Saluki X Problem

[Tyla 3,179]

I was hoping Penny would comment on here, I think the above is likely to be the best advice you're going to get

[DanRaistrick 53]

Ive tried taking her ferreting a fair few times, just once she's snapped up the first bolter then she just takes it across the other side of the field and goes looking elsewhere.

 

Its hard to admit, but I have sort of lost hope with her as ive been trying for months to build the bond back up just she doesn't seem interested in me whatsoever. I have been looking to rehome her for the past few weeks and must have had 50 people message me and ask to come get her, but nobody I thought seemed genuine enough. At the minute Breeze is just getting a lead walk every day and in the kennel the rest of the time, and I feel sorry for her, but its got to the point where I daren't let her off as she could be a danger to herself or other people as she has no road awareness. I do believe she would be better off with a new home, as I think it would be easier for her to create a new bond than repair our obviously damaged one.

 

Some people may think less of me for making the decision to rehome her, but after the months of stress I just cannot go on any longer. I have no issues holding onto her for a few more weeks/months, just obviously sooner would be better than later. Would Lurcherlink be interested in helping me rehome her?

 

Thanks for the help all.

[charlie boy 85]

buy and electric collar off ebay what and idiot for sudgesting that

[Silversnake 1,099]

I do feel for you, I have run out of patience with dogs before and it is never the goal to put your love, time, effort and money into a dog to get rid of it but harsh as it may be there are dogs out there that will bond with you (immediately sometimes) and life is too short to waste being frustrated unnecessarily. I hope you and your dog are happy with whatever decision you make and better luck for the future.

[skycat 6,173]

The problem you are having is that you didn't get the right relationship with her at a very early age. I know this sounds critical of you, but loads of people have had the same problem with these highly driven and very independent types of lurcher. I had one brought to me at 4 years old, a superb animal, but she'd been allowed to do as she pleased: in other words, from day one her owner had just taken her out on walks in areas where there was a lot of game. By the time the bitch was a year old she was going off hunting and catching deer, and the owner was then throwing a wobbly when eventually she did get the dog back, so off course the dog was then coming back less and less readily, knowing it would get told off when it did: vicious circle! The only thing that worked with her was a shock collar, but the cow was very clever, and soon knew if she wasn't wearing it, or if she was out of range. The story didn't end happily because she was a total liability with livestock, and even the collar couldn't stop her trying to kill sheep. She has absolutely no respect for anyone at all as she'd always been allowed to get her own way growing up as a spoilt pet.

 

I had a dog very similar to your bitch, and the only time he was totally 'with me' was when we were ferreting, and he did retrieve because I'd put the time in to make sure that retrieving was a very rewarding exercise for him. If I took him out mooching he'd have his places where I had to put him on the lead if I didn't want to wait while he worked a particular field where he had been successful in the past, but he never went miles, and once he'd satisfied his need to work the field he came back and we'd carry on just fine. Whilst he was annoying in some ways, the feeling I got when he appeared over a hill carrying his catch, bringing it right to my hand, was one of immense pride: he was totally feral in his outlook, and very dominant in many ways, but his need for his 'family' was what got us through the difficult patches. He taught me a lot about how to manage this sort of temperament.

 

I'd go so far as to say that this sort of dog does better living with you in your home, than stuck in a kennel. They need to feel part of your pack/team/family: nearly all the Saluki type coursing dogs I've seen out running didn't retrieve, and it was nearly always the fault of the owners. It's not written in stone that a dog has to live indoors, but the ones that did retrieve either lived indoors or belonged to very savvy owners who had a brilliant bond with their dogs.

 

It really is all about the bond. It's not just a matter of making yourself someone that the dog respects. I use a mixture of extreme stern behaviour, and a lot of love, but the crucial thing is to know when to apply which behaviour. How you behave towards the dog at home is just as important as how you behave in the field, more so in fact, because the basics of respect, obedience and bonding start at home. You can't put up with any sh*t from them even as pups, but you have to love them as well, and make sure they know it.

 

It's not an easy thing to learn if you haven't had a lot of experience with dogs! For some people it comes naturally, but others find it hard to be harsh on what appear to be a delicate Saluki lurcher. And some people will never be able to get on with that kind of temperament and attitude in a dog. My current Saluki lurcher is a sod in many ways, but we have an incredible bond, and he's lived on my sofa since he was a pup: he too buggered off to go and see any dog he saw in the distance when he was younger, and it was only because we do so much mooching for rabbits every day that his hunting drive is satisfied. I also trained him with tug play from an early age, and he's retrieve mad, even for tennis balls. Even now I have to remind him harshly to listen to me sometimes, and he's 3 1/2 years old: harshly means grabbing his throat or scruff for a second, or giving him a whack with the lead if I see he's not listening: instant correction, instantly given and just as quickly moved on from: if you see what I mean. Never any brutality, but I have to be quick to jump on him if he's playing me up.

