Lurcher help please

druid

druid

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Ok....Archie the Lurcher has settled in very well and now has some vague command of basic obidence. His recall is 95% there with the help of the long line and chicken. We are now encountering a new problem....if he decides his walk hasn't been long enough he refuses to get in the car to come home. Recall goes out the window even for chicken/cheese/squeaky toy etc. He just hovers 12ft away from you and refuses point blank to come nearer. If you go towards him he backs off. If you walk away/ignore him he just stays standing by the car. He doesn't care the other dogs are in the car or that you "might" leave him. (Odd for a dumped dog!!)

He did get travel sick when we initally had him so this may be part of the problem although he hasn't actually been ill in the car for months.

Suggestions gratefully recieved....he's been the same with every car (Prius, Corolla, Range Rover, Audi Q7, Patrol) except the BMW 6 series where he was on the back seat not in the boot....and no, he's not going to be allowed travel on the back seat just because he fancies it!!
 
Lol, he's not used to the high life; get him a proper car or a pick up, he might be more at home in a lower class model.

Seriously, make a habit of before you get back to the car of recalling him onto the lead and when he gets in, make a fuss of him, it is a nice place to be; he should soon twig that you mean what you say and then you should be able to let him off until the end.
 
What does he do if YOU eat the chicken :D or make a huge fuss of the other dogs and feed them loads of treats when they get in the car while ignoring him?

Off the top of my head:
You could practice at home - jump in the car for a treat so the habit is established before you get to the problem area

As Maesfen says recall him for treats thoughout the walk, clip on lead then let him off again but keep him on for the last bit when you can then lift him ont the car if necesary.

Bring out his favourite toy and lob it into the car when you finish the walk

Call his bluff and drive off a little way (obs only if safe to do so)
 
Shadow (also a lurcher) used to do this. Frustrating isn't it??

I did actually get so frustrated that I drove off once. Only about 10ft along the lane, but boy did he come back quickly!

What did the trick in the end was, I used to recall him and put him on the lead at odd times during the walk, and used to put him back on the lead quite a way from the car, so he didn't necessarily associate being on the lead with getting back in the car.

His recall is still not brilliant, but it's more of a 'I'd rather sniff that leaf than listen to you' rather than 'you're not catching me' if that make sense!
 
We had this problem with our Lurcher, he's stubbornly independent at times but equally a right wuss too!. Few things we tried which worked depending on the exact situation.

* Hide from him and wait for him to find you. A boring and frustrating process but it did work with ours when he decided to continue the walk alone.

* As the others have said put him on and off the lead during the walk so he doesn't know when the walk will end.

* At the end when he stands away from you see if you can get him to show if he wants something. Dom will stand away from you and won't be caught when he wants to show you something (like a bunny down a hole). We humour him, ask him to show us in an enthusiastic voice, follow him to said hole, let him have a good sniff/mark it, praise him and then when done put him back on the lead.
 
druid said:
....... He doesn't care the other dogs are in the car.......
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Perhaps that's just the point. Perhaps he does care. Lurchers tend to be rather aloof. They tend not to want to share space with dogs of another type.

He will be happy to get in the car for the outward journey, but not for the home bound one. That's entirely understandable. The homeward bound journey doesn't quite have the same edge!!

I'm assuming that you have company when you take him, with other dogs, for a walk. Have your companion hold back the other dogs, whilst you put him in the car first. If you open the passenger doors, then is he happy to hop in? If he is, then that's your problem.

The idea that he's learnt a lesson from being dumped, really isn't how lurchers think. We may do, but they don't. The truth of the matter is, that they don't really care!

If you think that he's simply trying it on, then put him on a lead, walk purposely towards the car, and with a definite, but not loud, "Get in", INSIST. Then he'll come to realise that you mean what you say!

Good luck!

Alec.
 
Have to say mine prefers the back seat to himself rather than sharing the boot, although i don't thin it helps that he has to share it with a moody diva lol! He'll more readily jump in the back than the boot.
 
Thank you all :)
Maesfen said:
Lol, he's not used to the high life; get him a proper car or a pick up, he might be more at home in a lower class model.
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Somehow I can't see Father dear slumming it just for the Lurcher....it syas it all that the dog's favourite car is a sports coupé!!

Brownmare said:
What does he do if YOU eat the chicken :D or make a huge fuss of the other dogs and feed them loads of treats when they get in the car while ignoring him?
Click to expand...

Nada, he just stands and glares!

Call his bluff and drive off a little way (obs only if safe to do so)
Click to expand...

I may have done this once. He didn't move an inch.

Alec Swan said:
Perhaps that's just the point. Perhaps he does care. Lurchers tend to be rather aloof. They tend not to want to share space with dogs of another type.

He will be happy to get in the car for the outward journey, but not for the home bound one. That's entirely understandable. The homeward bound journey doesn't quite have the same edge!!

I'm assuming that you have company when you take him, with other dogs, for a walk. Have your companion hold back the other dogs, whilst you put him in the car first. If you open the passenger doors, then is he happy to hop in? If he is, then that's your problem.
Click to expand...

He often goes for walks alone (the other dogs are in thier teens and not up to many long walks a week while he needs daily 1.5-2 hour treks!) and is just as bad without them present. He willingly gets in the car at home although this only developed after the first month or so he was with us, initally he refused to get in cars to go out as well as to come home.

I do think he's mostly trying it on, in that he wants to walk more but honestly 2 hours is more than a lot of dogs get daily!!

I'll try putting him on and off the lead during the walk - he's not terribly good with other dogs (not agressive, he just thinks that sproinging on thier head is a good way of introducing himself) and will recall and have his martingale collar on no problem if I meet other dogs.

I think we just need more practice!
 
Just a thought but do you think he may still get carsick even though he's not actually being sick? my whippet behaves a bit like you describe and he gets carsick and if he goes in the car within an hour of eating even one mouthful he will be sick :(. He normally travels in the boot behind a dog guard but on the odd occasion the boot has been taken up with something else he has gone on the back seat and travelled much better than normal.......
 
One of my MILs lurchers was like that. I started putting her on the lead sporadically during the walk, with the reward of a liver treat. Up to 10/12 times, the releasing after every time. Before you are even in view of the car, get him on the lead. If he knows the route by heart, change it about. Once he's in the car, reward again. Hiding, fussing the other dogs, running away etc didn't work.
 
my lurcher doesnt really like going in a car loose and i used to have a similar problem . i used to think she was being awkward but in her case it seems that she feels more comfortable in a crate or similar when travelling in the car and now is much happier to get in. maybe your boy would be better enclosed? its worth a try....:D:D
 
My Lurcher wont travel in the boot either, street cred I think :D. He used to cry, poo and wee in the boot mmm nice but as soon as we put him in the back seat he's fine. So got a waterproof cover and we are sorted :D
 
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