It’ll take a little time to achieve, but that’s what I call a recall! I couldn’t do it just for the sake of hunting. Regards, Genetics For reasons that we still don’t really understand, breeds like German shepherds and terriers tend to engage in tail-chasing more than other breeds — even as they grow older. If I determine it is a feral dog it will get shot or a bigger dog that looks like it chases deer frequently. Yvonne If your dog doesn’t stop for the ‘live’ toy but pursues the ‘dead’ one, substitute the first thing you throw for something less valuable, to make it less attractive. Every situation is different. Once you’ve got your dog’s attention, work on teaching a retrieve. I stopped playing fetch (balls) with her 18 months ago, as I was worried about her elbows and the constant impact on them. Don’t reward that with the second toy, but send them on, going with them to find and play with the first one if necessary. To control chasing, we need to control the dog’s primary target. It’s not their owners’ fault, they’ve spent hours out in the foulest weather shouting, yelling, pleading, cajoling and worrying. But when he caught up, he found his dog surrounded by a group of men, along with a stopped car and the bleeding deer lying on the ground. I have sometimes been able to call her off mid-chase with the whistle, but only if I am quite near the dog and the deer have got a bit of a head start. She completely shuts down. Good luck, If you don’t satisfy your dog’s chase needs, they will revert to finding their own targets again. After three or four throws, your dog will not set off after the first one, but wait for you to call, “toy”. We never let them in the same space without supervision, and we use stair gates to keep them apart when we need to. Your dog will feel slightly inhibited by the pull of the line and you will have more control. Dogs with lower chase drives will comply for a while, but if they are not given the opportunity to express the chase behaviour in some way, the drive to chase will eventually outweigh the value of the biscuit or the pain of the punishment. Never had any more problems again, though I think the culprit was an old farm where people dumped strays and an old man let them stay and fend for themselves. Some dogs have strange obsessions which may be quite strange. Hope this helps and good luck, He left a bunch of trash and junk around the rental house and moved to Texas, and oops, forgot the family pet, yeah right. She’s not interested in stationary targets. They also are learning about their bodies, and it is natural for a dog to explore their body,” says Russell … “It’s fun! We put cardboard against the adjoining door of their ‘areas’ so the cat didn’t get stressed and the dog didn’t go mental. That will put your training back every time it happens. Whether it’s reaching for the treats, taking them for a walk or offering them a cuddle, dogs will quickly learn there is a ‘cause and effect’ rule involving their … Thank you for an in depth insight to how to start distracting and training away from the situation. People don’t let strays run loose and breed as much as they once did. The competition for the reward is too great. A dog owner has been fined £600 after a deer was killed when his red setter chased it, attacked it and forced it into the path of a car in Richmond Park. Any ideas how I can counter that? This is the same reward system abused by people taking Cocaine or Ecstasy, so you can imagine the addictive possibilities! He called the game commission and the people there told them point-blank that if you see a dog chasing deer on your property, not only should you shoot the dog but you have an obligation to do so. More obedience exercises!” and that might help for a while, but the problem’s deeper than that. One thing I would suggest for Jack is an e-collar. This is one of those deals where there is no right answer. Yes, your pet is perfectly aware that its tail is part of its body. She had no interest in chasing balls or toys etc even building up the retrieve at home she has little interest, but I have finally managed to get her interested in tennis balls covered in rabbit fur which I put various scents on (deer, duck or pheasant). Start to focus your dog on a toy, but not in competition with the problem. Eventually the neural connections between “chase” and “toy” will outweigh those between “chase” and “rabbit”. Elsabe, Hi Elsabe, You can’t deal with a long standing chase problem in isolation. Go pick up the ‘dead’ one, then ask for the ‘live’ one back and repeat. So obviously, not all dogs chase deer! We have done him a disservice by encouraging him to chase; however he has always had a high drive to do so. Don't let dogs chase wildlife. Companionship. They will become excited at the sight, scent and sound of their prey items, perhaps even making small ‘yipping’ noises. have hunted deer with dogs, its legal in VA where I live. Testosterone is what makes a buck act like a buck and drives him to make all those scrapes and rubs. A couple of points for you to ponder. Some dogs are so motivated to chase cars that theyll even lie in wait at the side of the road or in a ditch and, as a car approaches, theyll leap out to head it off. Although occasional shadow chasing is not […] Dogs have tons of strange quirks, from spinning in circles before they poop to kicking up the lawn afterward. They are driven to perform the behaviour to receive the boost to their feelings that it provides. You don’t have to teach a dog how to dig, he doesn’t learn to lift his leg to pee, they are instinctive actions, called “motor patterns” by ethologists. He is so in the mode he is literally covered in saliva when you get to him and when you do you have to snap it out of him. Many dogs like to chase a ball or stick but again this is safe and part of thier natural behaviour. Something else to keep in mind is that in Mississippi there is a legal season to hunt deer with dogs. If you live with a puppy, you know how hilarious it is to watch them do zoomies around the house, spill their water bowls, step in food dishes, and chase their tails. Close. Chasing behaviour is part of the inherited predatory hunting sequence. This time he got into the DMZ but this hasn’t happened before. The first step therefore is to scan your dog’s environment for anxiety; take out as many challenges as possible and introduce as many emotional improvers as you can. I just need a little answer if you know… My parents have a two year old male cockapoo who is un neutered. “External reinforcement” is the way we usually train dogs: we give them a biscuit or a pat when they do the right thing. Even worse, a deer chase can end with a dog being lost or found dead at a road crossing. Protecting your dog from a confrontation with local