User talk:Richard Hawkins: Difference between revisions

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Welcome!

Hello, Richard Hawkins, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or place {{helpme}} on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! - CrazyRussian talk/contribs/email 16:18, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you Alexander!Richard Hawkins 16:40, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hare coursing

I'm pleased to see some of the changes you are making to this page. Do you know much about coursing in America? I see from [1], for example, one claim that coursing is intended to kill the hare there. I feel that the article is too Anglo-centric at the moment, and would benefit from a wider expertise. Regards MikeHobday 22:23, 11 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you Mike. You should know that I am an unapologetic enthusiast of coursing. It is the noblest of field sports. If you would like to encourage participation on this page/article from North American sources, please contact me privately at bh@fernhill.com Yours, Richard Hawkins 01:27, 12 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Image Tagging for Image:Deerhound.jpg

Thanks for uploading Image:Deerhound.jpg. The image has been identified as not specifying the source and creator of the image, which is required by Wikipedia's policy on images. If you don't indicate the source and creator of the image on the image's description page, it may be deleted some time in the next seven days. If you have uploaded other images, please verify that you have provided source information for them as well.

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This is an automated notice by OrphanBot. For assistance on the image use policy, see Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. 14:05, 13 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dog breeds that do not exist

Thank you for your contributions. However, Wikipedia prides itself on dealing with concepts that exist, and as a result there is no need to create articles for everything that does not exist to state that it does not exist. (For one thing, that would be impossible.) Please keep this in mind, as several of your recently created articles are being deleted. Stifle (talk) 14:42, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Then you should clearly make the distinction between a "concept" and the "reality". Otherwise you are failing in your task of correctly informing the public.--Richard Hawkins 15:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm sorry, I was using "concept" in the sense of "everything that might have an article".

One other thing, it is not usual to sign articles that you create, only talk page messages. See WP:SIG for more. Stifle (talk) 09:32, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't write articles, I'm trying to encourage some sense and system to the sighthound pages, I have been contributing discussion pieces, not articles. I have no wish to be "usual", to contribute anonymous pieces, or to receive anonymous censorship. I am concerned with verifiable facts, not personal opinions.--Richard Hawkins 13:03, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Coursing questions

You seem to be experienced in the field of coursing. I have never coursed and have no experience with coursing, but I am extremely interested it. Do you have any book recommendations for training sighthounds for coursing?

And I know this may be an odd question, but how do you retrieve your dogs after they have caught (or lost) the lure or hare? I know even well trained dogs may seem deaf to your calls at times. Vortex 22:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It is important to make the distinction between live an lure coursing. The type of breed you are coursing with, andf where you are coursing, in Europe or North America. For lure coursing, generally speaking, encourage a young puppy at an early age to follow an interesting object on a piece of string. Make this short and sweet. Some breeds, such as Whippets, do this almost by nature, others such as Deerhounds & Borzoi, are more reserved and require more encouragement. Later on, say at 6-9 months go to a lure coursing event and ask if you can do a short practice run at the end of the day. Reward your dog with vocal encouragement when you pick at up as it grabs the lure. In live coursing you make sure your dog has excellent condition and it will, generally speaking, take care of itself. Some breeds are a little difficult to recall - such as the Saluki, you need patience and perhaps some sausage meat :) Books - the classic sources are Steve Copold's, Hounds, Hares & Other Creatures: The Complete Book Of Coursing Hoflin,1996. And Dutch Salmon's Gazehounds & Coursing High-Lonesome Books, 1999. You can also read http://www.fernhill.com/lurebite.htm There are some significant differences between lure coursing in North America and Europe. But it may be better to consult me on that and other material if you wish by e-mail.--Richard Hawkins 22:46, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

sighthound

Hi, I would like to let you know that I have reformatted your request on the Talk:Sight hound page to match the wikipedia page requested moves guidelines. I have also moved one of your comments into a 'support' vote position. You might want to update it so that it officially comes from you instead of me. - Trysha ^(talk) 21:29, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Double Suspension Gallop

Hello, I hope you still come on here, I have a question. Where did you learn that all breeds of dogs can perform the double suspension gallop? I can't seem to find any information on that matter. I've always read that only sighhounds can do it, and I see no proof that all dogs can. Thanks. Vortex 14:55, 11 May 2007 (UTC) Vortex, you don't have to read it in a book, you can see it with your own eyes when dogs run, or on photos, I gave you an important source in July(?)last year, please see discussion of the sighthound page:"Please add another book to your list: Brown C.M. Dog Locomotion and Gait Analysis Hoflin 1986. I quote: In dog show circles, it is commonly believed that sighthounds are the only breeds of dogs using the double suspension gallop. Not so. Any dog which travels fast enough is likely to use the double suspension gallop, and many do…” - “… A sighthound’s primary function is to follow game by sight with speed in open areas as opposed to scent hounds following a trail by odor. High speed causes the double suspension gallop to occur. It is not the criterion used to determine what is or is not a sighthound. Because a Basenji or a Doberman uses the double suspension gallop does not make them a sighthound; neither has a primary function of hunting game by sight in open areas with speed. Curtis Brown 1986"--Richard Hawkins 21:29, 17 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks!

