Cooper needs a job

The Korthals Griffon Club GB have a training day for tracking injured deer….full details on their Facebook page



Intro Deer Tracking Training Day
Saturday 29th March - All day event 9-4pm

We have a fantastic Deer Tracking training day set up which is being kindly hosted by Deer Tracking Services within Thetford Forest area, Norfolk/Suffolk borders.

This is a subsidised event for members at £80 and £100 for non-members.

To book please use this link https://bit.ly/KGCGB-29-3-25
 
The Korthals Griffon Club GB have a training day for tracking injured deer….full details on their Facebook page



Intro Deer Tracking Training Day
Saturday 29th March - All day event 9-4pm

We have a fantastic Deer Tracking training day set up which is being kindly hosted by Deer Tracking Services within Thetford Forest area, Norfolk/Suffolk borders.

This is a subsidised event for members at £80 and £100 for non-members.

To book please use this link https://bit.ly/KGCGB-29-3-25

What does that involve? He will tell me if deer are in a field driving by in a car at 60mph but I suspect he would be incredibly frustrated if he had to wait for me to keep up!
 
I don’t think flyball really calms dogs down much…!

I dont want to calm him down, I've probably made him sound awful. Hes sharp and bright but he's still a whippet who sleeps 18 hours a day, and is fundamentally lazy, he just needs something in his life to occupy his brain, esp if going forward I cant manage really long walks every day.
 
What does that involve? He will tell me if deer are in a field driving by in a car at 60mph but I suspect he would be incredibly frustrated if he had to wait for me to keep up!
He would need to learn to use his nose as opposed to hunting by sight. They lay a blood trail with a reward* at the end. The trail to start with is very short and direct.......think feet.....and the dog has to follow each drop of blood. A dog can be slowed down by adding complexity and breaks to the trail - an injured animal doesn't leave a continuous straight line of blood! It is guaranteed to tire the brain.

The Bavarian Mountain Hound group used to run similar days.....some more details are here: http://www.bmhs.org.uk/training--tests.html

*reward = deer liver, kidney or similar
 
I would say choose your club carefully with flyball and choose where you race. Happy to discuss more via pm. In theory, with correct training it should be no more risky than any sport.

What about barn hunt? It's scent based but all mine love it even the sighthounds.

I tried barn hunt with my older heeler once he had retired from agility. I thought he would love it as he is always hunting round our hay barn. He found the first rat in a tube, had a sniff and went "it's there but its dead so no fun", and then was totally disinterested, just half hearted sniffing.
 
ID there are a few lovely whippets doing agility. Yes they will throw in zoomies occasionally but as long as you don't want to take it too seriously would be worth having a try. There are plenty of clubs around who don't insist on you doing obedience with them first, as long as he has the basics.
 
He would need to learn to use his nose as opposed to hunting by sight. They lay a blood trail with a reward* at the end. The trail to start with is very short and direct.......think feet.....and the dog has to follow each drop of blood. A dog can be slowed down by adding complexity and breaks to the trail - an injured animal doesn't leave a continuous straight line of blood! It is guaranteed to tire the brain.

The Bavarian Mountain Hound group used to run similar days.....some more details are here: http://www.bmhs.org.uk/training--tests.html

*reward = deer liver, kidney or similar

ok this is worth a go as well, it would be ideal for my older boy, he did scent work from 12 to 18 months and has never forgotten it. He uses his nose far, far more than any whippet I've ever met and I've followed him a good mile while he's nose to the floor tracking something. It sounds very similar to "find it" that we play. I often volunteer his services if people have lost dogs and he regularly finds my keys/purse/car for me.

I'm just going to try everything that sounds remotely fun. He might not find something he loves but it will be good for us both to do different things together anyway.
 
ID there are a few lovely whippets doing agility. Yes they will throw in zoomies occasionally but as long as you don't want to take it too seriously would be worth having a try. There are plenty of clubs around who don't insist on you doing obedience with them first, as long as he has the basics.

I'm going to ask in person while we are doing the barn hunt thing about it. Its a bit of a trek but I don't mind driving. Hes more trainable that most whippets I've met, and in an environment where there's no deer or other things he wants to go and find he will really try for me. Racing just doesn't work as he thinks its pointless when the woods surrounding the track are full of fun things he could be chasing not silly bits of plastic. He only actually ran the last time to appease me I think.
 
I tried barn hunt with my older heeler once he had retired from agility. I thought he would love it as he is always hunting round our hay barn. He found the first rat in a tube, had a sniff and went "it's there but its dead so no fun", and then was totally disinterested, just half hearted sniffing.

We've always used live rats in barn hunt here and in usa
 
I'm going to ask in person while we are doing the barn hunt thing about it. Its a bit of a trek but I don't mind driving. Hes more trainable that most whippets I've met, and in an environment where there's no deer or other things he wants to go and find he will really try for me. Racing just doesn't work as he thinks its pointless when the woods surrounding the track are full of fun things he could be chasing not silly bits of plastic. He only actually ran the last time to appease me I think.
You might be as well reading the Toveys’ memoirs, among other things, a lot of experience and tips for reinvigorating ‘soured’ greyhounds which have gone off racing.
 
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