Um, ducks? - Page 1

So Anubis and I went to the lake today to walk around it. It was his first time seeing ducks, ever...and they were HUGE, and to be blunt, he wanted to kill. His hackles raised, he stood tall, barking very deep, pulling forward.  Food then became nothing to him as a distraction.....which has never happened. Any ideas on what to do about that? I really didn't want to leave him with a bad experience, and as he got more and more tired he didn't pay that much attention to the ducks, but still. I've worked with adult dogs who have had similar problems wanting to chase/kill prey, though we don't use corrections on puppies, nor do puppies have all the training my older dogs....and the other older dogs had that I have worked with. What would you guys suggest?

I would just keep exposing him to them.  desensetize to them.  more he is exposed to them, the less he should worry about them

sounds like Hero the first time he say my cat......its been months and he still want to take a nip now and then.

welcome  to my world my male has such high prey drive, he will snap a bird out of the air,my cat has to be keeped away,and even a moving bug is not safe,but bring a kid or puppy and he lays down to play.If any of you can come up with a way to handle that part of a great male but who is 105lbs, then Im listening. He is great in all ways but that, and is fast,blink and he has it, usually doesnt kill but shakes them to death and leaves it.

Sounds like good prey drive to me. I had one grab a bird out of the air. After a split second of shock on my part that she was so fast, I yelled "Drop it!" She opened her mouth, looked at me and the bird flew off, no doubt vowing never to fly that low again.

OK, in this politically correct climate, we can't usually just let dogs do their thing with prey drive. Taking that dead squirrel home for squirrel stew would get you fined if you got caught, unless you are lucky enough to have country land and lots of acres. I had one bitch go up a cottonwood tree after a squirrel - and she caught it!

So, keep your dog under control on leash. Don't get tense about it if you can help it because your tension will travel down the leash and make him tense too. (actually it's your body language that your dog is reading and the tight leash.)  Put on an act that it's not a big deal to you and just keep exposing him to the ducks, geese or whatever.

You may never make him safe around smaller animals, but he should get to the point where he can control himself.

The leash thing on prey is  a waste for me as he out weighs me , but will try the leave it as SOMETIMES it works, but when he is on something he seems to zone out , no distraction ,sort of  like when a bitch is giving birth, if I walk in front or try to run off the prey he never moves his eyes and just watches in a crouch to jump no barking no sound at all, I think I wasted him on not doing tracking,or rescue work .

More obedience training including a strong down out of motion, fast recall and a "knock it off" command.  My police K9 is very dog agressive and over the top in prey drive.  I did a foot patrol through a high crime area today.  I must have had 10 different dogs pits, rotties and mutts lunging at fences at him as I walked down some allyways.  Not one bark, snarl or growl from my dog.  I was happy, but he knew better.  He is a very dominant, alpha dog and left to his own devices he wouldn't put up with any of this.  Don't get me wrong he wanted to get into it with each dog he saw but he wouldn't dare.  

I have also tracked through woods with geese, deer, foxes, rabbits, possums.  He would love to chase them, but he also knows they are off limits.

Jim

Slamdunc this is a puppy who is just about to turn 4 months. I don't think most anyone who trains their dogs for this type of work would have had him doing that type of obedience or corrections at this age.  If an adult it would be different. Keep in mind most dogs I work with are typically adults....including my pack of Huskies that I take everywhere, I am their leader, I control them,  they are taught not to pay attention to other dogs, or any other animals and they stay right beside my side even if I don't hold the leash on walks. Like tonight there was a HUGE malamute that was wondering the streets while we were walking.....these dogs in the street are the reason I wouldn't take a pup, but I either challenge the other packs on the street mentally, or I just shew them away. I just make sure I read their signals right. My Husky pack didn't always use to be anywhere near that good.. And Sam, definitely good prey drive lol, he loves to chase birds, rabbits, anything that gets in this yard he's after it....just not fast enough to get it yet.  I'm all familiar with not allowing tension or any of that, or fear, nervousness, ect ect,  as I'm starting to work on a daily basis with other dogs and my own....it's just a different story when a puppy is involved of this degree since puppies shouldn't be trained like adults for what us guys want to do with them I wasn't sure of the approach I should use for doing this.  We won't be going back tomorrow, but I will have plenty of time Wed to take him back to work with him there. Thanks for the advice though you guys, I'll update more after Wed on how everything goes.

Slamdunc this is a puppy who is just about to turn 4 months. I don't think most anyone who trains their dogs for this type of work would have had him doing that type of obedience or corrections at this age.  If an adult it would be different. Keep in mind most dogs I work with are typically adults....including my pack of Huskies that I take everywhere, I am their leader, I control them,  they are taught not to pay attention to other dogs, or any other animals and they stay right beside my side even if I don't hold the leash on walks. Like tonight there was a HUGE malamute that was wondering the streets while we were walking.....these dogs in the street are the reason I wouldn't take a pup, but I either challenge the other packs on the street mentally, or I just shew them away. I just make sure I read their signals right. My Husky pack didn't always use to be anywhere near that good.. And Sam, definitely good prey drive lol, he loves to chase birds, rabbits, anything that gets in this yard he's after it....just not fast enough to get it yet.  I'm all familiar with not allowing tension or any of that, or fear, nervousness, ect ect,  as I'm starting to work on a daily basis with other dogs and my own....it's just a different story when a puppy is involved of this degree since puppies shouldn't be trained like adults for what us guys want to do with them I wasn't sure of the approach I should use for doing this.  We won't be going back tomorrow, but I will have plenty of time Wed to take him back to work with him there. Thanks for the advice though you guys, I'll update more after Wed on how everything goes.

Anubis is a little too young for a down out of motion, but he's not too young to learn "leave it" or "drop it". Ok, they aren't SchH commands. But they are very useful on a daily basis with a dog that lives in the house. Just because you are raising him as a sport puppy doesn't mean he doesn't need manners. I know I'm a fine one to talk since I'm by no means the world's greatest obedience trainer. But "leave it" as in "just walk away" or "drop it" are easy to teach a young puppy. 

Let us know how it goes.