Chloe is up for rehoming - updated!

[SkyeSue]

Well, not quite yet, but watch this space 
Within the last 48 hours she has swallowed a cancer research ribbon with safety pin attached....
She has given me a black eye when she head butted me during a game of chase around the living room...
And worst of all....after our lovely walk in the forest today, she jumped the forest gate onto the road and chased a load of sheep and lambs for half a mile before I caught up with her...by which time, she had been grabbed by a local couple, passing in their car, who had swerved to avoid hitting her, and had hit (but fortunately not injured) a lamb  .
She's off to boot camp quite soon 
Seriously though, I have hardly stopped crying for 3 hours...the pure terror of her being on the road, coupled with the relief that she wasn't killed, along with the knowledge we have a serious problem here....has floored me.
Hope you won't be too harsh on me....I know I have a problem here and have already e-mailed a gun dog trainer (recommended by a member on here whose opinions I value and trust) and hopefully we can sort this problem out.
Don't they just scare you to death sometimes 

[amanda9586]

Aww Sue,  no advice just a big ciber (((HUGG)))... 

Hope you get some good advice from the gundog trainer and just one step at a time - I sometimes feel like we are doing so well and then its a huge step backwards.

Amanda & Poppy x

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

Yes they do  
Sounds like she will have to stay on lead when anywhere near livestock, which i imagine wont be easy on Skye.
Have you done any work with her around sheep?

Take a deep breath, it may take work but its not an un solvable problem  

And big hugs 

[debrand]

OMG how awful for you! 
My Milly used to "round up" cattle in the field next to us in her younger days  and once when she was on the lead near sheep she slipped her collar and jumped into the field with them  I panicked and screamed and I think I terrified her so thankfully she just fell to the ground. I had to a lot of work on teaching her to leave and she is fine now as long as I notice the animals in time to tell her to leave. I hope someone can help you out. 

[SkyeSue]

Yes they do  
Sounds like she will have to stay on lead when anywhere near livestock, which i imagine wont be easy on Skye.
Have you done any work with her around sheep?

Take a deep breath, it may take work but its not an un solvable problem  

And big hugs 

Jo, she has been subjected to sheep since she was a tiny pup...they're absolutely everywhere here! What really got me this afternoon, is that the walk we do in that particular forest, is the one I always feel. safest on....there's no livestock, its a totally fenced off forest, in fact its the safest walk for cockers on the Island. I just didn't get her on lead quick enough and certainly had no idea she could get through the gate! I've been doing lots of long line training with her down the croft (where there is a few ewes with lambs) but obviously it hasnt worked yet!!!

[Sarah.H]

You need to keep her on the long line all the time until you're sure she'll stop/come back. And then gradually reduce the length of it week by week. If you take it on and off she'll just learn that she can ignore you if she doesn't have the long line on  . One thing I've learnt with Millie is that once she's chased something she'll be a lot worse for a while. Each chase just reinforces the problem  .

[bella15]

Yes they do   - Connie in her younger days,slipped her collar & ran off down the road with near disastrous consequences when she ran out in front of one car and then went back across in front of another car   - some one tried to catch her but she was enjoying her freedom to much,it was only  half an hour later when my OH walked back up the road that she trotted back  to him wagging her tail ,oblivious to the mayhem she had caused - At the time I threatened to send her back to the breeder  ,but after a lot of training and perseverance would not swap her for another   - so deep breath and good luck with Chloe -you'll do it  

[Helen]

You need to keep her on the long line all the time until you're sure she'll stop/come back. And then gradually reduce the length of it week by week. If you take it on and off she'll just learn that she can ignore you if she doesn't have the long line on  . One thing I've learnt with Millie is that once she's chased something she'll be a lot worse for a while. Each chase just reinforces the problem  .

agree with Sarah   

...and have a very large stiff drink - there are always good days and bad days with dogs - today was particularly kack but tomorrow is another day.

Give Chloe a big hug from me, tell her that she was very norty but she is still a baby so we understand 

[SkyeSue]

You need to keep her on the long line all the time until you're sure she'll stop/come back. And then gradually reduce the length of it week by week. If you take it on and off she'll just learn that she can ignore you if she doesn't have the long line on  . One thing I've learnt with Millie is that once she's chased something she'll be a lot worse for a while. Each chase just reinforces the problem  .

agree with Sarah   

...and have a very large stiff drink - there are always good days and bad days with dogs - today was particularly kack but tomorrow is another day.

Give Chloe a big hug from me, tell her that she was very norty but she is still a baby so we understand 

Thanks Helen 
I'm already on the large stiff drinks 
Long lines only work down the croft (wide open spaces). On our usual walks it would just be a nightmare, it just gets caught up in all the heather and undergrowth unless I keep her on the path, which I could just do with a normal lead.....so I have to juggle the training on the long line down the croft...with giving her freedom to run on "safe" walks.

[williams]

your dog is of working breed? its doing what comes naturally. first get some basic commands drilled into her then focus her behaviour into some good gundog training basics. she will beome much more obedient once she knows what is wanted of her. the best rule i use is ,dont put your dog in a situation where it can do wrong and it will only learn good .
good luck im sure she is worth the work !

[lisalh]

You need to keep her on the long line all the time until you're sure she'll stop/come back. And then gradually reduce the length of it week by week. If you take it on and off she'll just learn that she can ignore you if she doesn't have the long line on  . One thing I've learnt with Millie is that once she's chased something she'll be a lot worse for a while. Each chase just reinforces the problem  .

agree with Sarah   

...and have a very large stiff drink - there are always good days and bad days with dogs - today was particularly kack but tomorrow is another day.

