Help! Spaniel attacking wildlife

[Royalpavilion]

Hi! My 5 yr old sprocker bitch has always chased the odd pheasant or rabbit. However sometimes she ups her game and has attacked badgers and small deer. Yesterday there was an altercation in some undergrowth and she ended up with a deep wound on her shoulder requiring stitching etc by a vet. I think it may have been a muntjac or a deer with horns. I am VERY KEEN for her to stop this behaviour. The rest of the time she is the sweetest natured dog you could wish for. I'm hoping this may have taught her a lesson but I wouldn't count on it. If anyone can offer any advice I would be grateful. Thanks

 

[Maesfen]

If you don't want a working dog doing what it was bred for naturally then don't have a working breed is the main point to get across and I am not being sarky, just stating the point that this dog is doing what comes naturally as it doesn't seem to have been trained to be an obedient gun dog from the start.
As to how you stop it, I'll leave to others more qualified.

 

[PucciNPoni]

In my experience, such as it is - dogs don't "learn lessons" following an altercation with a wild animal. If anything it make the all the more keen. I worked in a vet clinic in the US, and it was always the same dogs that came to the practice with a face full of porcupine quills. You'd think THAT would be enough to "teach" the dog but sadly that is not the case.

 

[Thistle]

Seek advice from a gundog trainer, they know the breed best. In the mean time keep the dog on a long line and ensure that your recall is 100%

 

[Spook]

Yes indeed keep it on a lead. Out of control dogs are causing so much discord for land managers and farmers and indeed other dog walkers.

 

[Dry Rot]

I've started to write several answers to this one but deleted them all!

If the spaniel is chasing badgers and muntjac at this stage, it is just a small step to chasing lambs when the OP's problems will come abruptly to an end!

Spaniels are determined lttle sods, their work as gundogs involves forcing their way through brambles, etc. to search for the hint of a scent, and they become set in their ways. They need to be trained from an early age (six weeks) to respond instantly to the 'Sit' command and not to chase moving objects so both actions become instinctive. By that I mean they just do it without thinking. It may be amusing to see a spaniel puppy chasing a rabbit but they grow up and by then it is too late to train them.

Keeping a spaniel on a lead is, in my opinion, cruelty. But then so is buying a working breed and failing to train it. From the low number of posts, I suspect the OP has been told this elsewhere and come here hoping for a softer response.

 

[Goldenstar]

You just must keep the dog on the lead , and find some safe places to let it off .
Spaniels need work , in their case the devil makes work of idle paws.
My brothers lab has just had an altercation with a large badger not really anyone's fault the badger was in the garden and the dog cornered it sort of by accident .
Result very very big bill.
I not sure that you can stop a dog that's learnt this behaviour .

 

[gunnergundog]

Keeping a spaniel on a lead is, in my opinion, cruelty. But then so is buying a working breed and failing to train it. From the low number of posts, I suspect the OP has been told this elsewhere and come here hoping for a softer response.

Totally agree with this. However, you now need to be responsible and keep the dog on a harness and long-line whenever there is the chance of game or livestock being around. You need to find suitably enclosed areas to allow the dog to free run AND you need to give it a job of work to do.........train it for agility, tracking, fly-ball or whatever, but you need some means of channelling the brain and energy. Am assuming that gundog work is of no interest to you or else you would have started training earlier; am also assuming that you are an amateur/novice owner so embarking on redirecting this five year old dog for gundog work now and to stop chasing game is I would suggest a total non-starter.

And if anyone, here or on any other forum, suggests putting an e-collar on it......WALK AWAY.

 

[pippixox]

my friend has a 7 yo springer spaniel. as a pup he went to a lot of training classes including gun dog & he sometimes joins the pheasant shoot. but he will always hold onto his drive to flush and grab- he killed a duck in the horses field the other day- he is so fast. he also occasionally dissapears for a few hours! across acres of farm land (no stock, just crop and pheasants). when he is focussed and in 'working' mode he is perfect and does not put a foot wrong, but as he is mostly wandering around the yard he switches off and decides to sometimes do his own thing!

my german sheperd has quite a high chase drive- although he is a heffalump so never catches any thing, but he gets to run in my horses field with stock fencing. I cant let him off lead any where there is a risk of something he can chase. He has made huge progress, but we got him as a 2 yo with practically no training at all- the younger you can start the better I'm afraid

 

[Clodagh]

The odd pheasant may not matter, but think how much that pheasant has cost the man that is raising it, and how much it is worth. Keep the dog on a lead and join a gundog training group.

 

[FFAQ]

I feel for you! My spaniel was rescued from a dual carriageway and presumably had no training prior to coming to us. I've managed to get her recall up to about 75% reliability, but even after having her about 5 years she will still give me that 'sod you' look if there are birds around. To my shame and horror she killed 4 ducks the other day at the farm where I keep my horses. As a result, she is now confined to my field if she goes over there at all, and I always put her on the lead if I am in doubt. It's not her fault - it's what her breed does. I just try to walk her in places where she can't get into trouble. She is also a very determined individual and hard as nails. I've never heard her yelp, even when she's injured herself, and as for training - she'll do it if it suits her!

 

[spacefaer]

We have working cockers and my OH has trained gundogs of all breeds for many many years. Our dogs are never left to wander around by themselves, they are always supervised when loose, or they are under control, being trained or working.

As working dogs, you want them to be with you, with their concentration on you, looking to work for you. If you give them lots of time with exciting game potential, then they will learn to work for themselves, and not you. And as previous posters have said, small game will lead to larger game and if you have a dog that starts chasing sheep, with no recall, you will lose your dog. End of.

 

[spacefaer]

In answer to your question asking for help, keep her on a lead, so she is safe and find a decent gundog trainer. It's only fair on the dog (and the local wildlife!)