I was actually looking online at some lure coursing equipment. Seems for a few hundred dollars, you can have a lure course! I have the space, so I definitely will do this eventually. Of course, the dog doesn't get to eat the lure at the end, so that's a minus.
I had considered raising rabbits for the dogs to eat... I'm not sure I could personally kill a rabbit I had cared for. I mean, domesticated rabbits are really freaking cute. If I'm going to raise something to eat, it may as well be a sheep or a goat. Then I could just take it to the butcher and say, "I want this whole animal ground up for dog food and the bones cut into dog-bone sized chunks (leave lots of meat on the bones)." Easy. Goats are actually pretty easy to get for cheap, especially the males. Oh yeah, I also have some rancher friends who will give me lots of beef if I help them slaughter the cows and all the bones I want (they usually just toss the bones out to the coyotes).
I do want to hunt eventually, though. Rakka is definitely more into chasing big things, so deer-hunting would be fun for her. Of course, I'd have to get some equipment... kevlar vest, radio tracking collar... Gotta keep my shika safe.
Corina - you mentioned ages ago that you wanted to hunt with your shikoku (this was way back before you even had Kei). Are you still going to? If so, what are you going to do, specifically? What hunting method? How will you train him?
If you were ever thinking of raising rabbits for meat I'd suggesting buying your stock from someone already in the rabbit meat business. You're not going to get much meat from your average rabbit but you're going to fall in love with the bigger rabbits that'll be worth your while (because they're natural sweethearts AND bred for temperament). Man I really miss our flemmies right now
Actually I just ordered some rabbit heads as a Christmas treat for our dogs, and a little part of me wished we had the land to create some rabbit coursing instead. Oh well, maybe next year.
Amber - nope, didn't grow up on a farm, I just have the soul of a ruralite (or something).
Oh man, that picture needs to be LOL'd.
There was a rabbit in my driveway last night and I tried to get Rakka to chase it, but she was sleeping and by the time I woke her up and got her outside, the rabbit was gone. Maybe I'll order some rabbit scent and do some searching games with her. Or maybe I'll start walking her in amongst the trees more because I think that's where the rabbits hang out.
Heidi - I'll probably end up waiting a little bit, but as far as the hunting aspect goes, my Shikoku will be standing prey, "bark and hold". I have two of them now, so it can be a dual effort. I'll have to see how they mature. Usually the female is the one to hold down prey but Kei seems to have a high drive for large prey animals. In play with Kotomi and Molly he likes to place his entire mouth around their stomach and hold them down. So, I suppose I can transition that to the neck of a deer (he already bites sheep or tries to). I'm not sure how to train it exactly but there are some hunting dog people out there that can help me.
It'll have to be large prey like deer. I think the rabbits, squirrels and other small prey items are just "too cute" for him to hurt. He is just too sweet and gentle with small animals. Yeah, I know...my dog is weird!
While out on a walk, Rakka was running around with something white in her mouth, but dropped it before running back, and then she had blood on her mouth. I didn't have time to go see what it was and the next day it was gone. I'm 90% sure that it was a rabbit.
Rabbit has one of the best tasting meat. I only eat the cottontail rabbit when I'm able to shoot one but nothing wrong with them. I would stay away from Jack rabbit because of the disease and worm issue. I usually use Hana for rabbit and she has never gotten sick from retrieving rabbit. The only thing I have found is that during the summer months cottontails carry fleas so make sure your dog has good flea treatment.
As for the question about the ethics of hutning small game like the rabbit is it comes down to would you rather have them starve them selves to death through over population or a good controlled number that will not pose a threat to the flora in the environment. Theres only so much that coyotes, hawks, bobcats, and other predators can do to control varmint population.So we have to play our part.
Even though I'm not much for hunting, I agree with Shishiinu. Just look at how rabbits and rats affected such places as Australia, I've heard of a lot of population issues going on there. Plus, when rabbits affect sub-urban areas, they suffer through car hits, stupid teenagers and people who haven't heard of humane pest control. I'd rather someone shoot and eat it, than torture it and leave it to die slowly.
And my freezer is full of.... rabbit atm lol. Time for some 'nabe' (sort of a one pot meal thingy we make over here)! I was pretty shocked with the amount of ticks on the rabbits this year, they were seriously crawling with them. I don't usually go after rabbits, as they're not a problem here in Chiba, but a farmer I know had some problems at his place so I went there twice this year, and it was like rabbitville or something.
