand by me pretty quick to be leashed or I started biking slowly and the dog will come and run along the bike and I leash it up in a more covered place.

 

Your dog sounds pretty ok...if the dog does well retrieving balls you can try a fur dummy or dead rabbit and see what she does...does it jump? If not you can work on that with starting wiht small planches in the doorway and progress to sheep wire...and work on jumping ditches too...

 

L

Edited December 21, 2007 by Lennard

[Guest gododdin]

Your dog sounds pretty ok...if the dog does well retrieving balls you can try a fur dummy or dead rabbit and see what she does...does it jump? If not you can work on that with starting wiht small planches in the doorway and progress to sheep wire...and work on jumping ditches too...

 

L

 

She's already jumping gates like they're not there - I haven't tried her with stock fence yet. I don't have a gun, but I've asked my friend to shoot me a rabbit so I can skin it and make a dummy - he's coming round for a beer later, so hopefully...

[Guest gododdin]

No one else got any advice for a beginner then? Oh well...

[Guest gododdin]

I'm disappointed in the response to my question from this forum - I'm going to look for another one. Perhaps I didn't ask the right questions? Okay then, so it's my fault - fair enough. Maybe I'll come back and post some pictures when my dog's taking 100 rabbits a night and I'm an 'expert', but until then.... Bye... Thanks to Lennard though..........