Toka 10 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Hi, just read the thread about feeding meat to a dog that growls etc.... My terrier is now 8 months old and i think fairly well trained and stock broken [although as with everything repetition is needed regularly to keep it at that level] just wondering how people on here get the prey away from their dog. mine is very posessive about prey, he isnt bothered at all about his dry food and i can go near the bowl, take it away etc and he is ok with it as he knows it is only temporary. i can get him to retrieve toys, balls, he wont usually drop them but will let me take them from his mouth no problem...he either gets a food reward and/or we carry on playing so he doesnt think he is losing the item.... caught/shot animals are another matter...he is very reluctant to release any fresh caught prey. i thought as he got more experience he may get a bit better and that did seem to happen for a while...once i have the prey and am carrying it he does stop, but every now and again he tries to jump up and get it. i have tried most of what i know to get him to release prey, including pushing him over, hand over head and growling at him but he just holds on harder. he does react to 'no' when i get him away from the prey, once he has calmed down a bit or i have carried him away from it a firm loud 'no' will usually stop him from going close again, but he will constantly try it on or return to it in the case of rotten carcas until we have moved well out of range. it did used to work to carry some of his favourite meat treats when hunting and once he had the prey i would throw that on the ground, he would usually let go allowing me to take the prey while he ate the treat...as he has grown though he completely ignores the treats once he has 'tasted blood' he is still only young and i am hoping he will grow out of this with my help.... but what is the best thing for me to do to get the prey off him, when he actually has it and anything that i can do at home etc to support this as i feel i have tried everything now except raising the level of force..... ATB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenksi87 3 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) take a small plastic bag with some raw meat in it mate and when the dog retrieves hand him something in return, if its how u put it, his taste of blood then use fresh or frozen/defrosted meat pal. combine this with plenty of affection and praise and he should snap out of it in no time. the dog has to feel rewarded, not as though he has done the work and you are robbing him of his catch plenty of time in the field with him practising is needed though, the dog needs to be taught to retrieve with a soft mouth, not destroy everything it gets atb jenks Edited July 23, 2009 by jenksi87 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bedrock 16 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Keep trying mate That’s the harsh reality of owning terriers they are a pain in the ass, keep trying and don’t be surprised that the food treats stop working a warm rat/rabbit is allot more interesting than a piece of chicken. atb bedrock Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Toka 10 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Cheers fellas....no need to worry on that score, i will be persaveering with him. never let a dog down before and dont intend to now!!! jsut dont want to do anything that may make things worse or cause it to go on longer. Jenks - i will try that, it is simialr to what i am doing [and will continue] and he usually performs fine...its just when it is still warm etc he then wont let go. not too bothered about him being too hard mouthed as any rabbits he badly mangles he can have at the end of the day, as long as he leaves one for the pot....its mainly rats and feral pigeon he doesn't want to leave. i will see if i can find something else irresistable that he is willing to swap a body for!! will keep doing what i have been doing, and anything else anyone can add and hope he grows out of it ATB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wild_and_Irish 11 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Put 2 fingers under the collar and twist it until it drops whatever he's carrying, works for me Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Toka 10 Posted July 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 W&I nice idea but he doesnt wear a collar for working.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Toka 10 Posted July 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 took him out again yesterday... shot my first rabbit within seconds of arriving and decided to see what would happen if i let him have it, to see if he got bored and relinquished it any easier. hard mouthed- i would say he was using his mouth as an industrial mincer and when i finally got the rabbit off him and opened it up even the meat inside had been pulped along with the guts and organs..... anyway after 2 mins or so he started to drop it and leave it on the floor, as i went back to it he would race in and pick it back up. this happened about 3 times before he gave up and i picked it up. left it in a tree for our return. the second rabit went the same way, it was a smaller rabbit, as we headed through the woods he dropped it and by the time i got to him he has eaten a chunk of the back leg. i didnt want him thinking this was ok as we were still hunting [or at least i was] so i tried to get it off him. not interested in any form of treat and whilst trying to get it off him he growled at me, this was a first and to me unacceptable...he got knocked to the ground and pinned there until i managed to get it off him...he did not hold on too long once on the ground. looks like i have got a dog that reward and praise might not work for, the 1% of dogs that need some force applied [as someone else quoted in another post] Anyone else have any other suggestions..?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenksi87 3 Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 keep doing what your doing mate. he will soon get the hang of it. some dogs just take longer than others. plenty of practise and time in the field, you will get there in the end. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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