Wanting to chase birds /planes, shrieking and barking........

[Maria]

We adopted Charlie last week, and indoors he is an absolute darling  
However, there is one thing we need to work on, (and I think he may have been allowed to practise this - he's about 5- so I know there isn't a quick fix).

He isn't offlead yet, and when he sees birds /planes, he really, really wants to chase. Because he can't he shrieks / barks, and basically goes way above 'threshold' / can't hear you. When in the garden he scans the sky , but we have had some improvement with me calling him back, and then rewarding him for doing something I ask him to.

We made some mistakes with Boysie in the early days (completely different 'issues')  , and don't want to do the same with Charlie , so I thought I would set out what we think we could do, to get some feedback as to whether it is on the right track, or what else we should consider.

I know he should not be allowed to practise this behaviour, so we will be trying to avoid wide open spaces where he can see huge groups of birds. But he needs to be walked, and we will probably be unable to avoid birds completely.....

I have a copy of Control Unleashed, and was wondering whether we should work through the exercises, or concentrate mainly on 'Look at That'? Inside he is the most chilled and relaxed boy   so not sure that the Relaxation Protocol is worth doing?

Any feedback / input / ideas gratefully received !

Thank you

[spaniel04]

If it was my dog I would go and see a good trainer. Is he a working cocker? I think a good gundog trainer might be able to help.

[cazza]

I would also go and see a good trainer - however in the mean time I would get a firm 'Watch me' command going

Start in house and then progress to the garden

This is no means a solution but will be a good starting point - but please go and get some proffessional help as we can't see how good or bad he is on here and they will give you exercises to do and games to play to help you woth him and they will be able to see how he interacts with you etc

All the best

[KayJay]

Control Unleashed is a great book, and I would think that Look At That would be a very good start (rather than a rigid "watch me"), but it could be worth working through many of the other exercises. Matwork could be transferred to being outside on a mat being calm, the Relaxation protocol could feed into this too, starting indoors so he understands the game and then transferring outside, maybe to the garden first, giving a structure to help remain calm. Teach a strong Leave It and some self-control, work on default behaviours, good attention, they're all transferrable skills, and maybe in the right safe circumstances you could even use the Premack principle, being allowed to chase the birds as reward for staying calm and paying attention to you, or on those occasions where you call him back you could release him back to chase.....I would guess that would be his biggest reward!

[Sarah.H]

Wow I thought this thread was about Millie 

I found the Look at That game invaluable with her, in fact I was doing it yesterday as Millie went a bit mental at some donkeys (I did tell her they were just ponies with long ears  ).

I would also recommend a trainer, and although it's tempting don't let him off lead until you have a training programme in place. You will probably also benefit from other activities such as agility where you will create a bond with him. 

[PennyB]

I sometimes look after a neighbour's CKCS who does this - usually he shrieks when onlead but calms down with me when he's offlead - he will chase the birds but its not something that bother me as he only does it on open fields (they reward him by flying off ) and yet seems to ignore the ducks when I take him to the canal as they just swim around and only rarely fly away from us). In his case his owners don't have him offlead very often so he shrieks a lot with them (I have more confidence with him through having fosters so allow him offlead).

It may be this gets less and less when he's offlead.

[Maria]

Thanks everyone.
After a barky start to the COL walk yesterday, he did calm down a lot, and today (so far) he isn't looking for any birds at all in the garden 

It may be he is excited over the 'move', and will calm down more (especially when offlead), but we will still do the self control and relaxation exercises, and train him to a whistle.

He is such an affectionate, calm and loving boy indoors 

Thanks again

[PennyB]

another thing is to try to get him toy/ball focused if you can - this has helped immensely with Wilf. I did this by playing numerous games while out walking so even though my dogs are food obsessed dogs are more taken with a tennis ball than any food (Wilf will often give up a treat rather than let go of his precious ball). It also helps though as Wilf is such a gobsh**e with certain dogs I don't have to call him back and put onlead anymore (which can exacerbate his gobbiness if I do) - I just produce the ball and he's all mine (I can walk him offlead to heel past the dog he hates). This has taken a lot of work - I play a lot of 'find-it' games in the long grass in the meadow here and play chuckit in same place so ball isn't always as obvious as it would be on cut grass field. He learnt (as did Ruby) that this is an exciting game as well as I encourage them a lot while they play the game.

[Maria]

Thanks again Penny.
He was so much calmer today, and is not scanning the sky in the garden. We managed a couple of fields this morning before he started barking at birds, and that was because a couple of other dogs were chasing them (and barking!), so he joined in. OH reported that tonight he didn't bark at all, so maybe it is the excitement of new places etc...
I am trying to get him interested in toys as well - he came with some tuggy toys but hasn't shown any interest in them yet - so that will no doubt help.
Thanks

[dal55]

Cassie is EXACTLY the same as Pennybs Wilf. SHe is really food orientated until it comes to her ball and Nothing except another ball will make her give it up.
I had a trainer who worked on one to one and it was he who told me to find out what was her most favourite thing, take up all her toys and only produce them/it when you wa nted to play (keep them in a bag that Alfie recognises holds the toy/s. Now when we are out I only have to bend down as if picking up a ball and she is back in a flash. I bought a great toy called a Grrrr Frrr from a site called Muddypaws, 2 balls with strong elasctic attached and a piece D shaped plastic with a moulded hook  which acts like a caterpult. You can fire the balls a good long way Cass has learnt to drop one or I will not fire the other mind you she does try sometimes to get them both in her mouth !!.  You can fit them in your pocket as to having to carry a launcher a. It's great exercise and as Pennb says I can get Cassie past anything !!!!
I would certainly try this sort of thing with Alfie