My dog spends most of the day with me, has a good walk/training session over 50 acres morning and evening and freedom of the house and a large garden for most of the rest of the time. I don't think that lack of activity, training or exercise are the problem....
we've got a horrid lab on our shoot its had a go at most peoples dogs and is now banned but belongs to one of the guns who used it for picking up. We've also had what supposed to be an aggressive GWP and all the time he's working he's fine but he's also very obedient to his owner whose careful not to let situations arise.
Never thought not to let them all pile in the back of the van though... I suppose I''ve always thought if they are on a shoot then they should be dog socialised and focused on the job in hand and not being a sh*t with other dogs. _________________ These are my personal opinions and do not represent in any way the views of the WCGB.
This afternoon I was told that last weekend at a big shoot a lab attacked 3 other dogs. They were sitting minding their own business.Nothing was done about this, the dog belonged to one of the guns. The man who told me of this said that on his first attendance to the gundog classes I took, I told the owner of an aggressive Vizsla male not to bring his dog back to the class until he could behave peacefully among other dogs. He said he'd been impressed by this and made damn sure his dog never became aggressive. In fairness to the Vizsla breed I must add that this was the only nasty tempered Vizsla I'd ever come across.
I'm still sorry I had to chuck someone out but I had the other dogs to consider besides which our training time is short enough without having to give a lot of time to that kind of behavioural training.
She definitely has a dominant streak but not aggressive or a fighter Kiwi. She will for instance have a growl at a submissive smaller dog if she thinks she will get away with it (she gets a rocket from me if this happens), but is careful not to "bite off more than she can chew" LOL (poor choice of analogy there) with dogs her size or larger. She likes to play "rough" and if another dog doesn't like the idea (growls or snaps) she takes their word for it and leaves them alone. Funnily enough, or perhaps not, she will always choose a male playmate given the choice.
She learnt her "social skills" around our neighbours' farm dogs, one was a rather grumpy older bitch who only had to show her teeth for Liesel to get the message and the other was a submissive rather soft young bitch which got rugby tackled and "playground bullied" by mine.
She is wary of strangers (men) and needs a proper introduction to men she doesn't know when they come here. Away from home she ignores strangers. She does however take guarding duties quite seriously and you would not be "allowed" to access my car if she was in it!!!
Helen S
Last edited by Helen S on Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
She does however take guarding duties quite seriously and you would not be allowed to access my car if she was in it!!!
My Hester, also a Wire, is very much of the same temperament. I just keep her out of trouble. She has a short fuse and had a real go at Freckles a few years back even though they both lived in teh house together. I've never been able to put them together. However, she adores Allez, plays quite gently with him too, and also loves Flash (Pam & Si's boy that they got from me)
BritAnnie _________________ Aberdon HPR's. Good-looking AND Intelligent.
My sympathies exactly Annie. I try not to put Liesel in a situation where she might feel she needs to guard "her property" from anyone.
Funny thing happened the other day. Some friends came to stay with their six month old daughter and two year old tiny fox terrier bitch. It was a big party (England won their semi-final game!) and I was a bit concerned that Daisy (fox terrier) might become an after dinner snack so we kept the dogs separate with Liesel spending the night in my car in peace away from all the noise and drunken strangers. Next morning Liesel was in the garden and Daisy's owner was asking me about her (he is a keen pig hunter with a team of dogs). He decided that the dogs should meet and took responsibility for the outcome, he knew what he was risking and was confident that Daisy had a refuge under the car. She didn't need a refuge! Liesel got snarled at and that was that, though facinated by this tiny thing she wasn't going to risk getting too close!!!
I have to say also that Hester absolutely adores people - she just loves my 3 grandchildren, and they do sometimes hug her a little too fiercely for my liking, although she doesn't seem to mind. Usually has a silly grin on her beardy face. Even so I would never leave any dog alone with kids.
BritAnnie _________________ Aberdon HPR's. Good-looking AND Intelligent.
I hope you dont mind me replying to this thread. I dont have a GWP but one of my friends has and I wanted to say that he is one of the nicest dogs I have ever met. He has no temperament issues at all. In fact, when he comes to visit my little cocker keeps him in his place in HIS hareem!!!
On the topic of temperament. Many gun dogs books advocate that you do not let your dog socialise with other dogs; keeping them on their own, not allowing them to play with other dogs. Is it any wonder then that lots of gundogs end up with a lack of social skills around other dogs. This, to me, seems very bad advice being that the dogs are going to be working around lots of other dogs; be expected to travel in enclosed spaces etc., etc., Surely it would be better to over-socialise the puppies so that this is not a problem when they begin their working lives.
Training cannot help in this situation. Expecting a dog to be good around other dogs when it hasnt had the chance to develop social skills is, in my view, more than a bit unfair. I am glad to see that the gundog world is moving away from this type of training and opting now for a more rounded way of training and socialising.
Where I live now my dogs dont need to see other dogs from one day to the next. However, I do try at least twice or three times a week to take them to places where they can meet and play with other dogs so that they remain well socialised. I dont want them to become territorial etc., It can so easily happen when you live in the country.
Kind regards
Annie Brac _________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dogs!!!
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Usually has a silly grin on her beardy face. 
Even so I would never leave any dog alone with kids.