| Archive for workinghprs.myfastforum.org Chat forum for owners of working HPR and Versatile gundog breeds. |
| Sprocket |
help, in laws ducks a problem next doorHiI am very new to gundog training and have a 15 month old lh weim dog. We live on a farm and have no fenced in garden to speak of except for a run like section from our back door. Until that was put up a few months ago when the door opened the dogs were able to run on their own. I am guilty of lettiing him get out too far as he found his feet and am having to deal with him occasionally still giving me two fingers and running off into our fields and woods rabbits and pheasants flying either while out with me or when escaping from the house (we have a small shoot on the farm as well) and when he was younger he was taken up the farm yard with my husband and left to his own devices... thats when he brought home his first pheasant. So i am aware we havent got off to a good start and am now going back to square one trying to work on the stop whistle and recall. My in laws next door also do not have a fenced in garden and rear chickens and currently ducks as well. The chickens are in their immediate area around their house and as their lh german shepherd has attacked my dog on 3 separate occasions and is almost always kennelled in their drive, my dog doesn't venture down there. My problem now is that the inlaws have decided to let their ducklings graze directly on the other side of my dogs kennel so when we had our quick scamper the other evening after the dogs had been on their own most of the day with the ducks on the other side of their fence, on the way back my dog dissappeared then came directly back with a duckling still alive in its mouth. I tried to be very pleased with him and called him to me and asked him to give and he gave up the duckling. Just then my sister in law returned home and we quickly put it back under the heat lamp with its siblings. That was 3 or 4 days ago now and the duck is still alive although it does have one puncture wound. Because of the vicious german shepherd things are quite tense between us and the in laws as it is and this hasnt helped. If i plan on using this dog for working tests and field trials, do i now act the responsible dog owner and never let him off lead at home? Should i insist he not be able to see the ducks from his kennel? I am confused as to what i should be doing now with him with regards to being off lead and with what to do when he is around these animals. I want him to work but dont want him killing any of the chickens, ducks or geese he will inevitably come across on the farm. All advice and im ready for the criticism too, most welcome. Kim, Loki and Ginty (Long Haired Weimaraners) |
| BritAnnie |
I'm very much a novice too, and I have ducks as well. When my three Brittanys got into the front garden while the ducks were loose there was mayhem till they all manage to get one, then a recall whistle brought them back in to give me the ducks. The last time it happened one of the girls dropped the drake as he was too heavy fro her so his leg got hurt - but after splinting and rest he was fine.
If you are serious about tests/trials with your dog I think you need to sit down some evening with your husband and get him on your side. You need to explain what you want to do and what help you need from him. He needs to then speak to his parents to ask them to keep their own dog under control and remove the ducks from the vicinity of your dog's kennel. But in return you must keep your dogs either totally under control or on leads when near their property. This is a domestic issue rather than a dog and duck issue. You really must talk to them, preferably with your husband onside. Perhaps you might also be able to ahve a section of your garden completley secure fro your dogs so they have a little m ore room? Hope that is of some use to you. BritAnnie |
| BenB |
What is the difference between in-laws and outlaws?
Outlaws are wanted! 
As a measure would using an invisible barrier help to keep you dog within an acceptable area? http://www.invisibledogfence.co.uk These can be effective unless the dog works out to hit the zap zone at full pace and so the buzz is briefer. |
| Sprocket |
thats funny, but just might work. my now 10 yr old bitch hit the electric fence around our pigs orchard when she was a pup and hasnt dared to venture in there since even when she can see there is no fence and we try to coax her. She just wont have it! |
| tashap |
invisble fences can cause other problems my inlaws neighbours have one surrounding their property in france and the dog which used to be friendly with people is now horrible through no fault of his own, each time he went to the fence to greet someone who called him over he got zapped 
Won't stop the ducks going under it either... Might be better to train a gentle retrieve and do leave training on live game. I did some training with Bonnie retrieving a frozen duck from the pond edge and then later on from the water and the island where the live ducks were in large quantities at the start of the season. She'll now flush a live duck but won't retrieve it unless asked to do so opting instead for the dead ones on a shoot day. |
| josie |
If he has had little experience of game and his first experience is ducks which he gets zapped for seeing, I'd also be worried that he would generalise this to all game and you'd put him off game for good. |
| Sprocket |
Dont worry , not going to zap him. Have blocked off the end section of the fenced area so cant see ducks directly and am hoping to erect another section of fence on other side of house because to be quite honest ive had enough of the in laws and have just had their alsation attack one of my dogs as well as a visiting dog for the umpteenth time and they arent going to do anything in the future to prevent that so we are going to just ignore and make our own solutions.
As for the young weims field training , i shall be working very hard on the old sit / stop whistle and maybe use the ducks to my advantage, but not till im certain he can stop on whistle without distractions first. Kim, Loki and Ginty (LH Weimys) |
| tashap |
good for you, inlaws can be very frustrating always thought it a pity you couldn't swap some of them for a bit of training kit  Hope the solutions work.
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