Blooming dogs - sneaking off hunting again

[SouthWestWhippet]

My whippets have taken to going off hunting when I'm at the yard. My older bitch never used to wander but she has always been the type of dog that will go if someone else goes... and my new puppy obviously thinks exploring the fields for rabbits is the best new game ever.

Trouble is they go miles across the fields and don't come back for hours. Cue me, stuck in the car waiting for them at 8:30 at night or tramping across the fields yelling and whistling for hours on end.

The first time they went I put it down to a one off, then they went again a couple of days later so I started tieing them up in the tack room while I'm working. Last night, I was only up the yard to feed and leave again, so I didn't bother to tie them up as I was watching them. I popped into the indoor school to give someone a hand getting their lesson started, came out 3mins later and the buggers had gone.

Does anyone know any methods that can recall dogs that have gone miles (I think they go out of shouting range and because the yard is right up on the Blackdowns I've noway of knowing exactly which way they've gone). Also is there anyway I can stop them doing this other than tieing them up?

I don't want to stop taking them to the yard cos otherwise they'll be stuck in the house for hours and I'd rather they didn't have to be tied up all day as it isn't ideal for them... but I can't cope with any more of this running off malarkey.

any ideas?

 

[sloulou]

You could try whistle training their recall?

You can buy a gundog whistle and use that? My puppy is while trained - which was handy when my voice was going last week

other than that - you need to train them not to go that far away, so that they can always see/hear you - which would obviously be alot of work!

 

[Foxyfilly]

Take some tasty treats and work on their recall again.
Mine both wear bells attached to their collars so you
can hear where they are.

 

[KJJ]

OH's Lurcher, Tinker, does this... but he is ALWAYS in ear shot - just he is very selective about WHAT he hears!!

OH has taken to leaving him (luckily he is on private land) as he won't call and call and call... there really is nothing we can do to stop it unless we constantly recall him everytime he gets more than 5ft away or else he's gone.. NOT nice to do as you can't enjoy your wlak/time with them... so I'm afraid when we go out in public Tinks has to stay on the lead whilst Finn has all the freedom.

Good Luck - I'm lucky that Finn likes to stay near mummy - so won't go off on an adventure - *that's not to say he won't start if I don't keep my eye on him* LOL!!

 

[Oneofthepack]

They're probably well aware that you're calling but selective deafness kicks in when they get on the scent of something delicious. I think once they've started this it's really hard to stop it because they're just having such a ball. Perhaps you could take them out for a really good run before you start working at the yard and then give them something like a bone or chew to settle them.

 

[fmay]

That must be worrying. Our terriers are like Houdini and we are constantly having to check the fencing to stop them taking themselves for walks - unfortunately lurchers can just jump out of everything. One of the terriers is allowed to run free on the first half of a walk-going away from home but has to be on the lead on the way home because she will slope off and will not come to call.

 

[milor]

they are Whippets doing what Whippets do best - RUNNING - you don't have a hope in hell of getting them back until they have finished hunting - all sight hounds are extremely unreliable off lead - their whole attitude is "recall ? whats a recall ?" .

The only way to safely let them off is to use a fully enclosed area where they can run but not vanish out of sight - anything else will just be totally frustrating for you and could be very dangerous for your dogs as with no way of controlling them they may end up on the road or worse.

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

Yeah, I was thinking about the whistle idea because my mum has one with which she is trying to teach her dogs recall.

I might give it a go but I'm thinking that they are being selectively deaf - the older girl is a bit inclined to pretend that if she can't *see* you, she can't hear you either... but the pup might be more trainable as she is less inteligent and more inclinde to do as she's told without thinking about it LOL

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

[ QUOTE ]
they are Whippets doing what Whippets do best - RUNNING - you don't have a hope in hell of getting them back until they have finished hunting - all sight hounds are extremely unreliable off lead - their whole attitude is "recall ? whats a recall ?" .

[/ QUOTE ]

ROFLMAO

I know this is the truth - I just didn't want to hear it !!!!!

 

[maisie]

Mine do the same - except they can only go so far on our land cos we are all stock fenced - still have to go out and look for them when I've finished on the yard - amazes me that they will sit up the field stalking rabbits in the rain for hours, but if you want them to go out and pee last thing and it's raining, they look at you as tho you are mad!!!