Please Could I Have Some Advice...

[jinnyfizz]

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Hallo to all K9ers whose whippets keep the rabbit population under control

My bitch, Jinny, is nearly 18 weeks now and bred from a working whippet who is an excellent rabbiter, so all the family credentials are there! :thumbsup:

I would like to train Jinny to work - for rabbit control on my own land - and would appreciate some pointers from all you experienced people so that I can do it the right way and not spoil her. She is my first whippet so all advice will be most welcome

Thanks everyone :cheers:

 

[midlanderkeith]

Hallo to all K9ers whose whippets keep the rabbit population under control 
My bitch, Jinny, is nearly 18 weeks now and bred from a working whippet who is an excellent rabbiter, so all the family credentials are there!  :thumbsup:

I would like to train Jinny to work - for rabbit control on my own land - and would appreciate some pointers from all you experienced people so that I can do it the right way and not spoil her.  She is my first whippet so all advice will be most welcome 

Thanks everyone  :cheers:

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ooohhhh yer own land lucky you, 18 weeks old just nice, but first things first, plenty of time for working, i assume you have introduced her to livestock, and hows about recall, most important.

:luck:

 

[jinnyfizz]

Hi Keith

Not much land .... just a couple of acres but I need the grass for my 4 sheep and the horses - can't keep feeding these rabbits, you know!!!

Jinny ignores all the livestock (got Devon Red cattle in field next door too). If the horses come towards her she runs to me!

Recall could be alot better. She seems ok out walking in other fields and doesn't go far from me and my other dogs, but if she is in the confines of home she tends to ignore me - presumably because she feels secure and too confident?

I could really use the advice for recall training to start with ... as you say, no rush and I want to get it right :thumbsup:

Jane

 

[midlanderkeith]

Hi KeithNot much land .... just a couple of acres but I need the grass for my 4 sheep and the horses - can't keep feeding these rabbits, you know!!!

Jinny ignores all the livestock (got Devon Red cattle in field next door too). If the horses come towards her she runs to me!

Recall could be alot better. She seems ok out walking in other fields and doesn't go far from me and my other dogs, but if she is in the confines of home she tends to ignore me - presumably because she feels secure and too confident?

I could really use the advice for recall training to start with ... as you say, no rush and I want to get it right  :thumbsup:  

Jane

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Cant over emphasise the need for praise Janet on recall as im sure you are aware, i personally didnt use treats, i want my dog to come back to me not a treat, but that doesnt apply with all dogs, let the dog roam free in an enclosed area, shout her back praise her treat her if you must, simple as that my friend, as for livestock, she runs back to you cos shes frightened maybe, no good, but will cover that when you are ready to do so, if you care to see how a trained up dog behaves around livestock, go see my posts general discussion whippets

HER BULLY FRIEND, WOTYA LOOKIN AT, JILLS MATE

good luck with her always here to help

keith :cheers:

 

[jinnyfizz]

Thanks Keith. I've been doing all her training so far by 'positive reinforcement'. I'll start 'official' recall training with her this weekend and use a smaller enclosed area as you suggest.

She only runs to me when the horses are behaving badly (2 acres not very big when 2 stonking great racehorses are acting like loons!!) Generally she is calm around them and just keeps her eye out in case they kick off! Not much seems to scare her at all - she never even flinched today when the RAF were practising their flying manoeuvers about 1000ft above us!!

I used small bits of chicken as reward when she was younger but now just tend to make a big fuss of her when she obeys instructions.

I'll have a look at those threads ....... thanks again. Will let you know how we go on :cheers: Jane

 

[springfield]

You could try the www.whippetforum.com You get some good stories there.And advice from :huggles: Gamekeepers to whippet owners.Whippets are generally fast learners

 

[jinnyfizz]

Thankk you :thumbsup:

I'm registered on whippet forum as well so I'll post there as well .........

Jinny's been doing very well over last couple of days - recall very good when not at home!!!

 

[tripletree28]

Whippets generally have strong hunting instincts and if yours is bred from working stock entering it to quarry ie. rabbit won't be a problem. The main thing like keith said is getting basic training right first. I've got a 15 month old whippet that entered very quickly just over 5 months old when she caught her first but in retrospect this was far too early.You live and learn and my next whippet wouldn't be rushed. I think Ebb being my first whippet I was just eager for her to hunt and catch. In terms of catching technique she will perfect that herself with practice when you do enter her encourage her with eay runs to begin with especially lamping only slip her if she's got a good chance of catching it's all about building confidence and not rushing. Good luck and keep posting about het progress.

 

[springfield]

Where did you get Jinny as my dog mated alitter in Devon and pups are around that age?

 

[jinnyfizz]

Wish I had been able to get her locally!!! I had to go to Derbyshire (near Buxton) to collect her (w00t) . Her sire was a working whippet (also near Buxton).

I believe one of Jinny's litter mates is now in the Yeovil area of Somerset but the others are much further north (even one in Scotland!) :cheers:

 

[jinnyfizz]

Whippets generally have strong hunting instincts and if yours is bred from working stock entering it to quarry ie. rabbit won't be a problem.  The main thing like keith said is getting basic training right first.  I've got a 15 month old whippet that entered very quickly just over 5 months old when she caught her first but in retrospect this was far too early.You live and learn and my next whippet wouldn't be rushed.  I think Ebb being my first whippet I was just eager for her to hunt and catch.  In terms of catching technique she will perfect that herself with practice when you do enter her encourage her with eay runs to begin with especially lamping only slip her if she's got a good chance of catching it's all about building confidence and not rushing.  Good luck and keep posting about het progress.

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Thanks I don't want to rush her, not least because I want her to enjoy being a puppy ...... they learn so much as they're growing up!!

She is quite an independent sort already and is beginning to show a good turn of foot and chasing instinct - funnily enough I haven't seen one rabbit on my field since June ....... probably been too wet for them (w00t) LOL!!