Testing One's Patience

[*The*Field*Marshall* 674]

Alright Ladies and Gents,

 

I've just started lamping my 12 month old Deerhound/Greyhound x Whippet/Greyhound, I've owned him since he was 6 weeks old, he is very well trained and has the obedience you would expect from owning him from 6 weeks. . But he is exhibiting some behaviour which is far from desirable ! . . He has been out half a dozen times and 4 out of 6 he has done this unthinkable act . . He runs a rabbit and if he misses it he is reluctant to come back to me . . He'll stand at the end of the beam and take no notice of me, as much as it anger me when he comes back to me I just stick him back on the lead, except for the one time he decided to run on and hunt the next two fields by himself, well that was a mistake . .

 

I’m not overly worried by this behaviour, I’ve seen it before in a pup and it vanishes in time, just wondering whether any of you have any quick fix remedies for this ? Bare in mind he does this on land he is not familiar with. .

 

Thanks T.F.M

[whin 463]

ye dont lamp him till he knows to come back or walk places with no game apart from the odd rabbit heel soon calm down if bred [bANNED TEXT]

[csteed 40]

Try turning the lamp off when he missis the bunny it works for me, failing that get at e collar and zap the f**king shit out of him lol only joking

[DeerhoundLurcherMan 997]

Agree turn the lamp off and, " good boy" when he returns or treat. Wont take long. atb

[undisputed 1,664]

No quick fixes in this game as been said when he misses lamp off and wait for return...eventually the dog will realise.

[SLiP tHe DoG ! 129]

ye dont lamp him till he knows to come back or walk places with no game apart from the odd rabbit heel soon calm down if bred [bANNED TEXT]

 

coming back during the day and on the lamp are totally different things you aint gona know whether hes gona listen on the lamp if you dont try

[SLiP tHe DoG ! 129]

needs to catch more imo plenty of easy rabbits

 

ive got a dog that wont retreive until hes getting onto double figures

 

once hes calmed down hes spot on bringing them back

 

i think once your dogs had a few he'll start to come back more and more

[*The*Field*Marshall* 674]

Thanks chaps. . Yeah, you're quite right Slipthedog, he comes back perfect in the day, just a matter of time and experience I suppose, perserverance !

 

Thanks, All the best. .

Edited December 21, 2011 by *The*Field*Marshall*

[Acuspell 329]

Field Marshall - when you are running these rabbits, do you shake the lamp? If you shake the lamp as the rabbit runs, it confuses the rabbit and gives the dog more of a chance. I have turned rabbit saway from the hedge before simply by shaking the lamp. They get disorientated a bit and that slight falter in their step is all the dog needs!

 

If he misses and stands, seemingly ignoring your recall, turn the lamp off (as everyone has said). CLOSE YOUR EYES, your night vision will return much faster - 20 seconds at leastis needed. Close your eyes and count to 20, slowly....1 million, 2 million, 3 million etc. KNEEL DOWN. The dog can see, hear and smell what you are up to much better than you can! Kneeling down is a body language indication the dog will pick up on that things are Ok - it is less intimidating to the youngster. Once you can see, whistle him up, if he comes to the lower profile of you ,not this great towering giant. All well and good. If he doesn't come, don't change your tone, you still need to be giving encouraging voice calls, but walk away while you are doing it. Don't turn the lamp back on. You will see his shape when he comes - and walking away from him, especially on strange ground, is likely to have him coming running to you - the centre of his world and the pack leader. Massive praise when he returns, even if it is late. He needs to associate coming back with good greetings, not a chastising. Forget the not coming back bits and only concentrate on the success. he'll forget the non returns and remember the fuss and praise he got for coming back, that is something he'll want to replicate. Don't be harsh on him if he doesn't come back - distraction rather than chastisment, it works much better and lasts much longer and forges a much better working relationship for the long term. So walk away and attract his attention to something else...does he stick his nose down rabbit holes? Find a hole and call him to it:

"hey chap. What's in here then?" "Come and see if anyone is home?" That kind of thing - he will then associate you and the recall with something interesting. Either praise and fuss and possibly a treat (marrowbone snacks are good - or at least my dog loves them. Buy a few and see, if he doesn't like them, find something else that he LOVES and just take 3 or 4 out with you), or something interesting to stick his snout down.

 

What you mustn't do is get him to associate a late return with a chastising, beating or rough handling - that is bound to encourage him to come early next time isn't it! He will think "last time I went to him it was horrible, he shouted and shook me, so I'll stay out of range!" Even if he is late, make coming back pleasurable, he HAS done what you wanted, not just quite as quickly as you would like. You can build on that by shortening the time span. That will only come with experience. Likewise, you may find he is slow to retrieve at night, at first - the walking away trick works here too - walk away calling him. he will follow, with rabbit in mouth. PRESTO, you have him coming to you with rabbit. You can only learn so much at a go. Dogs are no different.

[skycat 6,173]

The bit in the above post about making your voice sound interesting, as though you have found something exciting, is very good advice, BUT it still might not be enough on a dark night full of smells and the sound of things moving around unseen. You HAVE TO FIX THE RECALL by day first, and yes, I know that its easier by day, but once your dog is conditioned, even brain washed, into coming the moment you say so, you should not have a problem by night.

 

The recall must be something the dog doesn't even dream of disobeying, anywhere or any time. One of the best ways to fix the recall is to engage the dog's energy, to focus it on yourself. A lot of people train their dogs to come by using negative reinforcement: come here or else. Whilst all young dogs test their owner's demands from time to time, that negative reinforcement won't necessarily work on its own, when there are great temptations out there in the dark.

 

The one thing I have found to work on all types of dog, especially those which are very high drive, is to get the dog coming to you in order to release its energy, its drive, and yes, here we go again: back to the tug training But it really does work, because if you do it right in the first place, by day, in the back yard or wherever, the dog becomes conditioned, and more than conditioned..............very eager, to get back to you to satisfy that drive.

 

Sure, it is different at night, but as long as you do that early conditioning, the memory of the satisfaction that the dog gets by tug training, will, in 99% of dogs, get the dog back to you as quick as a flash no matter where you are: so long as it isn't actually chasing something at the time you call it I must admit, I've never been able to call my dogs of something they are chasing, and like a lot of people, I wouldn't really want to.

[wild rover 548]

Get it out at night with the lamp but doing this.STARTING_A_LAMPING_PUP.doc

[*The*Field*Marshall* 674]

Acuspell and Skycat, thanks for the detailed replies. Rover, thanks for the link. All very helpful.

 

Yes, I understand the the importance of body posture and tone of voice, kidology also! The frustrating thing is, his recall 100% in the day! I expect he's just being a stubborn pup . .

 

Still, I take your points as educated, reinforcement and encouragement.

 

Thanks, appreciated.

Edited December 28, 2011 by *The*Field*Marshall*

[BIGLURKS 874]

Turning off the lamp dose work as some have said I also shine the light at my feet it seems too make them come back quicker as I don't like too make so much noise when iam out