Taking own dog to a meet?

[Orangehorse]

The minkhounds are meeting next door farm. Is it OK to take my terrier along to the meet?
She is small enough to pick up if needed, and if she is impossible I can easily go home.

I just wondered about the etiquette as never noticed before if people take dogs.

Last autumn the hunt met at the same place and there were a few people with dogs and I wished I had taken mine, as it would have saved taking her out for a walk later in the day!

 

[ExmoorHunter]

Loads of people take their dogs when hunting on foot/in cars but usually they are kept on a lead for obvious reasons!

 

[combat_claire]

I whip in to a minkhound pack and we are quite relaxed about having well behaved dogs out on leads.

If at all possible please, please don't use a flexi-lead as in the long grass they present a hazard to hunt staff who may need to run past you very quickly and do not appreciate being taken out by a trip wire!

If it's a hot day your terrier will probably appreciate a chance to cool off in the river and have a drink at a shallow part, but best to wait until the pack have gone past so as not to disturb the scent of the trail.

If she starts getting very excited and yapping when the huntsman is trying to listen to the pack or what the hunt staff are telling him, it is courteous to take her away from the river bank to calm down, even if you miss out on some of the action.

Hope that helps. If in doubt, give the secretary a buzz and double check.

 

[Orangehorse]

Thanks, that helps a great deal. I would obviously keep her on a normal length lead.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Laughing A LOT about the flexi-lead. Have images in my head of hunt staff doing somersaults all over the place as the leads are hidden in the grass!!!

 

[combat_claire]

Laughing A LOT about the flexi-lead. Have images in my head of hunt staff doing somersaults all over the place as the leads are hidden in the grass!!!

It was a close run thing - hounds were drawing up and down the river. The leads were stretched right across my path and I just managed to hurdle over them in time. Except nobody else can see them, so it just looks like you are running around like an ungainly troll....

 

[Countryman]

Some hunts get a bit paranoid about Kennel Cough, so our pack (foxhounds) have started frowning on people who follow with dogs (Though people still do it). I suspect we're in the minority though!

 

[MyLuckyStar]

I take my staffie to the boxing day meet every year, she's kept on a lead at all times but the hunting dogs don't bother with the dogs that are there. I think its good socialisation for 'domestic' dogs

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

Following on from what Countryman, said. Kennel cough can be fatal to hounds, so although most hunts do allow followers to take dogs, please avoid them touching and being with the hounds, if you follow regularly with your dog then it's a good idea to vaccinate them against it,and if you are concerned that they may have it, or it is common in your area then please avoid taking them.

 

[Orangehorse]

Had a great time - well, a really nice walk on a sunny morning which left dog very tired. She was so excited, but very well behaved, didn't bark or yap, sat when I told her to and was just thrilled to be out in a crowd.

Not a peep from the pack, but I was wondering "what is the legal situation?" with a pack of mink hounds?

 

[Clodagh]

They are allowed to hunt rats - oddly rats have the same nervous system as mink but it is OK to hunt them (rollseyes). Or pre laid trails. We had the minkhounds meet here on Saturday and it is a bit slow but nice to watch the hounds work. My lurcher was a disgrace, she went for every hound that came within reach. Oops!

 

[combat_claire]

We are also permitted to use terriers below ground to protect game birds from mink predation and to flush a mink up a tree to be shot by a marksman.

 

[Countryman]

I suppose in theory you could use a full pack to try and flush a mink out, if there was thick cover on the banks and you wanted to hunt it with a bird of prey...