Give Chloe a big hug from me, tell her that she was very norty but she is still a baby so we understand 

Think this says it all- give yourself a hug from Fred and I and dont worry tomorrow is another day!!

[skyesmum]

Send her to me immediately.      

[wrenside]

Hey Sue,

Bad luck, it is so upsetting when all your hard work is binned by the little darlings for a few minutes of reckless fun     I really feel for you as it's soo frustrating when things like this happen and people who see your dog behaving naughtily immediately think that you haven't bothered with training etc...  

I'd recommend that you have a nice chillaxing time this evening with your soft little girl on the sofa with a glass of wine, and just have a nice huggy time with the norty little devil   I'm sure you're feeling upset at the fact that you feel like you want to kill her at the moment but also need a little furry hug too!      

My advice would be to take quite a tough approach with Chloe as she's clearly learned that sheep are fun to chase and you need to teach her that sheep are not fun, in fact they're unfriendly, and should be avoided  . So my advice would be to find a sheep farmer who has a couple of rams in a medium sized pen and ask if you can put Chloe in the pen with the tups for a short time (most farmers know the score and will help you out in this way, they'll also help get Chloe out of the pen once she has been told off a few times by the tups). This method really does work wonders with instilling a deep respect for sheep into a dog that's prone to chasing sheep in the field, because the tups won't run away when the dog approaches, instead they stamp their feet, snort loudly, and rush towards the dog to get it to back off.

Then after a session with the tups if you walk your dog through a field of sheep and it takes no notice of the sheep (and might even hug close to your leg) give praise and treats etc... to reward her for her good behaviour of ignoring and avoiding the sheep  

This is how my two have been trained, and all it takes is one or two visits to the pen of tups (the dogs don't get hurt, they know what's best for them and soon learn to run over to you to be lifted out of the pen   ) for the dog to understand that there is no fun to be had with sheep. I really needed my dogs to be bombproof around livestock because on shoots fields that are being worked by your dog often have sheep in and so it would be impossible to go beating with my two if they were sheep chasers.

Good luck with Chloe  

Best wishes,

Mary xxxx

[SkyeSue]

Hey Sue,

Bad luck, it is so upsetting when all your hard work is binned by the little darlings for a few minutes of reckless fun     I really feel for you as it's soo frustrating when things like this happen and people who see your dog behaving naughtily immediately think that you haven't bothered with training etc...  

I'd recommend that you have a nice chillaxing time this evening with your soft little girl on the sofa with a glass of wine, and just have a nice huggy time with the norty little devil   I'm sure you're feeling upset at the fact that you feel like you want to kill her at the moment but also need a little furry hug too!      

My advice would be to take quite a tough approach with Chloe as she's clearly learned that sheep are fun to chase and you need to teach her that sheep are not fun, in fact they're unfriendly, and should be avoided  . So my advice would be to find a sheep farmer who has a couple of rams in a medium sized pen and ask if you can put Chloe in the pen with the tups for a short time (most farmers know the score and will help you out in this way, they'll also help get Chloe out of the pen once she has been told off a few times by the tups). This method really does work wonders with instilling a deep respect for sheep into a dog that's prone to chasing sheep in the field, because the tups won't run away when the dog approaches, instead they stamp their feet, snort loudly, and rush towards the dog to get it to back off.

Then after a session with the tups if you walk your dog through a field of sheep and it takes no notice of the sheep (and might even hug close to your leg) give praise and treats etc... to reward her for her good behaviour of ignoring and avoiding the sheep  

This is how my two have been trained, and all it takes is one or two visits to the pen of tups (the dogs don't get hurt, they know what's best for them and soon learn to run over to you to be lifted out of the pen   ) for the dog to understand that there is no fun to be had with sheep. I really needed my dogs to be bombproof around livestock because on shoots fields that are being worked by your dog often have sheep in and so it would be impossible to go beating with my two if they were sheep chasers.

Good luck with Chloe  

Best wishes,

Mary xxxx

Thank you so much for that post Mary...it means a lot to me. As it happens, my friend, Chloe's uncle Micky whom I refer to often, was the first person I phoned when I got home and, unbeknown to me, he subsequently chatted to one of the crofters here about the situation, and she is suggesting that I take Chloe up to her croft and do exactly what you are describing with a couple of her suffolks. In some ways I'm a bit annoyed with Micky that he took it upon himself to go public with my problems, but maybe it might work out for the good. I'd been meaning to ask her myself, but just hadn't got round to it...so perhaps this has brought things to a head....and I can hardly refuse this offer of help now can I?

[wrenside]

I'd go for it Sue  Having the odd problem with your dog's behaviour is nothing to be ashamed of, all dog owners come across obstacles and challenges with their dogs, and it's good to chat about them and get help when needed. I'm sure Micky didn't mean to step on your toes, he's probably just as concerned and shaken up as you are about how close Chloe came to being in the path of a car today because of her love of sheep 

That's really good news that you have a friendly crofter who is willing to help  I'm sure she'll have done this a fair few times before so don't worry about Chloe getting hurt etc... as the crofter will know how her tups react to dogs very well, and the whole idea of it is to give Chloe a better education about how being in close proximity to sheep is not an enjoyable experience. 

Good luck with it all, I'm sure both Chloe and you will do just fine with all of this 

Best wishes,

Mary xxx