| Archive for workinghprs.myfastforum.org Chat forum for owners of working HPR and Versatile gundog breeds. |
| BritAnnie |
Fences - why do we put up with them?I picked this out of Barry's training diary with Millie
I don't think I know many people with dogs who actually like fences. I allow Al to jump our own one into the field as it is wrapped up with old carpet but I hate barbed wire with a vengeance and if I was staying here I'd get rid. I know farmers like it because it supposedly keeps cattle in but I'm confused as to why it is used on shooting estates - or is cattle their bread and butter and the shooting a byeline? Sorry if that sounds stupid - I really don't have much knowledge about shooting stuff. BA |
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| sako75 |
Annie , The fence that I was on about is a stock fence , about 4 foot of sheep wire netting a line of barbed wire and topped off with a plain wire. The problem with this fence is that my dogs go for the gap at the top of the netting and as happened 2 weeks ago Millie caught her jaw in the barbed wire and was hanging by her head  I had to quickly rescue her and ripped my hands to shreds trying to unhook the underside of her jaw from the wire (I still have the scars  ). Another problem with this fence is that the dogs can catch their back legs in the "gap" thus causing a nasty leg break - I hate this damn fence !!!
I am not sure why SO many estates have so much barbed wire , it really is my pet hate. My local estate has one particular fence that has five strands of tight barbed wire - it is a death trap and VERY over the top !!! You would think they were trying to keep buffalos not cows  .
I have heard of a top estate down Perthshire where there is not one bit of barbed wire to be seen. This estate is very much geared towards shooting and it is good to hear that they go to such great lengths to help the handlers and their dogs do their job eithout the constnt risk of injury. Barry. |
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| BritAnnie |
Yes, and Langhaar's experience on the other thread just proves how dangerous they are. What would happen, I wonder, if the owners of any dog hurt by these fences were to sue the landowners? | ||
| Greyghost |
Surely they would say we were trespassing or at least the dog was. I dunno
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| guy |
I am surprised 'Health and Safety' isn't an issue. | ||
| windem bang |
One of my worst experiences with a fence was with an electric one. My G.S.P. bitch who was a really good jumper , misjudged her leap due to bad footing, she was retrieving a newly shot pheasant and got a hind leg caught on the top wire. She yelped but somehow held on to the fezzy. I was moving fast towards her by then. Her front feet were just touching ground and she yelped again and released the bird. I think the fence gave an intermiitent shock every few seconds. By this time she was yelling her head off. She could not struggle free. I bit the bullet and began freeing her leg and I began yelping too!
Once free this trial winning bitch would have nothing to do with pheasants, she'd linked the bird to the shocks she'd had. It took me several days to persuade her retrieving was O.K. I did a lot of shooting and a lot of picking up so she was given many opportunities to regain her confidence. Two to 3 weeks later she was back to being her old self. This incident made a big impact on me. If it had been a fox or a deer that had got hung up I really don't like to think how long the terrified animal would have suffered. Bill T. |
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| Rhimad |
Electric fences are a nightmare with dogs, you were lucky Bill, I know of dogs that have been put off for good, completely ruined them as gundogs.
When out Hunting, if the hounds are hunting a fox and come across Electric, we have to stop the them whilst we disconnect the fence...nightmare. Had plenty of hounds caught up in barb wire and stock fencing too, but the farmers have to keep thier stock in somehow. My horses are kept in by post and rail with electric running across the top to stop them leaning on the posts, but it is nowhere the dogs could get at it. |
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| johnhod |
Because if we want to work our dogs on many estates we don't have a lot of choice in the matter |
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| Rhimad |
We have a canvass cover to put over barbwire to allow you or your dogs to get over it without skinning yourself, also one shoot we go too has plastic tree guards at certain points along the barb wire to allow you to cross without snaggin your gortex.....or worse 
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| windem bang |
If I arrive at a nasty fence I put my game bag or even my coat over the barbed wire before sending a dog over. Most of the dogs I've had seem to do this easily probably because when training them to jump fences I try to let the dog see there is something there by putting a bag or coat or even a scarf over the top wire.
Bill T. |
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| tashap |
I put my coat over but I did see this snazzy plastic zip thing that someone had once and haven't been able to find one since looked very useful if you can get it on in time. | ||
| johnhod |
There's a canvas cover that yuo can buy through NOBS (£15 each)
http://www.nobs.org.uk/cat/shop-item_6.asp But being to tight to spend that much I usually carry a piece of pipe lagging http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/210454 Works well and it doesn't matter too much if you lose it. None of it's any use though if the dog is working at a distance and you can't get to the fence |
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