Georgie Gave Me A Shock

[suzysu]

Georgie gave me a bit of a shock today while out walking.  As we crossed the road to a grassed area there was a piece of shortbread on the floor.  I guided Georgie and Daisy away from it and continued over to the grass.  We walked up to a set of steps which lead into a wooded area.  Georgie is really good at staying close to me and usually comes back if I use my whistle.  I always let her off the lead once we get up the steps.  I keep Daisy on as she is not yet so reliable at coming back.  Anyway no soon had I taken off her lead but she turned around and ran down the steps, across the grass and onto the road to get the shortbread!    I called her back and blew the whistle and she totally ignored me.  Luckily it is not a busy road and there were no cars about.  By the time I got down the steps she had eaten it and was on her way back to me.

She gave me a real fright and I wondered if there was anything I should have done, or is it just a case of leaving her on the lead a bit longer?  The trouble with Georgie is she is so food motivated that everything goes out of the window when food is about.

I have a few more grey hairs now !!!  



 

[Mary]

If it's any compensation, Lottie would have done exactly the same I'm sure:unsure:   Totally food orientated (Having said that, she seems to be on hunger strike for the first time in her life )

I always carry treats with me when I'm out walking and when I first let Lottie off her lead I make her walk to heal for a few yards before rewarding her.  This means that initially she is focused on me and hopefully any other distractions will be forgotton  Throughout her walk I call her back and intermitently give her a treat too.



 

[Sue H]

Cockers are total gannets!!

Your recall may be fine, but it still won't overcome her appetite!!

Saturday mornings here, if you walk the route that the squaddies have taken back to RAF Brize Norton, there are so many partly-filled kebab wrappers/burger buns/bags of chips that your dogs are strangling themselves all along the route, trying to scoff all the tasty stuff that is just lying around!!

Walking along well-used routes is just a doggy-smorgasbord (sic) and, as such, you need to be aware of all the things which they shoudn't get their noses into!!

Being off-lead in fields is different and presents other challenges - ie can I get to that dead mole before they rub their shoulders in it - oooh noooo!  I find that fox poo is really, really stinky and a DEFINITE when it comes to running a bath when we get home!!

Does anyone else have dogs who recognise their own towels when they come out of the airing cupboard, and subsequently disappear ....?

[*Jay*]

Dallas did this to me not that long ago. Let him off the lead in the park and he backtracked and ran out the park to the side of the main road to eat it. Don't even know what it was - probably just a soggy chip - but my heart was in my mouth.  I now keep him on his lead that little bit longer and make sure he knows I have treats.  

[PennyB]

Does anyone else have dogs who recognise their own towels when they come out of the airing cupboard, and subsequently disappear ....?

Yes LOL, plus they always remember where the the dead frog was they rolled in the previous day as well

[ruth_2_hot]

they are little monkeys arnt they we worry ourselves sick and they will do anything risking life and mental health of owner for a mouthful of rubbish they find on the floor keep calm and breathe deeply ha ha ha      

[lizzy]

Sue, you poor thing, I think I would have wet my pants!

The little minx, thank goodness there were not cars about, one thing for sure I bet it's taught you a lesson, never let them off anywhere near food! lol  

[Colin]

Thankfully Georgie survived unscathed, Cockers can be little devils when it comes to discarded food and all reason goes out the window in their attempts to get to it.

I make Jimmy and Misty sit before I take their leads off and if I sense that they've spotted something that they might trot back out the park for I show them a treat, walk off with them still sitting, then call them to me for the treat - it seems to distract them by making them concentrate on an alternative snack. Having said that, Misty still expectantly checks out a bush in the park on a daily basis that she once found a bread roll in - and that was over a year ago.  

[clairep4]

My friend's cocker (now departed) was a fiend for apple cores. We once took her out and she passed an apple core in one field. We had her on the lead and we walked across another 2 fields (heading for one that was more enclosed) before we let her off. She ran straight back across the 2 and a half fields to get the apple core...    

[suzysu]

Having said that, Misty still expectantly checks out a bush in the park on a daily basis that she once found a bread roll in - and that was over a year ago.

    Colin !


Thanks everyone for your good advice.  I am certainly being more careful now and have kept her on the lead a bit longer.