 

I've described these dogs, and whilst they are/were both males, and bitches can be much softer, it shows how complex the whole training thing is. Please don't take this as negative criticism, as we all have to start somewhere, but I think that most of your problem is that you don't understand exactly how to approach the issue. Do contact Jim Greenwood, or find someone who is very experienced in handling this type of dog, as a few hours/days in their company will teach you more about how to handle the bitch than any amount of advice given on here.

[wi11ow 2,657]

The problem you are having is that you didn't get the right relationship with her at a very early age

 

 

rubbish some are just b*****ds no mater what you do they find away to push you to the limit and they watch you

 

 

had a couple over the years had them from birth they know how to test you some you never get around

[nomoon 542]

well mine are with me 24 7 and do all i ask of them, get the bond and keep the bond ,be the pack leader if mine act thereselves they get ignored,if they run off i leave them,they learn quick belive me,i think salukis or saluki based lurchers dont benefit from pen life walked once a day and the odd days graft once a week jmo mc

[roybo 2,873]

my russell does what he want when it comes to recall,and shouting will just make him realise you aint fecked off home yet.

i tend to just walk the opposite way,and he comes,the more and louder you shout will just make him realise you are still about,

whistle so it looks up the walk the other way,and keep doing it when it gets 10 feet away,keep at it ,

[desertbred 5,490]

Put two things in your mind Salukis do not like solitude! they need two centers of attention in their minds the first is them the second is you

[beast 1,884]

s o you have tried an electric collar and guess what the behaviour has got worse! there is possibly some justification for using these things in some exceptional circumsrtances, but to be hnest you need to be exactly one hundred percent accurate in the timing of them or quite simply you will make a dogs behaviour 1000 times worse. they are not a thing to be played with, they are a tool which experienced trainers may have some success with in extreme circumstances. to be honest, 75% compliance from a 2 year old saluki was pretty good, and i don't know why you couldn't hjave accepted that as a very good position from which to work onwards.

[Silversnake 1,099]

I agree 100% with skycat, the early bond is of utmost importance and not taking any s%#t at all right from the start, and I don't mean beating a dog, the dogs I have gotten rid of have definitely been my fault in starting too young or lack of discipline. It is important to learn from your mistakes. In saying that I have owned one extremely difficult German short haired pointer that I would like to see the person who could have trained that ba@$*rd!

[spookster1 24]

I think if you are just lead walking her and leaving her in kennel you must find her another home. There is no point

in you keeping the dog who will not be happy and will not improve.

[ferretman89 68]

I do feel for you, I have run out of patience with dogs before and it is never the goal to put your love, time, effort and money into a dog to get rid of it but harsh as it may be there are dogs out there that will bond with you (immediately sometimes) and life is too short to waste being frustrated unnecessarily. I hope you and your dog are happy with whatever decision you make and better luck for the future.

Well said

[wirral countryman 2,110]

Dan I feel sorry for you mate as I'm going through a similar thing myself, I've had some really first class saluki crosses but every now and then you get 1 thats beyond the norm, I've read through all the posts on this thread and its quite obvious that many have only had good ones and not a problem type, I normally agree with skycat but on this occasion she couldn't be more from the truth about bonding and ferreting, my own saluki type lives in and loves the bones of me, he cries every time I go out flying the hawk or take a few terriers and leave him behind, he can do this for hours sometimes and yet I'll get back and take him for a run or ferreting for the day and after 2 mins of ferreting he's bored and wandered off down the hedge, its normally about then he is needed and is nowhere to be seen, he knows what "heel" means but the second you take your eye off him he's gone looking for his own prey, the same bushing, I can be bolting stuff everywhere with the terriers and he'll be 50 yds up the hedge doing his own thing, letting stuff run away here where he needed to be, I've tried being firm, being nice, rewards, he still catches a few and retrieves everything live to hand, fences can be a pain as I pride myself in my dogs jumping abilities, he has been taught to jump on command but will now only do it when he wants, normally after I've walked away, its not that he can't do it, it just has to be on his terms, I've lamped him a few times now and he's obedient, coming straight back live to hand, gives it easy and is a different dog but as most know by now on here my dogs are worked 7 days round the clock along with guns, ferrets, hawks and terriers so it is becoming a problem, I now think he just hates working wherever the terriers are, that is no good for me so at 11months I'm afraid he is to be moved on to a home where he is the only dog, it takes a special dog to work relentlessly 7 days 8hrs a day and some lamping, Dan, if you've really had enough then move him on to a different home, if you're not happy the dog will pick up on it and that makes for a bad day,hope you get sorted, WM

[slip lead 862]

All most dogs need is an Alpha/dominant owner, that shows a lot of love and affection.

 

If you want a dog to return to you as soon as you shout/whistle, even if his on game/sent, get yourself one of those gun dogs, that have been sent away, to be broken, and then act like robots.