HAPPY NEW WEEK!!!
Last week's Chat thread is here.
Seems like a lot of folks on this thread have been facing adversity of one kind or another. Sending you all best wishes and good energy.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
WENDY - I agree that this is, in the full definition, hunting with Dogs - maybe I should not have used the present tense as of course I am referring to what has happened in the past and has allegedly been stopped!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
LINDY What a nightmare for you. Think most of you know we had Goldies for over 30 years and now have a Cocker, now just a little over 3. None of them have shown the killer instinct, thank goodness. Benson will give things if he wants them thrown again, and run away with them if that is the game he wants to play. A very firm "WAIT' usually gets the required response and we can then take anything from him. I do hope Bonnie stops bringing you these gifts!!!
OG living as rural as I do I respect both birds and 4 legged furry prey...
The law on both respects hunting and leads at certain times is paramount ..
We would never condone Daisy having that sort of fun.
Her breed had a bad enough reputation which to me is no different to any other breed its down to us owners and not the dog.
I don't want to offend anyone but it is a fact of life?
Not sure if the whole of UK the same but in Scotland farmers have the right to shoot dogs worrying their animals. If we are near sheep, lambs or cows tapaidh is on a lead and at present if we are walking near shooting estates with ground nesting pheasant/grouse etc she is on lead. I would never 100% trust a dog with other animals or kids for that matter so better safe than sorry as it just takes a nanosecond for them to be distracted by something
I also don't want to upset anyone but Springers can definitely be dogs that catch by instinct and maybe breeding. I have just had a long explanation from my OH who has owned spaniels and worked on estates which used them as gundogs. He lost me a bit when talking about 'soft mouthed dogs' but I think that I got the gist of it!! Anyway, is any of this going to help LINDY and her OH? My heart goes out to them xx
Sheepdogs will kill sheep by instinct... the art is to train them not to.
Sadly some dog owners take the same stance as some parents and the number of times I have " boys will be boys" I could scream.
Hi all, sorry if I'm butting in but my heart goes out to Linda and her OH. We always had Setters, Irish and Gordon, and although totally mad they are incredibly soft mouthed dogs bred for setting up birds. The twice they caught baby rabbits they just dropped them at our feet and the rabbits shook themselves and ran off. The more difficult dog we took to training and her waiting and coming to call improved no end. It must be so upsetting for you Linda but please try to find something that will help all three of you.
Kind regards
Jenny
HEATHER - the "soft mouth " is a necessity in any dog used for retrieving, as no cook (or butcher) would want game which has been damaged before the retriever gives it over!
I expect you are all glad now that I am setting off tomorrow and won't be saying so much for a week. Just bear in mind that I shall be staying on a farm in an area known for "field sports"!
Bye - take care, all!
Jenny I agree and Lindy I hope that Bonnie will calm down a little, she is still young and although not a springer Tapaidh still has bouts of what we call the "crazies". Dogs will be dogs and coming historically from pack animal situations they are by nature predators. Doesn't stop us loving them dearly, my oh is much stricter than I but Tapaidh is like my shadow and at 1 yr 9mths it has taken a lot of energy and not without tears to get her trained to become the very gentle obedient dog she now is.
Lindy, I cannot comment on dogs, being a cat person, but sympathy coming your way.