		The Barnstar of Diligence
		As a gesture of thanks for all the hard work you do in keeping Sighthound an honest article, I award you this barnstar. Mikieminnow 11:58, 3 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

History of hare coursing

This picture looks rather like a sighthound to me. Am I wrong? MikeHobday (talk) 14:23, 1 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Mike, nice image. I don't think it is supposed to be a "sighthound". It corresponds with a host of Greek (and older) images of dogs that have been given the collective name of "Laconian". This name is derived from Xenophon's writing, and others, in which they describe the Greek custom, Xenophon circa 400BC, of hare hunting with scent hounds and nets. Sighthounds are not used with nets. The Greeks of that period did not know true sighthounds - according to Arrian the Celts introduced the first sighthound into Europe, the "vertragus", and that can only have been at its earliest around 200 BC in Western Europe, I believe. Arrian himself wrote the first description of a European sighthound around 130 AD. Xenophon's description of endurance, scent hunting the hare, with the use of nets, and several hunters, is an absolute classic. I believe that many of these portrayals of dogs on antique artefacts are artistic shorthand for "dog" or "hound" - and are of of no specific type. Xenophon himself was clear in the description of his dogs, they had prick ears (no true sighthound has prick ears), and he describes them very closely in the first European standard of a dog variety.--Richard Hawkins (talk) 04:35, 2 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hare Coursing article

I'm thinking of nominating this article for a Good Article candidacy review, so would particularly welcome any thoughts you had about potential improvements to the article - or indeed any improvements directly! Thanks. MikeHobday (talk) 17:03, 13 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Mike, the article needs tidying up, some corrections, expansion, and could do with more neutrality - it is I believe rather narrow, and biased to the welfare concern and anti side of coursing. For such a short lived and short run field sport, which has little real aspect of classic "blood sport", it occasions a lot of words :) I'm pressed for time, but will do a little correction and expansion work when and where I can--Richard Hawkins (talk) 15:00, 17 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. There is an inherent difficulty, I believe, in developing a neutral article when almost anyone who knows anything about the subject also has a strong opinion. It would be good to collaborate to improve the article. I think the welfare concerns are important - not least because the activity is currently illegal in three of the eight jurisdictions where it is known to have taken place on an organised basis - but I would very much welcome the chance to include more detailed discussion of other aspects. What corrections are needed? MikeHobday (talk) 09:19, 24 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I noticed the incorrect date for introduction of formal coursing in the USA, it started in the 1800's (under 'British' rules), and the fact that only closed coursing is claimed, incorrectly, for Portugal. It would be good to make a more complete historical article of the thing - but it has now apparently become a post mortem. The totally unnnecessary photo of Harold Wilson typifies the exaggerated bias of the piece, as does the emphasis on the kill which is made at the cost of dispensing with the discussion on historical development and national differences in judging criteria - which have important considerations for maintaining breed differences in sighthounds. I'm away from home to often to do anything significant for the time being. But I will drop in occasionally --Richard Hawkins (talk) 13:28, 4 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that. I've found a better source for US history, and hope you think it suitable. Can you recommend any sources for Portuguese coursing? I had a lot of problem finding even the small amount of overseas material I did, and completely agree that more international comparison is needed. I'm always struck how closed some elements of the coursing community are (for example, photography being banned at Irish coursing and the user name needed to access such seemingly innocuous parts of the NOFCA websiet as 'NOFCA News for Fall/Winter, 2007-2008'[2]. My view, as you know, is that the debate about hare coursing is very important to cover, but I'm keen to see this "balanced" by other information if you can make suggestions. As for Harold Wilson, frankly, I thought the whole quantity of text very dry, and was looking for anything to break up the black and white. If you have photographs of coursing, of dogs or of hares, I would absolutely support their inclusion. MikeHobday (talk) 14:43, 4 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have some information on coursing regulations in Portugal, for both (en)closed and open field coursing. When I have time I'll make some additions etc --Richard Hawkins (talk) 20:44, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Richard, I see you've added Russsia. I bow to your knowledge, but wonder if you could cite a source? Regards. MikeHobday (talk) 16:46, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

RandomSmiley

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Sighthounds

I worked on the Sighthound page to break out those breeds/types that are not recognized by the various kennel clubs. Mikieminnow (talk) 18:06, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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 [[User:LeyteWolfer|LeyteWolfer]] ([[User talk:LeyteWolfer|talk]]) has smiled at you! Smiles promote [[Wikipedia:WikiLove|WikiLove]] and hopefully this one has made your day better. Spread the WikiLove by smiling at someone else, whether it be someone you have had disagreements with in the past or a good friend. Cheers, and happy editing!  <br /> <small>''Smile at others by adding {{tls|Smile}} to their talk page with a friendly message.''</small>
 </div><!-- Template:smile -->
+==Sighthounds==
+I worked on the [[Sighthound]] page to break out those breeds/types that are not recognized by the various kennel clubs. [[User:Mikieminnow|Mikieminnow]] ([[User talk:Mikieminnow|talk]]) 18:06, 2 September 2008 (UTC)