Puppies and sheep

[cocker06 0]

Hi all,

I have 2 pet salukis, one is 4yrs and a pup of 4.5 months. My older girl will chase anything that moves and she has no recall at all but i really want to be able to trust my new pup off the lead especially round live stock.

Although my dogs will never work, i was hoping some kind person could give me advise on how to train my pup to behave around live stock. Her prey drive is begining to kick in now as she chased a couple of joggers this morning, all very funny at the moment but not so when they are adult.

Ive been working hard on recall but salukis are known to just switch off when distracted.

Thanks in advance for any helpful comments

[KittleRox 2,147]

definately leave the older dog at home, walk the pup around livestock on the lead and if it shows any interest give it a good bollocking ( and I don,t mean hit the dog )

[stewie 3,387]

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

[cocker06 0]

Thanks,

Dont worry i would never ever use physical punishment on my dogs, they are pets and i love them dearly, hense looking for adivise to bring them up as to not cause others or themselves any harm.

[KittleRox 2,147]

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

around livestock

[cocker06 0]

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

I want to keep them safe, salukis are known for their hunting instinct, i am well aware of what i have. My older girl runs free every day but im limited where this happens.

[stewie 3,387]

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

around livestock

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

around livestock

no!! where she says her dogs will never work

[stewie 3,387]

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

I want to keep them safe, salukis are known for their hunting instinct, i am well aware of what i have. My older girl runs free every day but im limited where this happens.

sorry but why have a dog with a burning heart inside it to run game if your not going to let it follow its natural instinct???

I want to keep them safe, salukis are known for their hunting instinct, i am well aware of what i have. My older girl runs free every day but im limited where this happens.

[iworkwhippets 12,687]

Both your dogs should have been introduced to livestock, as soon as they had their vaccinations in order for them to run free, without limitatations, whether you work them or not, so with your puppy, its as simple as this, bearing in mind, lots of young livestock about at the moment, so as not to cause any stress to them, wait until the season is over, then take your puppy out on its lead where there is livestock, as soon as your dog clocks them, a sharp tug on its lead , with the simple command of NO, repeat daily, the next step, when you feel the dog is responding, is to walk amongst livestock, yet again with the command of NO, if it shows any interest, keep doing this until the day comes you can walk freely amongst all livestock, OFF LEAD

good luck

[beast 1,884]

thats good madvice. but remember that sheep standing still are very different to sheep running about. if the dog is running loose near them the sheep will sometimes start to get agitated, and that panicky movement can press different buttons in a dogs head. salukis can be particularly hard to get 100% relaible around sheep if you're not experienced with them, so really be thorough about your stockbreaking

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Get them around them when they're pups, I find that always works.

[planete 120]

I walk my nine months old Saluki cross on the New Forest. Lots of stock and game about (deer). I have been using various ways to reinforce recall as he is not interested in food rewards when outside. I have got him very keen to retrieve a tennis ball which is always in my pocket. When off lead which is most of the time, if he so much as looks at anything, even walks towards anything on four legs I give the command "leave!" and immediately throw the ball away from whatever he was looking at. He now looks for the ball the second I say it. When the prey drive first kicked in he spent two weeks on a fifteen metre training line being sent after his ball while walking on and always praised for keeping focused on me. I also take him to training classes mainly to teach him to keep listening to me while there is a lot going on around him. I aim to eventually get him to reliably walk at heel off lead anywhere so he will never take off unless given permission (wish me luck!)

He still gets some fun as he is allowed to chase squirrels and rabbits. So far they have gone up trees or down holes before he can get them. He shows a marked tendency to 'stalk' before rushing at prey. I now know that if his head goes down I just need to change the direction I am walking in to draw him away. He will look at me as if to say "oh? we are not going for this one?"

Anyway enough 'rabbiting' on (sorry!). Best of luck with yours.

[cocker06 0]

Ahh its so good to hear that other people live on the edge with saluki breeds.

Thanks for the help, My older girl will chase deer given the chance and by accident ive given her the chance 3 times, she always goes out of sight but comes back but its what shes doing while shes gone that worries me!!!! Im sure my pup will be the same thats why i want to try inforce some kind of disipline now towards live stock as i know farmers will shoot dogs that are causing their animals distress.

Thanks

[Dave N 9]

That's the problem with dogs now, working dogs are in pet homes being told not to do what has been bread into them for ever!!

 

Why get a saluki? Because they look good? Better with a lab, get it retrieving let it do s bit raking!

 

As for the stock breaking the old fellas would break a stick over a dogs back if need be, problem with today's dogs are they aren't made 100% sure who the boss is!!!

 

Sorry if I upset anyone but soon working instinct will be a thing of the past!

[cocker06 0]

Dave N

Why get a saluki? why not!!

Why do you guys think your the only ones allowed to own this breed? im trying to do whats best for my dogs and some of ya just wanna have a go!! They may be pets but just because she is not "worked" does not mean she is not allowed to behave like a saluki.

Labs were bred to retrieve Cargo or men that fell over board from ships surely thats classed as working but they havent lost the drive to retrieve since they have become pets, i know mine hasnt!!!!