Like Gen said, ticks aren't a problem. They're just annoying when you're dressing the rabbit. As soon as its host animal dies, ticks drop off and start looking for another host, so having them start crawling everywhere can be troublesome when trying to transport/dress the animal. They give me the creeps, and lyme disease is no fun either.
When I get my next dog, whether it's a Tamaskan, Husky, Shikoku or whatever, I'm going to try rabbit coursing. I've got no moral or ethical problem with it and it would be cool to have a dog that could catch at least some of its own food. Solomon, my lab, is worthless when it comes to prey drive. Part of me is thankful I don't have to put up with that and I can run him wherever with no leash, but he wouldn't notice a rabbit if it came up and kicked him in the head. Even then, he'd rather be friends with it than hurt it. He did kill a big grasshopper once. Big sissy.
I say survival of the fittest! There are SO many rabbits in Irvine, (i also attend and live next to UCI) that they become roadkill so often. Sometimes I will stop for rabbits if I know no one is behind me, but it's dangerous to stop if there is. Sometimes I want to just run over them because they won't move! They just sit there in the middle of the road, and I'm think to myself, if this rabbit isn't reactive enough to get out of the way while I'm driving 3 mph, maybe it shouldn't reproduce. So I say, you're basically making a better breed of rabbits when you take away the slower ones! So it is a noble cause =) Like my rationalization? =D
There are some Lure Coursing groups that are open to all breeds in San Diego. I think their name is Luratics. I believe they are willing to set up and run their equipment for special occassions.
One of these days, I was hoping to ask them to have a Lure Coursing event at the Hidden Valley Obedience Club lawn in north Escondido, CA (fully fenced) for Asian breeds like Jindos and Shibas. HVOC offers a way to rent their lawn for dog groups.
I remember MidWest Shiba Inu Rescue used to hold lure-coursing fundraisers whereby the entry fee for 2 runs went to the group.
Well if you're going to run over rabbits please make sure you killed the darn thing instead of leaving it injured. That's severely fucked up otherwise.
My greyhound lab mix, Reilly, has caught rabbits a few times- the first time I was in utter shock that she actually caught it and killed it- I was simultaneously horrified and proud of her. She and Sage found a nest of adolescents in the hayfield one day, but their responses were different- Sage caught and shook it, but seemed distressed and did not eat it. He dropped it when I asked. But Reilly caught and swallowed two of them whole and then ate Sage's. I called the vet because I did not know if there was danger in her eating these whole wild rabbits, they replied she'd probably be fine "as long as she chewed them adequately." Of course she didn't.
I read in one of these books- possibly the Coppingers' book- about the parts of the prey sequence different breeds of dogs inherently have. (Eye, stalk, chase, grab, kill, consume) Certain dogs have been selected for the deletion of parts of the sequence. ie a good border collie has eye, stalk, chase but doesn't grab, kill or consume, a good retreiver will not consume, and this is selected for/against in their breeding.
Reilly apparently goes all the way to "consume", but Sage did not. I have also seen him kill moles and not eat them, just rolls on them. If he's not going to eat them, I dont approve much of him hunting. I am certainly not going to eat the moles he kills (but Reilly does). Reilly will dig out meadow voles and eat them, too. I am not into prey animal terror though and if I could find lure coursing with plastic bags, or a fake furry fox tail or something that would allow a mixed breed dog in, I'd like to try her.
I would have to say it's a pretty inhumane way of using rabbits as food. I am not opposed to eating rabbits, but obviously they deserve as comfortable and easy a death as possible just like any meat animal.
I had one of my pet rabbits get loose a few weeks ago and Kinu got hold of him, that bunny screamed and screamed in agony and terror and no creature deserves to die like that if it can at all be avoided!
I took the Shibas lure coursing with the Tri State Jack Russell Terrier club (not affiliated with AKCs Parson Russell club). There were other breeds, boxers, pitties, and cattle dogs and the club supplied it's own equipment. They allowed all dogs to participate so something like that would be a good way to test your Shikoku without the use of live game.
Suprisingly, not all of the Jacks were into the chase, some totally refused to budge and just wanted to attack the bag, but not chase it. I was suprised because I am used to the Shibas intense prey drive/response towards anything that moves and their tenacity in pursuing it, so I guess not all dogs have that strong desire to chase.
