Bolting rabbits

[hanandhen]

Like this: http://www.sportingsaint.co.uk/product/816/category/27

Are they easy to use, and are they effective? Henry is a bit of a chaser, just wondering if it might be worth begging, borrowing, stealing or if all else fails resorting to buying **shudders at thought of spending more cash** one of these to train with.

[SkyeSue]

I'd be very interested to hear how you get on...if I remember right, Mr. TB uses stuff from this company.
Yes, very expensive, but if it works, it's worth every penny 

[hanandhen]

I might try and improvise one, thinking about it - I have a long line, a tie-out peg and a bunny dummy... hmmmm I feel a bit of Heath-Robinson's finest coming on as the evenings draw out (the trick will be to not end up lashed to a fence post while Henry runs amok with his bunny!)

[Nicola]

I've never used one except at a game fair distraction scurry. I'd try to improvise one first if you think you need it and use the money to either hire a proper rabbit pen or go for a few sessions with a trainer who has one, I think that would be more useful in the long run.

[hanandhen]

Well, I just tried to improvise with the long line and a handy door handle - it would have been quite a sickly, possibly arthritic bolting rabbit but it seemed to work OK, Henry was interested but far more into the tripe sticks I had (I've said this before, but if we could only hold a shoot in my living room he would be perfect!). I think with practice I can make it better when we are outdoors. I'll have a word with my trainer and see if she has one hanging about. I can certainly find rabbits aplenty to train with after work - we have hundreds although I think they may be getting mixy already, poor buns

Thanks guys, I will try and take some pics of my amazing contraption in daylight, perhaps I could copyright it

[milly]

They're a good training aid but you'll need someone to help you with it, it's ideal if you can hunt the dog and have someone ready to let the 'rabbit go. Some lessons in a rabbit pen is a must but equally when you look at the price of the bolting rabbit and bear in mind it's yours for good it's not a bad buy. We used one on a training day we went on recently and it caught a lot of dogs out.

[LinzHenz]

interesting website, without wishing to hijack Hannah's thread, im a bit intrigued by the rabbit scent stick!
and i know what you mean about indoor shoots...we have won countless lounge-based agility comps!!

[hanandhen]

Well, you never know when smelling like a rabbit might come in handy, so much more original than Chanel No 5

It is the same challenge I always have, being a single person who mostly trains on my own (get the violins out) I always need to have at least four more pairs of hands than I actually do in order to do all the things that need doing! I wonder if there's anyone I could enlist to help, a friend of mine is very into dogs and is doing a behaviour course... wonder if she'd like to gain some more practical experience?

[MegandMolly]

Can I ask - What's a rabbit pen? 

[hanandhen]

Here you, go these explain it: http://www.verstone-gundogs.co.uk/training.htm http://bottlingwoodgundogs.co.uk/page21.html

Although I don't know if there is one anywhere near me, will have to ask around.

[milly]

Can I ask - What's a rabbit pen? 

It's a secure, controlled environment that contains cover and rabbits. It's used to introduce dogs to game in a controlled way, to steady dogs to game or to gee up dogs are too steady, not that I've seen many of them. Best to use one with a gundog trainer who knows what he's doing. Our gundog trainer has one and it's used for private lessons or on training days we go in as a group. The inexperienced dogs stay on lead and have to sit to flush, the steadier dogs are off lead, they're either at heel or hunting but still have to stop to flush.