Dog running off??

[Devon Minnow 152]

On 02/02/2018 at 17:48, darrren said:

Hiya guys. So I've got a Patterdale and a lakey. Still new to dogs so looking for advice. About two weeks ago my Patterdale ran off by a fence pacing up and down and I noticed he had seen a rabbit. He got under the fence and was away in brambles and I had to eventually tie the lakey to a tree and wade in after the Patterdale as he was long gone. So since that he has gone from not bushing or showing interest, to straight into bushes working them and no matter how thick the cover. Happy days. So this afternoon me and missus walked the dogs, put them in a woodblock and off they went working away, through cover on the runs of scent etc. We'll as the light was dimming I thought get em on the leads, I passed the lakey over the fence to my missus, then the pat came over and off he went nose to the ground. I started calling and nothing, not even hear him. Long story short he was off on his way, long gone, and I spent ten minutes chasing him through cover, up and down hills of gorse trying to get to him before the light slipped away. I eventually got him, some how. I want to nip this in the bud any ideas? My missus is saying electric collar, I'm debating a tracker for his collar incase. He's a lovely dog but it's like since he saw that rabbit the last two of three walks he done a runner. 

I've had terrier for over 40 years and if there one thing I have learnt is that you have to be the BOSS. If not they will do what they want. Properly not the best breed of terriers to cut your teeth on because they are both head strong but you have them now. You can bray them all you want will not make any difference in fact properly make them worse cause they will now that they will get a beating when they return. My method is to allow the terriers to work a slow area in front of me and then call them back for a treat if they failed to respond I would aim my .22 centerfire about 4 foot in front of them and fire  that use to get their attention.

I have a 12 year old Border/Jack Russell how still  headstrong prey driven, I have hit him once in arse end with 1/2" steel ball from my catapult at about 20 yards he was in full flight after a rabbit he yelped stopped what he was doing came back with his tail between his legs, I only have to show him the catapult and he now's , if he has a blonde moment I just have to land a steely near him and he returns.

 

[Ptd87 304]

If I tried using a 22 for dog training I'd need another dog pretty quick ? ... Electric collar probably slightly safer maybe 

[Born Hunter 17,788]

With all these collars on, GPS, bellman and an e collar he'll be slowed down fairish for sure! Haha

It is a bit nerve wracking hunting dogs for the first time. You get used to it. 10 mins is f**k all mind. Its when they're gone all day you panic a bit! LOL

[mushroom 13,186]

1 hour ago, Devon Minnow said:

I've had terrier for over 40 years and if there one thing I have learnt is that you have to be the BOSS. If not they will do what they want. Properly not the best breed of terriers to cut your teeth on because they are both head strong but you have them now. You can bray them all you want will not make any difference in fact properly make them worse cause they will now that they will get a beating when they return. My method is to allow the terriers to work a slow area in front of me and then call them back for a treat if they failed to respond I would aim my .22 centerfire about 4 foot in front of them and fire  that use to get their attention.

I have a 12 year old Border/Jack Russell how still  headstrong prey driven, I have hit him once in arse end with 1/2" steel ball from my catapult at about 20 yards he was in full flight after a rabbit he yelped stopped what he was doing came back with his tail between his legs, I only have to show him the catapult and he now's , if he has a blonde moment I just have to land a steely near him and he returns.

 

Have you been reading my latest edition training manual??? ????

[Devon Minnow 152]

4 hours ago, Ptd87 said:

If I tried using a 22 for dog training I'd need another dog pretty quick ? ... Electric collar probably slightly safer maybe 

Electric collar waste of money dogs get use to shock very quickly and learn to ignore it

[Ptd87 304]

Fair point mate....less chance of getting used to being shot at lol

[oz0707 65]

I used to get stressed. Now just sit down admire the scenery and give the odd whistle. You don't know what scent they've picked up. Mine always comes back just a matter of when. Annoying in twilight to be fair.

[darrren 414]

Thanks for your input guys. Was more the fear of loosing him in the night. He's so dark I loose him in the day as you can't see his features lol. I'll try and not panic next time, with the nights drawing out will be a bit easier and learn to trust him and work on recall when the seasons out. 

[matt1979 766]

i have similar scenarios on a fairly regular basis with my little terrier less so as she matures, but there is a difference between running off and following scent and despite the frustration and occasional concern, on reflection i often think to myself if I have spent the past few years encouraging her to find game and she has that natural desire to do so, then can i really get peed off when she goes awol, conclusion i have come to is no I can't and the i would be a little concerned if she didn't followed  a line . As has been said just have to enjoy the fresh air and admire there drive. All that said there are things to minimise the risk such as choosing walks wisely and knowing the land you work that can be beneficial , I have only had one occasion where she was gone a considerable amount of time and I in the end had to leave my hunting jacket on the ground where she went awol whilst I drove home to get the lamp and shovel just in case, came back to find her lying on the jacket worse for wear. Latter spoke to the keeper who i had rang to inform she was missing to tell him I had found her, he laughed and text me a pic of her getting dragged along behind a dog fox whilst hanging on its hind leg lol this was the other side of a large river from where I was walking and next to a local lake that the general public pay to wander around. Got to love a terrier, thankfully she has settled from her youth but not too much which suits me atb

[Boristheblade 1,367]

On 04/02/2018 at 12:02, Devon Minnow said:

Electric collar waste of money dogs get use to shock very quickly and learn to ignore it

Maybe if your tight n buy a cheap one, but spend some money on a decent one n there no chance a dog can ignore it.

[Aussie Whip 4,130]

What I've seen of pats here, there put to ground and then put back in their boxes,same as one of my russells.My other Russell will bush all day and not range too far.Think it depends on their breeding for certain types of work,not him being uncontrollable.

[roybo 2,873]

You usually find terriers only have the ability to use one sense at a time . When they get a scent it stops their ears from working and if they do you can't correct them for using their nose because they won't hear you.

 Get the recall right where there's no scent ,repeat ,repeat repeat , then when they get on a scent they just feck off again anyway lol or just get a spaniel.... Edit to say I bought a cheap e collar and there was no way they'd ignore it ,trust me.

[roybo 2,873]

It's also your job to keep up if they get on a line as some will follow as far as they can ,and might end up going to ground..

[roybo 2,873]

On 04/02/2018 at 09:09, mushroom said:

Have you been reading my latest edition training manual??? ????

Let me know when the book or dvd are out mush, 

[darrren 414]

Cheers lads. He is good on the recall I think it was just scent as  you say because I noticed a fox run and after me doing a tartan through gorse and bramble he ended up coming out using that run I had spotted earlier. I'll just relax a bit more next time and make sure I'm not leaving walks too late before dark. So the dog came back to your smell on the jacket? My mate lost his dog Christmas eve when we were kids, out ferreting. He left his jacket as you did and he went back Christmas day to find her curled up sleeping on it.