what age do you run your dogs

[Guest blue_boy]

alright lads i am sick of seeing people trying to rush there dogs what age do you real lurcher men(by real i mean experienced and respected not a cowboy lamper) start your dogs i prefer to teach them the basics first when i usally intraduce a bitch around 9 months and a dog a bit later i know it varies on the type of lurcher im talking about a dog 25 say or under please only genuin lurcher men comment as id like good advice for the begginers and novices

[damashaman 1]

It is a good rule of thumb with a "lurcher" with a good dose of greyhound in it to take it very steady for the first six months, ease on some free running exersise up to one, and gently build the dogs fitness up to 18 months. By 2-4 the dog is in its prime, then long hare slips are o.k. when the dog has had pleanty of road work before hand.

Build on it fom there on. year up year out rule. but greyhounds burst easy, longdog crosses of high saluki percentage are a lot tougher. Some lads I know run these VERY young, though not being a saluki man I don't know so much about them. Generally the earlier you start a dog the sooner you retire him, very unfortunate as they are a long time retired anyway! Whippet and terrier crosses again are much less fragile. Dogs with large amounts of good quality grayound in them can pop lungs, strain hearts, muscles, joints as they are such explosive high performance things. Slow and steady in my opinion. I wonder if keg can give more detail on this subject.

Edited April 20, 2008 by damashaman

[Guest ripstop]

Ive only just finished my 3rd season with lurchers, and having bought in older stock, then loosing one to an accident at the start of the seson, im bringing 2 pups on at the moment, one is a colliwhippetgrewxgrew, approx.23 tts 12 months, the other a salukibullgrey12 months and approx 27 tts. the whippet bitch caught at around 8.5 months, but only the one, the big dog has only chased a couple as i dont think he is ready at the moment, although keen. in the last couple of weeks the whippet bitch has had a few more lamped rabbits, but am obidience traing the big one, which is very easy, the whippet bitch hasnt needed much done obidience wise. Ive seen a good few people putting their dogs on rabbits at 6 months and although some have turned out ok most have injured or been given away before 2 years old. More experienced dog men will be a wealth of information i think to the new uns like me, i rushed one dog and he jacked in a matter of minutes all for the sake of a rabbit, luckily i kept him off, took him ferreting after a good few months, he came good, but sadly lost to an accident at the start of the season, hope this might of helped someone, good to here others views.

[Royston2 0]

they all differ so much a pup at 8 9 months should be showing deffo signs of willing to chase and hunt i think but this doesn`t mean it needs to be worked i wait usually till the pup is ready you will know.................

[Guest ripstop]

they all differ so much a pup at 8 9 months should be showing deffo signs of willing to chase and hunt i think but this doesn`t mean it needs to be worked i wait usually till the pup is ready you will know.................

 

 

The big dog i mentioned hunts up, follows scent etc, but something tells me No not yet, like you say Royston you will know.

[skycat 6,173]

The big dog i mentioned hunts up, follows scent etc, but something tells me No not yet, like you say Royston you will know.

 

Well said ripstop! If you have any doubt at all as to whether your dog is ready, then wait a bit longer. Another month or two learning how to control the body will never hurt a young dog.

I agree about the Saluki types: they seem to be able to control their bodies a lot earlier than Greyhoundy types. Even so, their big bones (shoulder blades and legs) won't finish growing until they are about 14 months old. I use that as a rule of thumb.

Sure, let them run about, learn how to handle themselves in the field, pick up the odd rabbit if they get lucky, take them ferreting to learn concentration and patience and get them thinking instead of just galloping wildly around: but lay off the hard work until they have really finished growing.

 

I watched a young dog of about 8 months galloping around on grass: he had trouble turning, his feet were slipping from underneath him as he tried to chase another dog in fun. That's the sort of thing that damages young lurchers as much as anything: a slip on smooth grass and there's a muscle torn or ligaments stretched. I know we can't wrap them in cotton wool, but if they are mad headed at the 6 months to a year stage then do things with them that are calm and thought provoking: not mad galloping, twisting and turning: especially for the spindly, gangly pups that are going to be lightly built AND tall when they grow up. Stocky dogs, small dogs are a safer bet: look at wild dog types: its only us humans that have bred the lanky spindly sort to catch game: not like naturally evolved canine types at all.

[bird 9,610]

they all differ so much a pup at 8 9 months should be showing deffo signs of willing to chase and hunt i think but this doesn`t mean it needs to be worked i wait usually till the pup is ready you will know.................

 

 

The big dog i mentioned hunts up, follows scent etc, but something tells me No not yet, like you say Royston you will know.

 

 

About 12months old, doint forget it will be its 1 season anyway. On the lamp just a 3 or 4 runs,

if it did catch a rabbit, take it back home. Try to finish on a High.

 

BIRD

[Guest ripstop]

they all differ so much a pup at 8 9 months should be showing deffo signs of willing to chase and hunt i think but this doesn`t mean it needs to be worked i wait usually till the pup is ready you will know.................

 

 

The big dog i mentioned hunts up, follows scent etc, but something tells me No not yet, like you say Royston you will know.

 

 

About 12months old, doint forget it will be its 1 season anyway. On the lamp just a 3 or 4 runs,

if it did catch a rabbit, take it back home. Try to finish on a High.

 

BIRD

[Brummy 9]

In my opinion if you're out every day with the dogs, a pup from say 6 months onward will learn from the other dogs about what it's nose is for, where to stand for a bolt etc. The only thing that will hold it back from catching is it's ability to run.

However, the key thing is that YOU will notice that all of a sudden the little bugger is weaving and jinking with the big dogs and striking at them and blades of grass and all sorts !

If the time of year or conditions are right it will start to run quarry of it's own accord, but it won't hurt to take him/her for a quick shine for half an hour at all.

I prefer to do it this way myself as in my opinion you don't overwhelm a dog with expectations. Above all else you can be the best " Dog man" in the world, but if you don't possess patience you'll never develop a "feel" for your dogs which is something that good lurchermen all have.

Edited April 21, 2008 by Brummy

[Guest ripstop]

Thats funny you should say that, as when you get that FEEL for your dogs, it just seems to flow very naturally, ive only just fonund mine, and it feels a very good feeling, and like youre in total control. A thing id say we all need to be able to work lurchers.

[damashaman 1]

Too right brummy!! Its a balance between the learning curve of going out and exposing the dogs sponge like young brain, and giving him too much too young. Same with all dogs for all purposes. Ending on a high is correct too mr Bird, well said. many folk overlook this factor.

 

Some explosive greyhound crosses actually catch more when they learn to slow down a bit, sounds daft i know but this is especially true with rabbits. My old 3/4 bred collie grey was like this, now he is so lazy he does not even try on very long slips, but has a higher catch rate than dogs much younger than him. he simply waits for stuff to come running into his mouth these days, chased by a young un and he is a wobbly 12 year old. Still has one of the best mouths I have ever seen though, he's like a hungry hippo on the strike, as if he's a telescopic neck!!

[Brummy 9]

Ha ha Hungry Hippo............ Old Skool toy action !!

 

Good analogy though...............