And HPRs as well though, I think?
The Pig meets Shot and Game
- Thread starter Lara_Pigletina
- Start date
I don’t really have anything useful to contribute to this thread but I’m shocked by all these labs with hunting drives.
Stanley has absolutely nothing. Any living creature he just trots up to as if to be like “HELLO! My name is Stanley” and if it runs he basically shrugs and comes back to me as if to say sod you then
I can’t say I’m not relieved, but he would mke a rubbish gun dog!
Stanley has absolutely nothing. Any living creature he just trots up to as if to be like “HELLO! My name is Stanley” and if it runs he basically shrugs and comes back to me as if to say sod you then
I can’t say I’m not relieved, but he would mke a rubbish gun dog!
Ahah I have hatched a cunning plan... given that the Pig and Stanley look quite alike...you wouldn’t notice if I swapped them...you fancy a gundog surely, keep you fit now you are getting a new baby?I don’t really have anything useful to contribute to this thread but I’m shocked by all these labs with hunting drives.
Stanley has absolutely nothing. Any living creature he just trots up to as if to be like “HELLO! My name is Stanley” and if it runs he basically shrugs and comes back to me as if to say sod you then
I can’t say I’m not relieved, but he would mke a rubbish gun dog!
Haha! I’d notice when she was active for more than 45 minutes of the day.Ahah I have hatched a cunning plan... given that the Pig and Stanley look quite alike...you wouldn’t notice if I swapped them...you fancy a gundog surely, keep you fit now you are getting a new baby?
I just asked Stanley if he wanted to go for his walk yet and he put his head under the pillow. He’s my dream dog
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Hehe, Squidge has no interest in chasing critters. None. But she just loves to work, and so tell her there’s a dummy 100m away and she’ll explode, leaving you with a mouthful of earth as she powers to it as fast as her little legs can muster
Best of both worlds!
Best of both worlds!
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
Not really, though of course they could do it. HPRs are hunt, point and retrieve, so they can do the whole job! ideally they are used on moors and open country. I did use mine rough shooting, beating and picking up but not their real role in life.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Ah well, I've no way of knowing whether she has or not, so it's immaterial really, she is what she is
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
@Lara_Pigletina , hope you don't mind me barging in on your thread? Does seem we have a similar issue!
Please do! It can be a ‘those who have hunty dogs’ therapy group
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Well, Shadow is strictly on a long line or working at the moment because Autumn loonies have taken him over. 
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
Tatze will chase but gives up in no time. She used to chase squirrels and, of course, they went up the nearest tree. If a deer flushes up she chases it to the nearest tree - then stops. She seems to have conditioned herself 
Yes, that is still the advice I give to people whose dogs are hardwired to hunt. I am amazed that you were told 'to chill out about the running off chasing pheasants thing'. Once that becomes a habit, and it can turn into a habit in a very, very short time, it is almost impossible to undo especially with reward based methods.
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
We have this problem with Charlie, it's 0 - 60 in 3 seconds so no chance to intervene.
Yes I have been following that advice and have had several long years on the long line, but every so often we will have a mishap, I will not get to the end of the line in time and she will have an amazing free hunting session. But Helen seems to be pushing the ‘let dogs be dogs, you are damaging the relationship not hunting her’. Trouble is, I don’t ‘hunt her’, she ‘hunts herself’ which I think is quite an important difference...[/QUOTE]
I am now in Helen's camp of 'let dogs be dogs' which I know lots of people don't agree with but like it's often said you have to deal with the dog infront of you. When Charlie goes off lead he has his very fast fun, checks in, runs, play 'find it', goes on lead for a bit and so on. We have all worked really hard on our relationship with check ins etc. so it works for us. Touch wood he hasn't disappeared for such a long time I can't actually remember the last time. If he spots a pheasant or deer he will chase it but quickly gives up and returns. We barely use a recall whistle, his stop whistle is no good in a walk as he zones out but in the garden it's spot on. We find now that he has a 'system' which works for him and us rightly or wrongly it's how we play it. He isn't interested in dummies or balls unless training in the garden, not anything. Relaxing and trusting him is the key for us which took me years to achieve,Charlie wants to be with us so that's a bonus. We take him as he is which is not a 'velcro' dog
xxI guess it is what you want to do with your dog. I work mine so letting them get into a habit of chasing anything is just not an option.We have this problem with Charlie, it's 0 - 60 in 3 seconds so no chance to intervene.
Yes I have been following that advice and have had several long years on the long line, but every so often we will have a mishap, I will not get to the end of the line in time and she will have an amazing free hunting session. But Helen seems to be pushing the ‘let dogs be dogs, you are damaging the relationship not hunting her’. Trouble is, I don’t ‘hunt her’, she ‘hunts herself’ which I think is quite an important difference...
I am now in Helen's camp of 'let dogs be dogs' which I know lots of people don't agree with but like it's often said you have to deal with the dog infront of you. When Charlie goes off lead he has his very fast fun, checks in, runs, play 'find it', goes on lead for a bit and so on. We have all worked really hard on our relationship with check ins etc. so it works for us. Touch wood he hasn't disappeared for such a long time I can't actually remember the last time. If he spots a pheasant or deer he will chase it but quickly gives up and returns. We barely use a recall whistle, his stop whistle is no good in a walk as he zones out but in the garden it's spot on. We find now that he has a 'system' which works for him and us rightly or wrongly it's how we play it. He isn't interested in dummies or balls unless training in the garden, not anything. Relaxing and trusting him is the key for us which took me years to achieve,Charlie wants to be with us so that's a bonus. We take him as he is which is not a 'velcro' dog
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- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
Exactly, I don't stand or never have stood a cat in hells chance of working Charlie so he enjoys being a family dog
x
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Just to add to that. There is a huge difference between hunting a dog in a controlled manner and letting it free hunt. What does that actually mean 'let dogs be dogs'. All of my dogs do exactly what they were bred to do, which is hunting, flushing and retrieving. But if I didn't control the hunting they would be doing that over the hill in Devon while I am in Somerset!
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
I think 'let dogs be dogs' just means that they will all have 'moments' when they get the scent of prey and go on a little excursion They and we are not perfect so not to beat yourself up about it. Also not everyone aspires to dizzy heights or can so work within their own capabilities of training. Do your dogs always do as you instruct and never run off @Heidrun ? x
I see many Labradors and Spaniels pottering along with their owners with not a care in the world and I wish Charlie was one of those dogs but he isn't so we have done the best we can with a difficult dog, we feel pretty proud of how far he has come but we are knackered really knackered! x
They and we are not perfect so not to beat yourself up about it. Also not everyone aspires to dizzy heights or can so work within their own capabilities of training. Do your dogs always do as you instruct and never run off @Heidrun ? xI see many Labradors and Spaniels pottering along with their owners with not a care in the world and I wish Charlie was one of those dogs but he isn't so we have done the best we can with a difficult dog, we feel pretty proud of how far he has come but we are knackered really knackered!
xNo, they don't always do what I ask them to do but I am surrounded by shoots here and there are pheasants everywhere so certain things have to be trained or taking them just out into my field would be a nightmare every single day.Do your dogs always do as you instruct and never run off @Heidrun ?
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
I really get being surrounded by pheasants and shoots, it's a nightmare for us too. Charlie really doesn't do that badly afterall as he can be taken out every day off lead and behaves most of the time
Can't wait to move to Scotland, no shoots near us and no bloody pheasants, I hate pheasants! x
Can't wait to move to Scotland, no shoots near us and no bloody pheasants, I hate pheasants!
x
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