Obedience Question

[TTT]

Hi everyone - I would appreciate your advice on the potential for attaining high levels of obedience from a lurcher. I am considering one as my next dog, perhaps a small whippet/collie/beddy type. I would be planning to do competitive obedience and agility with it and i was wondering if I got a pup and trained it, would it have the potential to perform well? I have trained wilful, lively terriers before but they are getting on in years now and I really don't see myself as a border collie owner as I feel it would be too intense to live with 24 hours a day.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mao]

Hi everyone - I would appreciate your advice on the potential for attaining high levels of obedience from a lurcher. I am considering one as my next dog, perhaps a small whippet/collie/beddy type. I would be planning to do competitive obedience and agility with it and i was wondering if I got a pup and trained it, would it have the potential to perform well? I have trained wilful, lively terriers before but they are getting on in years now and I really don't see myself as a border collie owner as I feel it would be too intense to live with 24 hours a day.
Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Hi

I have a Beddie/Whippet who has competed in lurcher obedience to top level, he also does agility & loves it. 3 of my other lurchers did novice obedience & 2 of them did club agility, but they're racing now so haven't continued. Most of the dogs we competed against were collie crosses.

People have their own preferences to the type of lurcher that they have, most will do the job especially if you get them as a pup & train them on.

Are you doing Kennel Club obedience?

 

[TTT]

Hi MAO

Thanks for the info. Agility is my main interest but the members of the dog club I belong to are always egging each other on to 'have a go, I dare ya!' at the different disciplnes, so I have told myself that my next dog may do just that..... They mostly think that COLLIE IS KING for competing but I really just don't fancy one. I think a small, well balanced, quick turning pointy nose may be the answer.

 

[FeeFee]

I'd love to see more sighthounds doing obedience so I'll look forward to hearing how you get on!

I've done quite a bit of obedience work with Taz (saluki/greyhound/???). We haven't competed except at fun/inter-club level but he's done OK* - considering he came to me at 4yrs old and obviously hadn't ever worn a collar or walked on a lead at that point I'm really pleased with him.

Having been brought up with collies I found working with a lurcher was very different. When he's in the right mood he can do really well, but some days he just can't be bothered there's no bringing him round - but then if I was choosing a dog for obedience I wouldn't choose a saluki X, they are too independent. Personally I'd go for a whippet/collie as a really good all-round dog.

*not counting the time he was supposed to be doing a sendaway and spotted dad outside the ring giving the other dogs treats and decided to go off and join them..... or the time he flopped on his side and dozed off during the down stay :b :lol:

 

[jazad]

There is a girl on TWF who does agility with her lurcher (looks whippet/ beddie cross) -

 

[TTT]

Thanks for all your advice on this. I've really been bitten by the agility bug and am busy planning my next dog, hopefully I will get one next spring/summer and get into some serious training! There is a thread on the whippet section called 'whippet function' about the capabilities of straight whippets in these activities, but I really feel a bit of collie or beddy would be a good addition. I'll keep you all updated.

 

[J.T.]

I have 2 lurchers who do agility. My oldest one Hebe(in my avatar), is a whippet cross, probably with some (if not half) collie. She's always been very willfull & likes her own way but has been quick to learn everything i've ever asked her to do. She can do flyball & has passed her KC good citizen tests up to gold level A very clever girl, she is now 10 years old & has just moved into veteran classes at agility.

Scrumpy is 4 and not as clever or brave as Hebe. She is a beddyXwhippet & very nervous so she hasn't learned as quickly as Hebe did. She competes at agility & on a brave day is very quick. She can't do flyball as she's scared of the noise the box makes :b and she can't do her silver Kc good citizen as she's scared of traffic :b .

I'm with you on the collie thing....I couldn't live with that much energy either. My Hebe(maybe only half collie) is still very active at 10 and will be on the go long after the other lazy lot have given up & gone to sleep -_- she wears me out.

Where do you live? I may see you around at the agility shows in the future.

Good Luck,

Pointies Rule

Julie

 

[mao]

Here's a few pics of pointies doing agility

 

[jetamire]

hi i have competed in obedince and i teach as well have worked with all breads of dogs i competed with gsds an rotts but if i had found luchers then it would have been one of them they are so easy to work with quick to learn an i think would give a collie a run for there money go for it an have fun

 

[TTT]

Hi everyone - thanks for your replies on this one, lots of encouraging advice there. I think I will start my search for a new dog in late spring/early summer. I am really looking forward to it as a new project. I think it will be important to get one that is not too big to help on turning etc! There are some lovely litters on here at the moment :wub: