Gutted!!! (sorry, its a long one!)

Ostrich said:
Sorry to shorten your comments, but just to answer your questions:

I dont think it is wrong to hit a dog personally (ducks under the parapet here!) - I smack/hit my dogs myself if I consider that the circumstances warrant it. I do think it is wrong to deliver a beating to a dog in the manner you appeared to suggest - that to me suggests that the owner has anger issues which need to be addressed :o I would never treat an animal like that, and I am extremely pragmatic and far from being a fluffy bunny type!

And your second point which I have picked out fills me with incredulity - I have greyhounds, I would NEVER walk them off the lead into circumstances where I wasnt sure what was around the next corner? It is far too risky, they are sighthounds bred to do a job and quite honestly I never blame them when they do the job they are meant for - if it is 'inappropriate' that they do it (for example chasing a cat) then it is my fault not theirs. I do not understand people who are horrified when their greyhound/lurcher/whippet kills a rabbit on a walk - that is nature as far as I am concerned.

I feel that I am coming across as 'holier than thou' and I do not want to suggest I am a perfect owner - but after 25 years :o of sighthound ownership I know what situations to avoid :)
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I agree with you in that a thrashing is dire but I also said that in certain circumstances it could be the answer.

The trouble with rehoming a dog that has killed sheep is that although the new owners will state they will keep him on a leash and then after a while think the dog will have forgotten about it and start letting him off, in the park to start and then when out on other walks and they find the hard way that the dog has not forgotten.

Neighbours had a lovely lurcher, let him loose and he did over 18 months, a couple of thousand pounds worth of sheep damage.
He had been seen killing a sheep and the owners begged and pleaded to be allowed to keep him so the farmer let them providing they kept him leashed and muzzled when out.
They did for about 3 or 4 months, and then started letting him out loose whereby he went for my sheep.
I could never actually catch him at it. Once when we were bringing in the lambs he came into the filed and attacked the tail ender - I screamed at him and he ran away. By the time we got the flock into the yards and I had called the owner, the wife admitted he had been let out then the husband came and said the dog had been inside all the time.
Sorry, but I have been around dogs enough to recognise one I know.

Eventually he tore the udders out of three ewes one night and damaged several others. I was about to go out on a ride when I heard them calling the dog and I put the horse back in the stable, got the rifle and waited. Sure enough the dog came trotting up the fence line calm as you like. When the sheep started to flock up he went into attack and I shot him dead.
I hated doing it but it was a clean shot and he knew nothing about it.
Iam not proud of the deed but I would do it again if necessary.
Point is that both the farmer and I offered to stop the dog going after the sheep but they thought that he was to 'nice' to be e collared or given a beating.
They learned the hard way.

I do not balame the dog. It is their instinct to chase. However, when they do go after sheep then extreme measures are needed to stop it. Odd thing is that whoever administers the hiding or uses the verbal command with the e collar, is usually the one that the dog adores forever. This is because when done correctly the dog knows who is in command and respects it.
 
Broodle said:
Although I agree that such a tool must be used with correct timing, imo it is really not such a 'specialist's' device as some on here suggest.
Sorry OP for further side-lining your post. I hope you find a solution for your dog.
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Sorry, but I disagree big time with this comment, hence in my original post specifying the need to get someone experienced in BOTH dog behaviour and this particular aid.

You may have been lucky and in some cases with some dogs you can watch the video and get away with it.

Unfortunately, with others you can't; I've had the misfortune to have to work with a number of dogs now that have been subjected to mis-used e-collars/e-collars used on dogs of a disposition that should never have been subjected to such a tool/e-collars used for totally inappropriate situations etc etc. If you look on Youtube you can see numerous videos of people having claimed to have trained their dog to do or not to do XYZ with an e-collar; if you look at the dogs body language they are either totally broken or a timebomb waiting to go off.

As you say, timing is key. IME the timing of most pet dog owners is pretty crap! :D Sorry, not wishing to be offensive, but just stating my experience of dog training.....and that is just with a clicker or verbal praise!

In spite of my above comments I do think there is a place for them IN THE HANDS OF AN EXPERIENCED DOG BEHAVIOURIST (that is not me!) and that they should not be so freely available.
 
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Ostrich said:
I am not sure if it is because I have rescue dogs, but I dont view it as passing the buck? I see it as ensuring that the dog is in a home which is appropriate for its needs. If I were the OP then I would keep the dog and exercise it on the lead, even if that meant adjustments to my routine - the OP is not able to do that, so must find another solution. There are plenty of people who would not be bothered about having a dog which has to be walked on the lead :)
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I agree, some dogs come with known issues and as an adopter you choose what to take on, If a dog can lead a happy life in a more suitable situation i don't see it as passing the buck, just a sensible solution and i've seen dogs who've got in trouble with sheep moved away by rescues to save them before. The lady who rehomed was stupid to take this dog on if she didn't want to keep it on lead as its obvious it will need to be at times. I'm sure most people wouldn't want to take the risk of losing their dog for good, knowing what the outcome is likely to be.
 
I know I am late to this but I will add my bit for what its worth.

I am going to look like a right cow but i dont care, I have been out in the snow all day with horses that are determined to not stay in their own fields so I don't have it in me to bite my tongue.

OP. I think you are being extremely lazy. No time?? Get up earlier or walk in the dark. It wont kill you and when you took your dog on you took him on for life. I don't care how old you were then, you are now an adult and surely you can see your responsibility to your dog? You could pay a dog walker to take him out rather than passing the problem onto someone else.

We are all 'grown ups' with 'grown up jobs' and 'grown up commitments' on here. Yet we can all find the time to walk our dogs.

Until very recently ever dog I have ever owned had been confined to lead walks for various reasons. It didnt kill me.

Put a longline on him, get out of bed an hour earlier, its not rocket science.
 
amymay said:
Hear, hear littlemisslauren.
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Snap and I would have said it but I didn't want to be classed as the villain, sorry.:o Applauds LML.
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theres always one :rolleyes:
Im not one to start talking about personal circumstances on an online forum full of strangers but when I say it is not possible it is not possible.
I can 100% understand your point and if it was a case of getting up an hour earlier I would, I would say the same thing to a stranger so no hard feelings!
 
If a foxhound riots on livestock he gets beaten with a hunting whip. If he riots again he gets shot. You can't have foxhounds that eat sheep, the farmers might not welcome us any more! (Thats round here where we have very few sheep, the rules might be harder in heavily 'sheeped' areas.).
But I would guess a hound is easier to deter than a terrier, we had a patterdale who saw the red mist when she saw a chicken, you could beat her in front of the chicken and she still tried to kill it, while you whacked her.
I wouldn't have a dog I had to walk on the lead, unless I lived in the middle of a city, it would be hell in the countryside IMO, so I think the OP should be able to decide what she would like to do with her dog.
 
littlemisslauren said:
Because her life is more important than everyone elses. obviously.
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I was just struggling to see what situation would mean you literally could not get up an hour earlier. The only thing I can come up with is kids, and no partner. As in could not leave kids in bed whilst she walked the dog.
 
I think some the later comments on this thread are harsh tbh. The OP is under no obligation to reveal their life story and there could be very good reasons why the obvious solution is not possible.
 
congratulations LML you got a reaction. I have PM'd you my personal circumstances, I hope you are happy.

some of you need to remember there is more to people than an avatar you horrible excuses for human beings.

again, thanks you to the people who gave constructive advice and support, I wont be answering on this post anymore because LML's comment has actually quite upset me. bitch away.
 
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