gazzer Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Hi folks.....i am fortunate enough now to have a fair amount of land to shoot on..lots of woodland and a 500 acre farm with lots of hedgerows....i have a plummer terrier that i bought for ratting but as daft as it sounds there just isnt any quality ratting around here anymore..farmers are always saying they have loads but when you get there mob handed with pack of dogs,smokers etc theres the odd one...i feel my terrier isnt getting the work he craves....as does happen i have naturally moved on to rough shoots and pigeon shooting...i have tried to use my plummer as much as poss for flushing but hes just not getting it and i dont have the time to train him......now....i have managed to talk the missus around as she has refused to allow me another dog..but i now have a huge kennel being given me by a friend to house a new dog....i would really like a spaniel,pref ESS ...the missus as i said has come round to the idea but i really dont have any serious money to spend.....now....here is my dialemma...........i am aware for a quality dog that i will have to pay decent money....but its been mentioned to me that some dog owners/breeder may have a similar problem and want a swap for a ratting dog.....to me this seems a little unfair on my dog (he near 3 yrs old now)..however i would prefer him to do what he likes best....i cant take him shooting with me as he becomes a pain,doesnt like the noise etc.....but i need a gundog.....what do you experts advise??........would a swap be a decent thing to do??.....also...if i was to buy a spaniel....bearing in mind i have limited time to train....should i buy a pup or one thats partially trained to flush/retrieve???.....if so, how much should i expect to pay.....any sensible advice will be greatly appreciated...thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom&Dexter Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 If you have not had the chance to work him how will he miss it if you get a spaniel ? after three year do the decent thing and keep him You say you dont have a lot of cash another dog is not a good idea in my opinion they cost a fair bit especially from a pup Just my 2 pence you did ask. As for a trained dog anywhere from £500-1.5k pup from £200-£800 and a lot of time training and other cost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzer Posted March 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 hi thanks for the reply.....i had lots of work originally but what im saying is that it has dried up around here...the folk i went ratting with (around 4-8 people with dogs) we had a lot of land between us...most have been ratting for years with very good dogs...my dog seemed to be doing great then the invites for the ratting just stopped...not my fault or my dogs....to keep him active i tried to take him along shooting..gradually introducing him to the game and the noise...he wont even go near a gun..soon as its out the cabinet he's back in his bed....just doesnt like the noise..what im saying is now,i got him for ratting,thats what he enjoys,and id rather him do that...its just not happening around here...most farms are immaculate and a lot of work is involved all day long for a very small handfull of rat.....a lot of our local farms now leave bait/poison down so its off limits.i didnt get my dog for a pet which is whats gonna happen if he doesnt work......i am merely wanting whats best for my dog..not taking any easy options hence me asking advice here. As for money..i know how much it costs to keep a dog...i have ample supply of quality food,treatments,worming tabs etc etc...and now have a top quality kennel...i set aside money in my budget for my dogs so its not an issue....realistically...time is my biggest issue...when i shoot my woods or farmland i can be up there for 5am....hunt til late morning and still carry on with work etc after....my concern with a new pup is the time it takes to train and bring on.....i am making sure i get it right by asking advice..i have made mistakes like everyone else but dont wish to make anymore....i will happily pay the right money for the right dog...but i dont have an abundance of cash to wave about...i am really putting the feelers out there to see whats what....i have owned dogs most my life but not a gundog.....anyhow..i appreciate your reply and get where your coming from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 hi thanks for the reply.....i had lots of work originally but what im saying is that it has dried up around here...the folk i went ratting with (around 4-8 people with dogs) we had a lot of land between us...most have been ratting for years with very good dogs...my dog seemed to be doing great then the invites for the ratting just stopped...not my fault or my dogs....to keep him active i tried to take him along shooting..gradually introducing him to the game and the noise...he wont even go near a gun..soon as its out the cabinet he's back in his bed....just doesnt like the noise..what im saying is now,i got him for ratting,thats what he enjoys,and id rather him do that...its just not happening around here...most farms are immaculate and a lot of work is involved all day long for a very small handfull of rat.....a lot of our local farms now leave bait/poison down so its off limits.i didnt get my dog for a pet which is whats gonna happen if he doesnt work......i am merely wanting whats best for my dog..not taking any easy options hence me asking advice here. As for money..i know how much it costs to keep a dog...i have ample supply of quality food,treatments,worming tabs etc etc...and now have a top quality kennel...i set aside money in my budget for my dogs so its not an issue....realistically...time is my biggest issue...when i shoot my woods or farmland i can be up there for 5am....hunt til late morning and still carry on with work etc after....my concern with a new pup is the time it takes to train and bring on.....i am making sure i get it right by asking advice..i have made mistakes like everyone else but dont wish to make anymore....i will happily pay the right money for the right dog...but i dont have an abundance of cash to wave about...i am really putting the feelers out there to see whats what....i have owned dogs most my life but not a gundog.....anyhow..i appreciate your reply and get where your coming from. I just find it hard to imagine you can't get ratting for your terrier, farms yes but there are loads of other ground about for ratting its not all about going mob handed to rat infested farms, be carefull you don't end up with a second rough shooting dog and decide you fancy a rabbiting lurcher instead. Dogs are a big commitment for life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenthomas Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 It will take a lot of time to train a new dog to become a useful shooting companion, so you need to think carefully about how much time you could dedicate to this. Otherwise you could end up with a 2nd dog that isn't really much use to you. If you were to buy a part trained dog, or even a full trained dog - they don't stay trained so you would need to put in some time. Helen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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