Hello to All,

My name is Steve. I am owned by a 2 yr old Deerhound called Macleod. He is a very loveable, playful, gentle , mental, giant. We are lucky enough to live in North Wales close to Offas Dyke in http://www.clwydianrangeaonb.org.uk/. We have 4 acres of fields and woodland but there are plenty of wide open spaces and forests close by for him to run around with our other 3 dogs.

Mac has some Deerhound friends that live near by, but he always likes to meet new ones. If anyone is ever around this neck of the woods, Mac would love to show you around his favourite haunts. He is especially fond of the beach , which is close by too, and loves to chase the seagulls into the sea.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Hi Steve, welcome to the site from me although I'm a relatively new member as well. I live near market Drayton which is not far for you. I have a male Deerhound aged 4. I have been thinking of taking him to the North Wales coast however I thought maybe the autumn would be a quieter time as if its busy, there are always lots of people who object to a large dog running free. There's not a lot of places where I live but I do have a couple of acres for him to run and chase rabbits in.

I'm always going out to quiet places that I see on the map but usually find that there are styles, which are effectively a closed door. I could get him to jump but don't like to encourage him to jump fences as there are cows in the field next to my house and also he may get hurt jumping over barbed wire fences.

Any local knowledge that you have where I could go with him for a day out where there is a good walk in a quiet scenic environment or coatline would be appreciated. Not high cliffs as he's too adventurous at times and once got stuck up one. Regards Rob

Robb wrote:
[quote

Any local knowledge that you have where I could go with him for a day out where there is a good walk in a quiet scenic environment or coatline would be appreciated. Not high cliffs as he's too adventurous at times and once got stuck up one. Regards Rob[/quote]

Hi Rob, thanks for the welcome. Got plenty of info on places to go, although you are severely limiting yourself if you don't allow your dog to jump/climb styles in this country.

I can understand your worry about the cattle, but I sorted Mac out with a bit of training. I never taught Mac to jump, he just picked it up from the other dogs. It certainly beats having to lift him over

Drop me an email(see my profile) or grab me on msn and we can chat off line.

Steve,

Ronn, just read your thread and you're right about stiles, walked miles once with hubby deerhound and terrier, only to come upon a stile, I had to walk miles back round to meet them the other side (bad back, can't lift him)
I have never taught mine to jump either, too risky, we have a communal alleyway running alongside our house and he would be out mugging old ladies for their shopping bags! Also the cats and squirrels wouldn't be safe either!

Hi Helen, yes I feel that its just to risky encouraging them to jump. There's always a herd of cattle in the next field and I don't want Ben shot for chasing cattle or trampled by cattle either. A lady nearby who breeds Deerhounds had one of her puppies trampled to death. Luckily I live down a very quiet lane so there's not many old ladies around but the neighbours chickens and cats would be fair game if he got out. So far he seems to respect fences and I hope it continues.

Shropshire has an abundance of footpaths but they all seem to have stiles, I've complained to the county council but to no avail.

Hi Steve and welcome. Sounds like a lovely part of the world you live in. My guys respect fences too which is just as well as they would get shot first, questioned later if they started worrying sheep that are close by. I never encourage them to jump over things but it doesn't stop Lockie leaping up onto retaining walls etc. It's lovely to watch, similar to a horse doing cross country hurdles

Here in wales, as one might expect , it is sheep country and living next door to a sheep farm, I had to teach Mac to respect livestock as quickly as possible. Now he knows the only thing that he is allowed to chase is rabbits. I can't say I will ever completely trust him as he still gives everything the eye, but thankfully he will stop and come away when I call him.

Wow, you'r lucky, onnce mine is off, he's off! He chases people, just incase they have a dog with them, he does come back after bit, or if the other dog has a go at him (he's a bit of a wimp)
We are off to Wales on Monday, Pembrokeshire, then catching a ferry to Southern Ireland, unfortunately Murphy isn't coming with us, he is staying at home with my daughter, being spoint. I would have loved to take him, but found out that son cannot travel in the back of my van without a seat/seatbelt, it is illegal. He can come next time (son can stay with his sister!!)

your dog is lovely, is that your lab hiding behind him?...sheona

sheona wrote:


Yes Sheona, that was Conah our chocolate lab. Alas he is no longer with us. This was our pack as of march last year.

Ah, so was that actually your deerhound playing on the beach in the video Deerhound and Spaniel at Play?
Really nice video, if you have any more you would like to share I'd be glad to post them on the site. The videos are very popular, we get loads of hits from them.
Thanks
Rob

i see you have a couple of collies do you work them, or just pets?

sheona wrote:


I work Toby the Spaniel to the gun, the collies are my wifes dogs with which she does flyball.
Mac enjoys rabbiting with the ferrets and a spot of lamping.

I used to go with a friend lamping and i loved it. more the chase with the lurcher than anything but where i am it is not very good for lamping as it is mostly hills and not much flat land for the dogs to run. sheona

sheona wrote:


It's quite hilly here too, but we do our best. It's really lurcher terrain, but were out to have fun not fill the pot. Would really like to take him somewhere he can really stretch his legs. Somewhere there's not barbedwire every 100 yds.

One of our successful trips ...

Australian bush isn't a very safe environment for Deerhounds to hunt. They will stake themselves and break legs chasing their quarry. The last roo that Xena got was nearly as big as her:blink: She was a good hunter.

Brollachan wrote:


It's always a worry when they're working. Deerhounds don't always have much sense when they've got quarry in their sights. Hunting roos ! Wow I'd like to see that. I don't suppose you've got any home videos of that ?

No sorry Steve, the best I can do is a photo of her killing a rat but that is on my desk top which has died

Here is a photo of them checking out a wallaby



And here is the wallaby

the photos are brilliant..love the one of the dogs looking out...sheona

good photo, their are hundreds and hundreds of rabbits around my area mostly eating my plants, in the garden, the dogs love to chase them but their are lots of bushes that they dart hide. but they do get them sometime