my lurcher has always been of a good nature and has been quite happy to trot along next to live stock without harrasing them, however i left my lurcher with a friend for a week who also has a whippet(previously used for killing) while i went on holiday, i have been back 3 weeks and a family member took him to the same field as always and the sheep were out this time, he attacked the flock, i believe my "friend: took him to kill with his whippet while i was away and so he now has the taste for them.
i need to stop this straight away but i cant seem to find any help on how i go about doin this, i am goin to take him to the same field and keep him on the lead and get him to get close to the sheep whilst tellin him no and leave it which he responds too the majority of the time, wil this work? or is there anything else i can do?
2006-09-24 04:55:13 · 20 answers · asked by victoria l 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
see the dog is actually my mums but i am the main person that disciplines him and i am more like his owner, it was my mum that took him to the field and she said she tried everything to get him to stop and the only way he stopped was when she said "tors is coming"(which is me), he had cornered one sheep which was just a couple of feet away from him so he could easily have killed it but he chose to stop when my name was mentioned, my mum is terrified of walkin him anymore so i am therefore goin with her to try and resolve the issue as he isnt a bad dog he has just been taught a bad thing which isnt his fault.
2006-09-24 05:03:45 · update #1
i could quite easily take him to a place where there arent any sheep but what is the point of that? lurchers need a lot of exercie which means takin him to fields for a good run which often means there is a possibilkity of sheep. the issue wil only carry on if we dont stop it now and make him realise it is wrong as in the future i may go to walk him somewhere else where there happen to be sheep and the same thing happens again. might aswel face the issue rather then hide from it and look around it.
2006-09-24 05:07:53 · update #2
mj..... if i couldn handle this kind of dog i would have given him away ages ago! if i had wanted a little lap dog then i would have got one, as i have mentioned my lurcher is very wel trained, he had been around sheep MANY times before and NEVER had that killer instinct in which he does when he see's rabbits, he would just enjoy his run and leave them be, he is very disciplined and wouldn do anything without bein told too and given the command...this is why i believe my "friend" gave him the command and with his whippet there that was trained to kill previously that is why my dog did what he did. and as u seem to be aware lurchers are running dogs so need a lot of exercise and keepin him on a lead defeats the object of takin him for a run, i wouldn let him off the lead if i saw sheep again i was just askin for an experts opinion so i could re-train his way of thinkin so if we happened to come across a sheep in the future he wouldn react the way he did!
2006-09-24 09:22:43 · update #3
ohoh, poor you
what you said sounds a good idea, but doesnt the farmer know you and your dog, ??
be careful incase hes on the look out for you, sorry, cant suggest anything to help, but, good luck
2006-09-24 04:58:31 · answer #1 · answered by mannit m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've got a real problem. I think your best answer is to keep the dog on a lead the entire time you have it in the field. Sheep are stupid, and won't be able to deal with it themselves. Don't allow ANYONE to let him loose anywhere near the field. Because while he might behave for you, he will not for anyone else, and if he gets another sheep, that will re-enforce the behaviour. And I really hope the sheep farmer does not come across your friend with the whippet.
2006-09-24 05:10:13 · answer #2 · answered by Delora Gloria 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is a SIGHTHOUND! What do you expect? If you can't handle the nature of a SH, then rehome him and get a little lap dog, or maybe a gerbil.
A GOOD hound should hunt, usually with no training needed so don't blame your friend. You cannot train his basic instincts out of him. If it bothers you so much, don't let him run offlead.
Your friends Whippets is not 'trained' to kill, most SHs course with no training whatsoever. I really don't think most SHs can be trained to be called off prey. When they are chasing they are so focused on the prey that I doubt he would even hear you. I have been teaching obedience/agility for 25 years and won many titles, but I would never trust a SH to recall when they are in hot pursuit. You could try desensitizing him to the sheep, but I still wouldn't trust him.
Have you thought of taking him out with you on a bike? Many people here roadwork their Hounds that way. Just be watchful for critters or he may pull you over.
