Help/Advice Training Saluki

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

Hope some one on here can give me sme advice. I've had dogs 11 yrs, starting off with rescue collie who died 2 yrs ago. I also have labx, alsation/greyx & for the last 6 weeks a saluki.

The other dogs were easy to train- the labx I've had from 5 weeks old & she was a doddle to train. Alsation/grey we've had nearly 2 years but he was a Dog Trust rescue & already a year old. He's toy mad so while ever you've got one he will do anything. We now have an 18mth old saluki that had been roaming free for 9 mths before been caught.

I've never trained anything so stubborn before & especially not one that 'switches' off when it suits. She's not a working dog but where as usually a dog is food or toy oriantated she just isnt bothered. She's great on a lead & no way can I let her off at the min.

I've got flexi & lunge line to give her a run but I need to get some where with the basics. I've tried the usual things I would recommend & they work but not with her. She's very aloof & still quite timid. She's better with me than o/h. What would I be best doing bearing in mind I've gone back to the begining & basics as she could have been out longer than we know about & had no human contact during that time.

[riohog 5,751]

ill try and keep it simple as its getting late startwith all animals respond to food start with astrict resime and stick to it keep treats in your pocket when you take the dog out only give treats after a posative responce start there good luck

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

Hi, she's not food orientated which is what is causing a bit of a problem . Shes been roaming for 9 mths, I've got the extra special stuff at the ready- liver/cheese. She goes into 'trance' mode though whre she just stands & stares into the distance.

 

My other dogs are spot on most of the time 'specially the food orintated one. I just dont know if saluki's are more difficult to train, she's settled in brilliantly & has bonded with my male alsation/grey. We wont let her off for a long while yet but need to work on basic training.

 

I've never had a dog so stubborn but that said she's been wild with no human contact for 9 mths that we know of. She does walk nicely on a lead which helps but out on open fields she just stands & freezes.

She's getting better at stopping on way up to fields, & I've no intention of giving her up but need some help from anyone that has this type of dog as to what they have done. She has no concept of the word 'sit' we've been working on 'wait' with my other dogs on our walks to & from the fields. She does stop with the others but am under no elusions whatsoever that it's because I've asked her to.

[riohog 5,751]

ok remember salukis are very inteligent dogs and if its managed to survive for 9 months on its own there is a strong instinct there whether it was on its own or with other dogs! there could be some cycological proplems ! becouse we dont know the history how is he with humans?

[spookster1 24]

I think you need to give her time and bond with her.

She has been wild for a long time so take it easy, get to know her and do a lot of reading about slaukis

I have a saluki that isn't interested in toys or food. I like you thought how the hell am I going to train him, he was about 18mths when I got him. He was scared to of food so food definately wasn't the way to this dog.

I didn't strees over it and we got to know each other. He has been off lead form the begining and his recall is pretty good now even when there are deer around. Give the dog time.

Remembe salukis are nothing like labs and GSD's.

My saluki was scared to come right back to me as I am pretty sure he got a doing so he stopped a bit away. I just walked the way I was going speaking to him quietly, he would then walk up behind me and I would let him know he was a good dog. I am honoured as he is my only dog that comes back to me because he wants to be with me, he wasn't trained with food and toys.

good luck I am sure everything will fall into place

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

Thanks for the help. She's nothing like anything i've had before. I've been around lots of different dogs & she's totally different. She was caught 7 weeks ago & been with me 6. We started off with her been in a pen & slowly introduced her to our other dogs. Then she went from pen to pen during day & garage overnight (my garage is attached to the house & used throughtout the day. We've now introduced my neighbours who let the dogs out during the day before my mum gets home bout 1.30pm.

For the last 10 days she now lives completely indoors- seems to love it, really bonded with one of the dogs & getting there with the other. She's already come a long way & as you say I've been taking it slowly & at her pace. She does come to find me on a morning to let her out but as for outdoors I wouldnt dare. It's too soon & she does switch off & ignore everything around her, both vets she's seen reacon she;s only 18mth old so she's got a long time to go yet.

Just going to be a lot of patience, we do not let her go up garden without a lead on- we've a lot of other feathered & furry animals that she's intrigued by. She nearly jumpd in with guinea pigs last weekend.

[comanche 3,076]

Not an expert but I've trained two saluki bloodied lurchers and my daughter also has one . Sometimes they seem to be totally on another mental level to other dogs , far away,almost spiritual .Sort of "New Agers" of the dog world . They can flip though,into frenzied hunters and ruthless killers when roused. A few seconds later the same dog will revert back to being a High Plains Drifter.

Gentle handling ,no shouting or temper losing should be the order of the day. The rules of training any breed apply but they need to be applied more quietly yet very firmly. My present bitch seemed at first to regard training as some sort of punishment. To avoid this she simply "locked -up" mentally and physically. No good me pretending not to be frustrated. Salukis read minds .Remember that!

Nothing new here but "one step at a time " it will fall in place. Short training sessions .Maybe only a couple of minutes at a time on days when things don't feel right . When things do go right cut short the training session on a high note .Always finish on a high even if it was just 10 second sit and stay .

Rewards; the best reward I've found for one of this breeding is a roughn tumble game with a dummy on a string or a tug of war( you say she show interest in the animals in your garden so a bit of a chase could be just the reward she responds to). Get the dog wound up a bit but stay in control obviously and have a cut-off point where the dog knows it must calm-down and behave itself with both you and the animals around it. .Once the dog realises that it is allowed to throw off it's dignified exterior once in a while you 'll be making progress. Good luck.

Edited November 16, 2008 by comanche

[Guest www]

Excellent advice. What I would add is try taking a more gentle approach. Most dogs respond well to strong assertive commands but Salukis often train better when coaxed into doing your biding. They can be very shy so the more trust you can build the better, best of luck.

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

Thanks & it makes perfect sense. I've seen a little of her craziness the last couple of days when out on the field. She nicks the ball chucks it on the floor then tears round it like an idiot, even funnier when some one else is on the end of the lunge line. It only lasts a couple of minutes then she's back to 'Im not playing & happily trots with other dogs home for tea.

 

She will play with the alsation/grey but he's young. Your'e right about new aged dog though. i spend quite a bit of time sat with her, she doesnt like it if I shout at one of the other dogs. Her favorite pastime is to have a nap then torment Tig til he chases her round the house-then she nicks his bed & lays out full length in it so he cant get in.

 

They definately not stupid, you can see her thinking on what she's going to do next. She'll be a cracking dog given more time, she's already done better than I ever expected after been out all that time.

[Back Stabbath 1]

Saluki's are very strange dogs. I think you need time to bond with her. That will make all the difference imo. They are very sensitive and pick up on emotions easily. Deffo train her with a more gentle approach. I get the feeling that the dog will work better for you the more she respects you rather than working for food/toys, which is unusual. I may be wrong but thats what I think.

 

Good luck!

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

I do spend as much time as I can with her & our other two dogs after work. They are all inside dogs & I do have neighbour comes up during morning to let them out & mam gets in off post dinnertime & most days she's around. Sal likes just laying in bed or lounging around. She's starting to understand, walk, toilet & bedtime. Cant get her to sit for love nor money but I havent forced her. She was only caught 7 week ago so cant complain & it gives me something to do (trying to stop her chasing all the other pets is No1 priority at the minute)