The weather’s most definitely changed. Last week we were enjoying a late summer, wearing t-shirts on our dog walks, even getting a little brown from the sun. Today however was fairly miserable - rain, high winds and mist coming in from the sea. Only the hardiest souls were out.
Georgie and Jessie don’t seem to mind the bad weather - in fact they seem to have even more energy, especially Georgie. She had a very exciting walk today - she found a pigeon.
I really should have an emergency strategy for these sorts of occasions - saying ‘Leave!’ when Georgie sees an empty crisp packet is one thing - saying it when she sees a pigeon in trouble just doesn’t work. Well not for me anyway - and she is a gundog after all.
And I panicked - I felt sorry for the pigeon and wanted to save its life. I don’t know how I would have done this but that was my instinct. Georgie of course had other ideas, the main one being not to let anyone come close enough to take it from her.
I tried to coax Georgie out of the grass with a biscuit. Some chance! Jessie got the biscuit and Georgie ran even further away with the pigeon. I could see her throwing the poor bird around and decided that the more I went after her, the more she’d continue with her game. I walked away pretending not to care and sure enough Georgie followed but at a safe distance and bringing the pigeon with her.
She was making sure no-one came close - barking and showing her teeth at any dogs that showed interest - so I concentrated on marching forward keeping Jessie focussed on me with treats. Sure enough Jessie stayed close and eventually Georgie dropped the pigeon. With blood on her face we walked to a nearby pond and she went in for a dip, washing off the evidence in the process.
I really am a hopeless gundog owner - extremely squeamish, close to becoming a vegetarian and unable to deal with my dogs finding anything alive or dead. Luckily in four years this is only the second time Georgie’s caught anything - she found a rabbit once and that was a very similar scenario - tossing the animal around and having no interest in eating it.
Anyway, Georgie’s asleep now, perhaps dreaming of heroic deeds, of ancestral urges and of rabbits and pigeons and when she’ll find her next one. As for me, I’m going to make another cuppa, enjoy the warmth of our house and plan that emergency strategy.
2 responses so far ↓
xanthippa // October 17, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Your dogs look adorable!!!
IF you wish to control your dogs in this type of situation, you MUST maintain the alpha role at all costs. My dog would NEVER dare show his teeth to me like you described.
This does not mean you need to use violence - to the contrary. I think violence is not an acceptable or effective way to control a dog. Physical control, however, is very effective.
If my dog shows sins of aggression, I roll him on his back, put my chest over top of his, and do not let him up until he shows submission. So what if there are other people around - my dog is more important.
I had done this as he was growing up, and especially when he was ‘teen’….there was a time once when he had something in his mouth he refsed to give up - and I had to hold him in the submission position over 30 minutes before he released it and accepted my authority. However, that was the very last time I had to do that….he’s realized I will not give up my alpha role, and now he accepts it.
I have never used violence against my dog, but he would never dare touch an animal against my order. If you truly have a difficulty with your dog’s behaviour, you CAN change it.
Hilary // October 17, 2008 at 10:17 pm
xanthippa
thanks for your post. Georgie didn’t show me her teeth only the other dogs coming close. But it’s true, I couldn’t get near her cause the closer I got, the more she ran away with the pigeon.
Knowing what we know now about being the alpha etc, we would have handled her puppyhood differently. We have never pinned her down in this way and now she’s older she’s the sweetest, gentlest dog. But she does like keeping hold of things and will usually only give them up if something good’s on offer eg. biscuit etc.
I’m not sure how to get a fully grown Retriever on her back. She wouldn’t fight back - it would certainly startle her. When we got Jessie 2 years ago we started off in a much firmer way and did pin her down when she stepped out of line. I think if she had got the pigeon she would have given it up.
Maybe I have to have a show down with Georgie? But this is really the only problem we have - she’s actually a very submissive dog. It’s just giving up something if she wants to keep it. Oh and sometimes getting in the car’s a problem! She sometimes just stands there until I lift her front paws in and then hoik up her back end.
Anyway thanks for your detailed comment.