Cocker Activities > Working

Dog chasing bird/mouse/rabbit is it illegal?

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Gazrob:
It's a local dog walk everybody takes their dogs here. I can control him most of the time it's just when he gets a scent that's when he switches off from all commands. What do you suggest I do to try and stop his chasing? I try and take him to places where there are less things to chase but this isn't always possible.

Londongirl:

--- Quote from: Gazrob on May 01, 2018, 03:40:55 PM ---It's a local dog walk everybody takes their dogs here. I can control him most of the time it's just when he gets a scent that's when he switches off from all commands. What do you suggest I do to try and stop his chasing? I try and take him to places where there are less things to chase but this isn't always possible.

--- End quote ---

It’s hard work, but you need to train him to recall away from the highest distraction. Which means starting with the lowest distractions and building up gradually. And keeping him on a lead in situations where he might chase and you’re not yet confident that he will recall. Every rehearsal of a behaviour you don’t want sets the training back because it’s so rewarding.

It sounds drastic, to not let him chase birds, when they so obviously enjoy it. But if he is completely heedless when chasing, he won’t stop if he reaches a road, or crosses paths with a tractor, or... well, you get the idea.

Henry’s recall (as regular readers know!) has been a source of great trial and tribulation to me and I’m still working on it. In situations where I know he has the opportunity to chase birds, I keep him on the lead.

Gazrob:
Yeah that sounds like good advice and I do actually do this as much as I can. I can generally stop him on the whistle if it's just a small bird but if it's a pheasant he's away.  The trick is to try and read his body language and keep my eyes on him at all times because if I take my eyes off him for a second he can be away. He's got that sly glint in his eye.  ;) thanks for all the advice I'll take it all on board.

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