It cost $20 for both of them, and we got a couple runs in on a square/keyhole course on a 2 acre enclosed grass field before Beebe started getting tired. It helped for me to have them right next to the other dogs that were about to run or where the lure was, with Beebe especially, because it really got her stoked up/hot for the chase (she was screaming and lunging to get at the lure). Her reward was catching it at the end. It was really fun with just the bag lure.
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I had considered raising rabbits for the dogs to eat... I'm not sure I could personally kill a rabbit I had cared for. I mean, domesticated rabbits are really freaking cute. If I'm going to raise something to eat, it may as well be a sheep or a goat. Then I could just take it to the butcher and say, "I want this whole animal ground up for dog food and the bones cut into dog-bone sized chunks (leave lots of meat on the bones)." Easy. Goats are actually pretty easy to get for cheap, especially the males. Oh yeah, I also have some rancher friends who will give me lots of beef if I help them slaughter the cows and all the bones I want (they usually just toss the bones out to the coyotes).
I do want to hunt eventually, though. Rakka is definitely more into chasing big things, so deer-hunting would be fun for her. Of course, I'd have to get some equipment... kevlar vest, radio tracking collar... Gotta keep my shika safe.
Corina - you mentioned ages ago that you wanted to hunt with your shikoku (this was way back before you even had Kei). Are you still going to? If so, what are you going to do, specifically? What hunting method? How will you train him?
Actually I just ordered some rabbit heads as a Christmas treat for our dogs, and a little part of me wished we had the land to create some rabbit coursing instead. Oh well, maybe next year.
Oh man, that picture needs to be LOL'd.
There was a rabbit in my driveway last night and I tried to get Rakka to chase it, but she was sleeping and by the time I woke her up and got her outside, the rabbit was gone. Maybe I'll order some rabbit scent and do some searching games with her. Or maybe I'll start walking her in amongst the trees more because I think that's where the rabbits hang out.
It'll have to be large prey like deer. I think the rabbits, squirrels and other small prey items are just "too cute" for him to hurt. He is just too sweet and gentle with small animals. Yeah, I know...my dog is weird!
As for the question about the ethics of hutning small game like the rabbit is it comes down to would you rather have them starve them selves to death through over population or a good controlled number that will not pose a threat to the flora in the environment. Theres only so much that coyotes, hawks, bobcats, and other predators can do to control varmint population.So we have to play our part.
One of these days, I was hoping to ask them to have a Lure Coursing event at the Hidden Valley Obedience Club lawn in north Escondido, CA (fully fenced) for Asian breeds like Jindos and Shibas. HVOC offers a way to rent their lawn for dog groups.
I remember MidWest Shiba Inu Rescue used to hold lure-coursing fundraisers whereby the entry fee for 2 runs went to the group.
I read in one of these books- possibly the Coppingers' book- about the parts of the prey sequence different breeds of dogs inherently have. (Eye, stalk, chase, grab, kill, consume) Certain dogs have been selected for the deletion of parts of the sequence. ie a good border collie has eye, stalk, chase but doesn't grab, kill or consume, a good retreiver will not consume, and this is selected for/against in their breeding.
Reilly apparently goes all the way to "consume", but Sage did not. I have also seen him kill moles and not eat them, just rolls on them. If he's not going to eat them, I dont approve much of him hunting. I am certainly not going to eat the moles he kills (but Reilly does). Reilly will dig out meadow voles and eat them, too. I am not into prey animal terror though and if I could find lure coursing with plastic bags, or a fake furry fox tail or something that would allow a mixed breed dog in, I'd like to try her.
I had one of my pet rabbits get loose a few weeks ago and Kinu got hold of him, that bunny screamed and screamed in agony and terror and no creature deserves to die like that if it can at all be avoided!
Suprisingly, not all of the Jacks were into the chase, some totally refused to budge and just wanted to attack the bag, but not chase it. I was suprised because I am used to the Shibas intense prey drive/response towards anything that moves and their tenacity in pursuing it, so I guess not all dogs have that strong desire to chase.
It cost $20 for both of them, and we got a couple runs in on a square/keyhole course on a 2 acre enclosed grass field before Beebe started getting tired. It helped for me to have them right next to the other dogs that were about to run or where the lure was, with Beebe especially, because it really got her stoked up/hot for the chase (she was screaming and lunging to get at the lure). Her reward was catching it at the end. It was really fun with just the bag lure.