Dog Runs

EPointer=Birdss

Well lads what size dog runs would you recommend for your hunting breeds? I wonder should they be as big as possible or what.
I have rigged up cameras to the house & one is on the dogs. I have watched them back numerous times in all weathers & they do very little all day. They will come out for a stretch or a s*** but gererally ly in the boxes looking out or sleep.
Each run is 20' by 10'. Not massive but not small either...

Also do you keep dogs seperate or together?

irish setter

my own feeling is their is not much need for a big run so long as you get them out running often. mine are kenneled separate 6' by 12'. this includes run and kennel

LetFly

irish setter wrote: »

my own feeling is their is not much need for a big run so long as you get them out running often. mine are kenneled separate 6' by 12'. this includes run and kennel

+1 to that.

The run does not need to be very big at all once the dogs get plenty of running. All they do for most of the day is snooze and stretch. Even a dog that has free run of the garden all day will spend most of time lying on the door step or wherever.

terminator2

i have a springer and her run is about 3m x3m not including the shed where she is kennelled,it is piped for sewerage has running water and electricity she has constant access to water via a lamb drinker and next month im getting in sky tv:D:D

cavan shooter

9ft x 12ft built on concrete with a shore for wash down connected to the nearest waste pipe. My springer is let out in the morning when I get up and locked up at around 8pm. He has a remote collar (petfence) so he is out 95% of the time plays with the kids etc.

He is good that way and knows when its time to work

EPointer=Birdss

cavan shooter wrote: »

9ft x 12ft built on concrete with a shore for wash down connected to the nearest waste pipe. My springer is let out in the morning when I get up and locked up at around 8pm. He has a remote collar (petfence) so he is out 95% of the time plays with the kids etc.

He is good that way and knows when its time to work

Would you find he has picked up any bad habits from been out all day with the run of the place?

cavan shooter

No none at all,

none of my dogs have ever been locked up, I dont believe in it, I know lads have different views, similiar -to never get a dog if you have kids etc Once I train the kids and wife on what not to do the dog is fine. He spends most of his day sitting at the back door
They seem to know when its time for shooting. If he sees me putting on wellies/getting the coat or lead he sits at the 4x4

fiestaman

I know 2 lads that let there springers and golden retreiver out all day and there brill dogs in the field when it comes to hunting or retreiving. i dont know where the bad habit thing comes from, if dogs are trained and there out but only around the house not on the road or wandering off themselves then i wouldnt see a problem. i dont have a dog yet coz wont be in me house until next year but when i do hel have the run of the garden and put in run only for ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'sdog run

homerhop

My dogs were out from 8 in the morning till 10 at night with full run of the yard and it never slowed them down. Their run was 3m by 5.5m. with a 5ft chain link wire fence.

On saying that when they were in the run one of them would always manage to be at the back door and it took me ages to figure out how in the name of hell he was getting out. After hours of watching from a room window the crafty bugger would use the door of the dog box and pull himself up onto the roof. After positioning himself on the roof he would jump across and be able to get his front paws over the top of the fence and pull his body up till he was out over the top. Would not have thought it until I seen it happen!

EPointer=Birdss

homerhop wrote: »

My dogs were out from 8 in the morning till 10 at night with full run of the yard and it never slowed them down. Their run was 3m by 5.5m. with a 5ft chain link wire fence.

On saying that when they were in the run one of them would always manage to be at the back door and it took me ages to figure out how in the name of hell he was getting out. After hours of watching from a room window the crafty bugger would use the door of the dog box and pull himself up onto the roof. After positioning himself on the roof he would jump across and be able to get his front paws over the top of the fence and pull his body up till he was out over the top. Would not have thought it until I seen it happen!

That was a video moment!
I had a pointer once who got a dirty habit of hunting blackbirds in the ditches around the house! (within the perimeter of the house) He caught a few when i was out some days & was never as steady on point afterwards! Took awhile to figure out what was causing the unsteadiness!
On the other hand a friend has an army of terriers & springers who have the run of the place & they often catch birds, & even the odd chicken or young pheasant that ventures within the walls! They are grand dogs with loads of drive!

LetFly

Each to their own I suppose. My garden is not very secure so I would not chance leaving the dogs out when I am not out with them so my dogs are kenneled. My usual routine is to take the dogs out in the morning for a gallop in the fields behind my house. They know that this is play/free running time and have a ball chasing each other and running mad for about 20 minutes. They empty themselves during this run also. I then put them back in their kennels with fresh water. They lie/snooze happily for the day then. In the evening when I get back from work I let them out for a run round the garden while I wash down the concrete runs. Then it is time for training. I take each one (3 Springers in all) separately as they are different stages of training for Trials. I do whatever training I have planned for them. I find that by being kenneled all day they are very sharp and enthusiastic about their training sessions and by keeping the sessions to about 10 or 15 minutes they learn very quickly. Once the training is over they get their dinner and settle in for the night.
Thats just my way of doing things and it works for me. Like I said earlier...each to their own. Find a routine that suites your circumstances and stick to that. Consistency is important when training a dog.

P.S. At the weekends they are out for longer hunting sessions on Saturday and Sunday mornings.