Bit of advice please

[Hob&Jill 258]

Hi all, Need abit of advice.

 

Well, My Beddyx has got into the habbit of chasing birds, she will chase one across a field for a hundred meters or so if I let her.

I want to use her in the beating line, so obviously this isnt a good habit to have got into. She will do it all the time, as doon as we walk up to a tree and a pigeon flys out she will go after it. I can call her off them, but I dont want her doing it in the first place, what you recomend I do?

[Simoman 110]

I'd try the dog on a 30 yard line and work on your recall. Its easier siad than done, I take pride in my dogs obedience but 99% of the time I've got no chance calling him off a bunny................

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Small Dog, my JRT does exactly the same thing, mate! Hares off across a field in hot pursuit of flying birds! I've never really thought about trying to apply any artificial remedy because - in my case - it simply doesn't bother me and it gives her great exercise. I'd imagine Simo's suggestion is about as good as any though if, as in your case, decent behaviour is more important.

 

Thing is, it's why at least my one does it. I believe it's a couple of things. See; When I take her out on the open bog, she tries to hunt up, as terriers will do. Only there's really very little out there for her too hunt. She can smell where the badgers have been, but can't see them and I just ignore her reaction to their smell so she gets no stimulous to get excited about them.

 

But when she pokes her nose into a tussock of Juncus and a bird flies out? Well, result isn't it? She gets her own reward for following That scent and off she goes, trying to claim it! And that's why I'm sanguine about it all. I believe she's just waiting to find something more correct to hate. I've taught her Not to hate 'stock. I 've taught her to ignore badgers. Birds are all she yet knows to be at war with. But she'll encounter rat or mink presently. Then she'll get the full on reward that she's craving and will learn to hate. I'll bet then she'll be so busy living her life just to find and fight those proper targets that she'll forget all about the far less fun birds. Has your Dog had much experiance of rabbits yet?

 

 

As an aside; I once taught a Pit Bull to hate birds. I did this so he'd spend for ever trying to leap into tall trees and grab then, even though they were safely thirty foot above him. That Dog wedded to birds so well that I only had to drop the word in his ear and he became a slavering lunatic!

 

One day, I was in a truck and bombing down a moterway. I was passenger and had " Seb " on my lap. Some guy in the inner lane started driving right next to us and my driver told me to 'Set Seb on him' (Seperated by two closed windows and a yard of speeding tarmac, you understand). So I simply pointed at this bloke and murmered " Birds! ". Within seconds, my window was running with saliva and Seb was furiously lunging at and biting the glass. That bloke took one look and dropped back a full length! Terry nearly crashed the truck with laughing!

 

Perhaps if ye just get your Dog to hate rabbits more than birds ....? Oh, and keep him on a lead during Beating anyway .....

[Guest MOLLY]

All of mine, lurchers and terriers did it as pups, they soon get sick and stop when they know they cannot catch them most of the time.

MOLL.

[Kay 3,709]

My dog does it as well, and always has

[Guest oneredtrim]

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Edited January 16, 2008 by oneredtrim

[Hob&Jill 258]

All of mine, lurchers and terriers did it as pups, they soon get sick and stop when they know they cannot catch them most of the time.

MOLL.

Cheers for all the advice, Im hoping that might be it Molly, shes still quite puppyish and might grow out of it. She hasnt properly met a Rabbit yet either, not ran one anyway.

 

I will defently work on recall more, and will let you kno whow it goes

[rob reynolds uk 3]

All of mine, lurchers and terriers did it as pups, they soon get sick and stop when they know they cannot catch them most of the time.

MOLL.

 

 

same here its a pup thing it will soon get fed up of not catching unless it does then you may have a good dog on your hands