2006-09-24 08:41:14 · answer #3 · answered by whpptwmn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are in Britain the farmer has the right to shoot your dog if he is in the same field as the sheep, as 'sheep worrying' does not mean actually killing. It means literally 'disturbing' or altering their behaviour. So make sure you have permission from the landowner to exercise your dog in the fields where the livestock are.
In the meantime, muzzle your dog and use a long lead until you are satisfied you have him back under control.
He needs to learn two things; first is the recall and second is not to bother the sheep. Please see a trainer. Dog training involves timing and accuracy; a trainer on the spot can help you learn to teach your dog.
There are also books in the library and internet sites.
And never let that person dog sit or walk your dog again. They are going to get their dog destroyed, don;t let yours get dragged into it.
2006-09-24 07:51:17 · answer #4 · answered by sarah c 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your lurcher has quite simply "gone native" in your absence. All sight hounds chase and kill instinctively. His experience of running free with another dog has woken the old spirit. Keep him on his own and scold him if he even pulls towards livestock. If he is a collie cross or an alsation cross, he will probably have the intelligence to amend his ways. I would be less confident about bull crosses or saluki crosses which are fairly dim by comparison.
If he attacks again, you must have the dog destroyed.
2006-09-27 23:52:33 · answer #5 · answered by des c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Priority Number 1
Remember that if your dog worries livestock, the farmer has every legal right to shoot it. Your dog only has to do this ONCE to take a bullet.
Can you ever say for certain that your dog will NEVER chase livestock again? It's not worth the risk. ONE mistake could spell the end for your dog.
Are you sure there are no fields near you that have no sheep in them? Get a map, ask friends.
Maybe if you say whereabouts you are from, somebody on here could recommend a good spot you'd not thought of. Maybe you'd have to drive there but surely it's worth it to keep your dog?
You obviously love your dog, don't risk its life.
Hope you manage to sort this out.
2006-09-24 08:02:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok, weve got 4 lurchers, and have had for over 15 years.. they chase things which run, its what theyre designed to do, but, ive never ever know ours to chase a stationary object and bring it down. we walk ours every day, well the wife does, and she keeps them on leads until shes sure the field is empty. our local kids have realised our dogs are faster that their motorbikes, they now get off and walk them past.
these dogs are the most placid breed ever..but they love to chase and run fast. we, just arent fast enough, to watch 4 of them thunder across a field shows why... 0 to 30mph in three strides. just put them back on their leads, and give your mate a slap. my wife uses a whistle, and doggie treats... and pavlov knew a thing or two..lurchers are easy to blag...
good luck..and we walk on muscle, and run it off.
these dogs are chasers, they will run upto another animal, but if its stood still, wheres the fun in that? so they dont bother. please dont tie your dogs up as some folks have suggested, theyll hate it. just be responsible. and know your dogs.
2006-09-24 06:07:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good grief - this is a dog born to hunt and he's now gotten a taste of it. Keep him on a leash, stop teasing him with these sheep before the farmer shoots him. You can keep him on a leash and let him get close to the sheep, but you'll never to able to let him off lead with them unless you're willing to spend literally hundreds of hours of intensive work (and you'll need help to do it.)
2006-09-24 05:05:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You were lucky he wasn't shot. You should NEVER walk your dog off the lead where there are sheep. The farmer is entitled to shoot the dog if it looks as though it might worry sheep, even if it isn't actually chasing them.
2006-09-24 06:25:33 · answer #9 · answered by fenlandfowl 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
honestly, you are gonna have to keep him indoors or tied up when out the back. Or else you'll have to give him to another home-sorry!! but I know how farmers treat animals and if your dog is caught on farming land, the gun will be taken to him. they don't care. Don't really care for the actual well being of the sheep either cause they'll be sent off to be slaughtered!!!!!!! either new home for your dog or if you truely consider him family.
2006-09-24 05:38:01 · answer #10 · answered by rainbow bright 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am worried about you going back to that field. If the farmer sees you he is quite likely to shoot your dog.
Can you not just go for a walk where there are no sheep?
Your not getting it! Your dog will be shot if you walk it near sheep ok!
2006-09-24 05:00:57 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