typical Springer

[Guest Fishaben]

Hi all,

I have an english springer spaniel and he is trained very good for the normal everyday things like takinhg him out and telling him to come back to you, house trained, all the usuall stuff. I have trained him to chase rabbits and he does, but anyway, thats not the problem. Now I wouldn't really call this a major problem but I just thought I'd ask to see if anyone could help, the problem is, My ESS chases shadows :wacko: . people say that springers are all bouncy and jumpy, hence the name. But it can get rather annoying having a dog that chases shadows. If we're in the house he will bite the floor sometimes and make his gums bleed, and if we're out with him and he does it, he just takes huge clumps of grass out of the ground. We are trying to get him out of it by telling him off and the usual stuff but it doesnt seem to work, especially when people know he does it and they make shadows for him to chase . Please could someone give me some tips on how I can stop him .

Thanks,

Ben

[Stabs 2]

people say that springers are all bouncy and jumpy, hence the name.

 

Ben,

They get their name because they were bred to spring game not cos they are bouncy

 

I know another dog that chases shadows and he's mental. Too much breeding close up in his case I think. I know a lady who's very knowledgeable on gun dogs and she maintains that a good dose of show springer blood would do wonders to calm some of the hyper working ones down. Can't comment on that myself though.

[Guest Fishaben]

Cheers stabs,

He doesn't breed so that can't be it, he's had the snip unfortunately. And his mother and father are both field trial champions, so is his grandparents and great grandparents, in fact, most of his family are field trial champions.(is that what you mean??) I wouldn't say he's 'hyper', its just the shadows he chases.

Thanks again,

Ben

P.S I didnt mean realisticaly the name was because of that, its just that people say that because their name suits their behaviour, but thanks because I didnt know where the name came from.

Edited June 22, 2006 by Fishaben

[bullmastiff 610]

Try explaining the problem to your vet, best case - could just be additives in it's food making it Hyper (some of the cheaper complete food's used to affect mine). Worst case - something wrong upstairs.

Either way you need to get it sorted before it snaps at a shadow and catches someone's hand!!!

[Guest Fishaben]

Try explaining the problem to your vet, best case - could just be additives in it's food making it Hyper (some of the cheaper complete food's used to affect mine). Worst case - something wrong upstairs.

Either way you need to get it sorted before it snaps at a shadow and catches someone's hand!!!

 

Hi bullmastiff,

thanks for that, I think I'll have a word with the vet about it and see what they say. Im pretty sure theres nothing wrong upstairs as he's perfect with everything else. And he doesn't notice shadows on people because we move aswell so he just thinks its us, (I tried it on my brothers feet, when he had shoes on though but dog didnt do anything, :11: ). Im sure ive heard that about the food somewhere else before so that could be it.

Thanks,

Ben

[Stabs 2]

Cheers stabs,

He doesn't breed so that can't be it, he's had the snip unfortunately. And his mother and father are both field trial champions, so is his grandparents and great grandparents, in fact, most of his family are field trial champions.(is that what you mean??) I wouldn't say he's 'hyper', its just the shadows he chases.

Thanks again,

Ben

P.S I didnt mean realisticaly the name was because of that, its just that people say that because their name suits their behaviour, but thanks because I didnt know where the name came from.

 

 

when I said too much breeding close up mate, I meant he was heavily in-bred not that he's been breeding the dog too much....should of explained myself better, sorry.

[Guest Fishaben]

ok mate

[Guest Fishaben]

:11: .

Ben