Anyone else with a bird obsessed cocker?

[coopersmum]

I was wondering if Cooper's obsession with all things feathered is a cocker instinct or if its just him?

I worry about it as he comes to the stables with me early in the morning and often there are guinea fowl and ibis in the field. He goes crazy, screams like a banshee and pulls like a train if the birds are in the field when we have to walk through it to turn my horse out. I'm really afraid he's going to hurt himself after his back op and with  the polyarthritis as he strains so much

I've tried offering treats to distract him but with no joy. He's generally pretty good on and off lead, its just when there are largish birds in the picture that all hell breaks loose.  Any suggestions on how to desensitize him to the birds would be much appreciated

Could it just be his spaniel instinct? He even collects feathers and brings them home with him when we go for walks. Does anyone else have bird obsessed hairy monsters?

[abkb]

I feel this is an apt day for me to say yes; OH (white with shock) has just come home from walking Molly.  She was on lead by the main road, saw a bird in the distance, bolted after it, SNAPPED HER LEAD and went legging it after the bird.  OH was terrified that she'd be run over.  He eventually got to her and had to carry all 12kg of her all the way home 

[bajoleth]

My 2 think its their mission in life to keep the garden clear of birds as soon as they see a bird they tear off into the garden and then spend the next couple of minutes nose down bum in the air until they have sniffed the whole garden. Luckily they are not bothered by the army of small nesting birds we have

[Chezer]

My Archie's mission in life is just to catch a bird! It's the first thing he whines for in the morning-to go out and clear the garden of birds!

[coopersmum]

I'm not surprised your OH was a little pale! I'd have been beside myself with a road nearby. I'm sure they thinks its their job to get our adrenaline pumping!

[LynneB]

Not the cockers, but it started with one of the bichons. Lottie would bark furiously at any bird that landed on the telephone wires. The rest have quickly followed so now there is pandimonium in our garden when any of them see a bird. To make things a whole lot worse, we know have 2 crows made their nest on one of our chimney pots. Lets hope thay do NOT have a socond clutch.

[coopersmum]

Good to know Coop isn't the only one with feathers on his mind I'm not sure what he'd do if he actually caught a bird though.

I took him to a groomer at a petshop once and when we came out to pay (I stay with him or he bites) he thought the parrots and cockatiels were obviously complementary and tried to take one home. I managed to drag him away from the birds and while I was paying he noticed the fish and thought that since he couldn't have a bird then he MUST be allowed a fish... Got him away from them and he found a tub of huge ostrich bones for sale so he just took one and left me red faced and spluttering at the till!!! I've told him that's the closest he's going to get to any birds but he's still on his "I'm going to catch me a bird mission!"

[montydavies]

Nope, you aren't the only one. Monty is totally obsessed with birds, especially little ones. His one close encounter with a bird was when our cat caught a magpie, after I took it off the cat I showed it to Monty, who was so scared he ran in the house and hid under the chair for half an hour!! He is definitely all mouth and and no trousers!

[cangrejo]

My two are bird obsessed too. Charlie slightly more than Dexter as he wants to catch and eat them, which he has managed to do 

[janandted]

Yep another one here  I have been training a whistle recall as per Top Barks,she has been doing really well  .....until today  waders on the beach at Hunstanton was just too much of a temptation...she was just a speck in the distance in no time Eventually she returned and it was lead walking for the rest of the day  ...and that is another story  I thought I was done with teenagers 

[Cockertime Blues]

Yes - two of them here.  And I have a feeling new girl Genie is even more obsessed than Alfie ever knew how to be.  Bird-wise it has not been a good day for us today. 

[coopersmum]

So its a cocker thing then... That's a relief, I thought he was just wierd:D

There have been guineafowl in the field for the last few days so now he's really hyped to get to the stables...
I was obviously taking too long to untangle his harness this morning and when I looked down he was sitting on the garden table waiting for me to put it on(great for dogs with bad backs) Then we had a swift drag/run across the field to open the gate after feeding Ruster, saw the birds and went into banshee mode! I can almost hear him screaming "I wants me a feathers!! I wants me a feathers!!"
 

[Black Beauty & Silverfox]

Well they were originally bred as hunt dogs and "Cocker" derives from the Woodcock birds they would retrieve in a shoot

Mel 

[black taz]

another one here - Taz spent a few minutes yesterday trying to catch seagulls on the beach.  I am sure they were taunting him on purpose.   One was hovering about 4 feet above him for about 15 seconds - he was jumping up and barking, it was so funny.  Fortunately he gave up quite quickly and decided to settle on the cooked chicken instead

[montydavies]

far more chance of catching a cooked chicken, they don't move so fast!! (unless they are in the mouth of a Cocker!!)