Advice on training my whippet!!!

[bigbailey 90]

Right ive got a working whippet which i use for lamping and ferreting shes around 15 months now. When im out exercising her when not ferreting i have to walk through fields with woods. The problem im having is she has started hunting up as soon as she sees a squirrel shes off, and started to hunt up. The hard one is obviously she is trained to catch rabbits so she will not no the difference between them, and shes just sodding off for five minutes then comes back. But its really p****ng me off. Obviously ive been playing te hide and seek thing!!! Anyone with any ideas???

[BEARINATOR 2,872]

Keep her on the lead and only slip her when you see something, the problem lies with you using her ferreting so she knows how to use her nose

[Millet 4,497]

Keep her on the slip till you get to where you are going..

 

You beat me by a minute Bear..

Edited January 31, 2012 by Millet

[BEARINATOR 2,872]

Millet, it's surprising how many times that question gets asked good luck with her Bailey

[bigbailey 90]

Cheers lads. My friends done well with his whippet collie, she doesnt hunt up until told to do so, So he can still exercise his with his other dogs and she doesnt run off and hunt up. Shes still used for lamping and ferreting.

[BEARINATOR 2,872]

It's normally easier to start them lamping then on the ferreting, but once it's learnt to use it's nose there isn't much you can do to stop it

[Casso 1,261]

Right ive got a working whippet which i use for lamping and ferreting shes around 15 months now. When im out exercising her when not ferreting i have to walk through fields with woods. The problem im having is she has started hunting up as soon as she sees a squirrel shes off, and started to hunt up. The hard one is obviously she is trained to catch rabbits so she will not no the difference between them, and shes just sodding off for five minutes then comes back. But its really p****ng me off. Obviously ive been playing te hide and seek thing!!! Anyone with any ideas???

you need to make yourself more interesting to the pup, hunting up in her mind is the best use for her energy, plus she will also associate the woods with squirrels and be on the look out for them,

if she can understand that being near you will give her a high return energy wise then she will pay attention to you where ever you are,

 

potential energy is a hugely valuable tool in controlling a dog, a bird in the hand is not worth 2 in the bush to a canine , that is to say once a rabbit is caught, the energy is caught and the next potential rabbit is much more interesting to him, he will stand outside a warren all bloody day because there is a hope of potential energy exploding out,

 

its the same as trying to call up a young dog when your standing static, the dog looks round and weighs up the scene, and comes to the conclusion that" there is no energy there for me"

but you start legging it when he looks and the mutt will explode after you in pursuit, why ? what difference is being made in the dogs mind, the difference is that there is energy in the movement to capture for the mutt,

so if you create a desire in the dog for something with potential energy in it, used to be a flapping rag for the old timers and their whippets, a ball , a tug item, a dog who is ball driven will stand looking up at you all day , because he knows that standing beside you is the best use of his energy and where the ball gets thrown from,

 

so instead of just throwing a lead on her which wont solve the issue, make her want to be beside you from the inside, it will increase the understanding between both of you, and feel good for her to be in your space, best of luck

[bigbailey 90]

Thats some good advice that mate, thanks for that, will all be taken on board. Getting on top of the problem now

[buster gonads 862]

Well put Casso .