Hunting instinct driving me mad!!!!

[rubyduby]

Suggestions welcome, my two Spaniels drive me mad on walks, they trail miles behind and spend their walk with their heads down vole holes , they will kill and eat anything they find , baby voles, birds etc. I don't want to muzzle them but don't like the destruction and death of baby birds or critturs, .I think they got into this habit because my OH would sit on benches and let them roam rather than keep them walking and they developed a taste for ..vole! (or whatever) If muzzling is the only option can anyone suggest one that is kind and suitable, I don't want to to ruin their walks by keeping them on a lead.....!!!!!

[feelreid]

Mine are very ball orientated while out on walks would this maybe help distract them?

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk

[Mudmagnets]

Suggestions welcome, my two Spaniels drive me mad on walks, they trail miles behind and spend their walk with their heads down vole holes , they will kill and eat anything they find , baby voles, birds etc. I don't want to muzzle them but don't like the destruction and death of baby birds or critturs, .I think they got into this habit because my OH would sit on benches and let them roam rather than keep them walking and they developed a taste for ..vole! (or whatever) If muzzling is the only option can anyone suggest one that is kind and suitable, I don't want to to ruin their walks by keeping them on a lead.....!!!!!

I use the open Baskerville type for mine, means they can still sniff, drink, run and play. I use them for the same reason as you would, I know they cannot pick up anything undesirable (they are scavangers) or dangerous, or in our dogs case vulnerable - but still get adequate free exercise. It does mean the games like throwing balls is limited to the garden, but there you go. Have included Amazon link but they are available in pet shops, where you can get the correct size by taking dog along with you - but may be dearer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005UCPPWG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[ips]

The dog is probably bored just walking, hunt the dog in front of you, train the leave it command reward with whatever floats its boat. Train breakaway from whatever it finds namely vole, dog should be working for you not self employed. Even if its show bred its still a hunting dog deep down. Not saying any of the above is going to be easy especially as its now a learned behaviour but if your up for a challenge 😉

[rubyduby]

They arent particularly into playing with balls etc, and typical of Spaniels will listen to a point then the 'deafness' creeps in....I will have to keep close behind them and keep them moving forward, they do however know where the 'life' is long before I do and getting to them to stop them is virtually impossible...they are 7 yrs old and the habit has developed over the last 2-3 yrs

[Pearly]

The dog is probably bored just walking, hunt the dog in front of you, train the leave it command reward with whatever floats its boat. Train breakaway from whatever it finds namely vole, dog should be working for you not self employed. Even if its show bred its still a hunting dog deep down. Not saying any of the above is going to be easy especially as its now a learned behaviour but if your up for a challenge 😉

Good advice here - if you have a gun dog trainer locally it would be worth going along and learning how to get them to respond to a whistle on turns etc.  They may be 7 but it would become a game and should wear them out more quickly than just walking (or "ratting"!)

[rubyduby]

Wonder if anyone can suggest some harmless olution I could put on their noses or top lip to disguise or 'spoil' scents

[bizzylizzy]

How about 2 wine corks 

[lescef]

Wonder if anyone can suggest some harmless olution I could put on their noses or top lip to disguise or 'spoil' scents

I remember our trainer saying( in jest  )  to rub some vick or similar around the nose (I think) to help with recall when we took our tests. I got the impression that those who took competing very seriously actually did this.

[Pearly]

Wonder if anyone can suggest some harmless olution I could put on their noses or top lip to disguise or 'spoil' scents

I remember our trainer saying( in jest  )  to rub some vick or similar around the nose (I think) to help with recall when we took our tests. I got the impression that those who took competing very seriously actually did this.

I really hope no one fell for that suggestion!  I have a cold at the moment and have been using Vicks to help with a blocked nose - it makes my eyes water and I can't really smell it.....just imagine what that would be like for a dog 

[Mudmagnets]

Wonder if anyone can suggest some harmless olution I could put on their noses or top lip to disguise or 'spoil' scents

I remember our trainer saying( in jest  )  to rub some vick or similar around the nose (I think) to help with recall when we took our tests. I got the impression that those who took competing very seriously actually did this.

I really hope no one fell for that suggestion!  I have a cold at the moment and have been using Vicks to help with a blocked nose - it makes my eyes water and I can't really smell it.....just imagine what that would be like for a dog 

Wouldn't the temptation for dogs to lick it off, not sure what is in Vick, but wouldn't have thought it would be very pleasant, and may be dangerous if consumed.

[theoldfella]

This thread essentially duplicates mine about hunting (4 yr old started hunting) so with thanks to those who replied there, I'll just use this one from now on.

Some good advice, which I tried to take on board, but after this mornings walk I feel very disheartened and unsure what to do next.

Armed with sausages and tennis balls, which had lead to a bit of an improvement in behaviour in the last few days, this morning was aaaaaggghhhh...  . He was gone almost straight away and, although probably never more than 50 yards away in the undergrowth (I could see the ferns moving!) he was totally deaf. I carried on walking and looking back I could see his head appearing occasionally to check on me but even then he generally ignored my calls and whistle. A couple of times he saw me shouting and just turned straight round back into the bushes. In his own time, he did catch me up a few times but I was reluctant to reach to grab him and slip his lead on (in case I missed and he would be even more wary next time) until near the end of the walk.

Having had time to reflect and calm down a bit, I think the earlier reply which talked about boredom is probably very relevant and I also realise that my own performance has been badly lacking, his recall is clearly not good enough. As I said in my original thread, unfortunately due to illness I cannot drive now so we can usually only streetwalk round the village or walk in the local woods, hence his familiarity and probable boredom with them as we're there every day.

I also generally play ball in the garden with him every day so that holds no real attraction when we're out, which I hadn't thought about until now as he had also been keen on playing in the woods where I could at least try and get the ball to divert off a tree or into the undergrowth so he had to work rather than just run.

Sorry for rambling on but I am not really sure what to do next, so any further thoughts or advice very welcome. There was an apparently excellent gun dog trainer in the area but I understand she has recently moved away, which is a shame. What the breeder told me about show cockers not having a hunting instinct was perhaps less than the absolute truth!

Thanks, Kevin

[ips]

I don't think he is bored as he clearly likes to hunt and is allowed to do so, I think the problem is in these situations is that he does not see you as the "provider" of fun (namely hunting) but merely the facilitator" you say you use a ball and treats but in what way ?
I hide the ball a couple of yards from my feet and whistle her in giving hunt command, I also used to do the same with edible rewards. Before long the dog will associate all good things happen just yards from your feet. Also do not throw balls further than you want him to ever be from you, in other words if you throw a ball thirty yards then thirty yards becomes the fun zone but if you only throw it ten yards plus the things to find at your feet then ten yards becomes the fun zone.
Never recall unless there is something else to do on return, make recall be the start of another or even the same thing. Imo dogs are a bit thick when it comes to this, my bitch loves to stop on a whistle or recall from the hunt because I then hunt her in a different / closer direction....go figure. So in short everything the dog finds to be fun must happen at your feet. I am no expert but that's my method and how I see your current problem.
Ps
I also never ever start a play session by throwing the ball I always get her to walk to heel even for only a few yards then I drop the ball to her, she runs around me a bit then I will throw it ten yards, so the start of the play session starts at my feet.

[bizzylizzy]

Excellent advice there from ips.
You could also try scattering a small handful of tiny titbits into the grass or gravel around your feet and let him search for them. I throws balls now and again but I try to get Humphrey to use his surplus energy sniffing things out and searching for toys, balls, treats etc at home and in the garden aswell as on our walks,  it seems to satisfy the hunting drive but its more controlled. I've no idea if it would help, we've always tried to include a little bit of training or a game, even if its only a short "sit and stay" , into every walk and Humphrey's never further than a few yards away from me however I don't know if that's the reason or whether we've just been very lucky. (I've never had any inhibitions about acting like a clown either and if clapping my hands and shouting "wheeeee!" when he races back to me keeps him focussed, then so be it!! )
Best of luck!

[ips]

Bizzylizzie makes a good point, I always try to train or maintain something when she thinks its a game. I trained (for example) turning on a specific shoulder whilst sat on a bench throwing a ball, ten yards only I hasten to add 😁  walks are never walks and I don't believe in the term free play or free running at least not literally. Allowing either will only train or allow bad habits and furthermore free running gives little by way of stimulation mentally to the dog.