wildlife means overriding his natural chase instinct through training. We left him lie there and walked home. This dog breed is known to have a strong interest in chasing cats, which is why the Afghan Hound makes the not cat-friendly list. In Missouri, I believe you can only shoot a dog on your property if it is bothering your livestock or pets or you feel in danger. When he was younger we stupidly thought it was fun to shout ‘pigeon’ and watch him peg it after birds. Strategically place motion-activated sprinklers Photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim A dog will not stop chasing for the promise of a biscuit simply because a biscuit is not as valuable as the internal dopamine boost from the chase behaviour. The problem arises because we have no control over the behaviour. They need to chase something to maintain the positive aspects of their life. The issue of joint impact is really a veterinary one and I’m not qualified to provide veterinary advice, but I would be looking at changing the toy to one she can take at head height, such as a Frisbee. Additionally, hogs are omnivorous, enabling them to switch to other food items once the deer’s food source has been consumed. Right or wrong? best. Dogs that chase reflections often lack the physical outlets they need. Some breeds have higher predatory chase drives than others, especially working, hunting and herding breeds. For that you would need a qualified behaviour counsellor to come to your home to design a modification programme that suits you, your home circumstances, your dog and your cat. The overall effect will be to increase frustration and stress, and to make chasing even more important to the dog! They also told the guy that if you shoot a dog, with or without a collar, you have to report it to a game warden within 48 hours. Children, rabbits, cats, cars, joggers, livestock, aeroplanes, deer, cyclists… remember, they are actively looking for opportunities to chase because it is so nice to perform. The other day my dog ran a doe white tail for a very short distence he has ran this doe seveal times in side the city limits of. “Typically, dogs with compulsive disorders have [other] signs [too], such as high anxiety and hypervigilance,” says Dr. Liff. You can also subscribe to these comments via RSS. The more connections, the more difficult it is to prevent. Your dog will come to prefer the toy to chasing rabbits. But here, it seems the problem is not nearly as bad as it was. Conversely, some trainers recommend that punishment through devices like electric shock collars will stop your dog from chasing, and they might, temporarily, but let’s examine what is happening. Nuff said! Change the chase context; play in a different place. It’s a tradition as old as hunting in MS is and it’s every bit their right to use them. Either way it’s against my code of ethics to shoot a pup. There is a mere .2% difference between dog and wolf DNA. Sometimes dogs will chase their tails because they are being bothered by worms or fleas or experiencing some other kind of medical issue. Car chasers are often seriously injured or killed-typically not by the car they are chasing, but by one passing when the dog darts into the road. Most dogs are inclined to chase other animals -- some are even bred for chasing. Do not at this stage wait until your dog is in full flight; remember they close down senses they don’t need, like hearing, when they are chasing! The report urged dog owners to keep control over their dogs. This time wait until your dog is a third of the way to the first one before calling “toy” and throwing the second. I’ve read your methods above and I am keen on starting to try them out. If you are not sure how you can help your dog in this way, you may benefit from contacting a qualified behaviour counsellor. The urge to pursue moving objects is hard-wired into the canine brain. I also took my second biggest buck which was a 145″ eight point being run by some other hunters walker hounds. Deer meat is a great food for your dog. Each part of the inherited hunting sequence is internally reinforcing. Thinking back, that is also the time she started chasing as much – something I didn’t connect before reading your article. Dogs which suffer from this kind of obsession cannot resist any shadow and reflections, especially when those are moving, and tend to chase and catch the “objects”. Neither can you punish them into stopping for good. They look like they are enjoying it – not anxious, scared or worried. When he turned back up after dark he was covered in burrs and had slipped his collar. If you have difficulty finding a good place or if you just need a little more confidence, you could tie your dog to something sturdy with a long line before playing the game. Understanding why dogs chase is crucial to controlling them; knowing that they take massive brain-chemical induced enjoyment from it; that they aren’t deliberately disobeying us, but obeying a stronger internal urge; that they can’t actually help it; that they’re fulfilling a hunger inside them, because they were bred like that. Chasing is a way for the dog to cast off those anxieties and enjoy huge pleasure, improving their emotional bank balance. Pisses you off beyond belief, but not enough to kill one. Your dog will be quite keen to play with the new toy so long as there are no rabbits about. While your dog might not hurt himself by chasing a domestic cat around the house, he could get seriously injured if he tries to do the same thing to a deer, skunk or other wild animal. Genes ‘switch on’ behaviours as dogs mature and it is quite possible that your parents’ dog matured into hunting behaviour at the same time as he matured into sexual behaviour. It leads to sparring matches and the occasional fight. As I was unzipping one window, I felt something outside the blind move. Dogs of this type seek out opportunities to chase because of the enjoyment they receive from it but unfortunately, if we leave them to it, they often direct it … Another time I was in the woods with friends (not hunting) a small buck came running by bleeding from the hind end and shortly after three dogs came by on the deer’s trail. Integrated into a training programme it can be discarded when it has served its purpose. It wouldn't be a problem, but they keep eating my garden! Wild canines, like wolves and coyotes, use speed to run down prey. Turns out he knew the dogs owner and had brought the dog home to stud our bitch but he got out of the barn and headed home when we bumped into him. Are there any laws on the books in your state that deal with dogs chasing deer? Relate that to taking an electric shock in the throat every time you cuddle your grandchildren or glide across the ballroom floor. Even though the dog has now learned to leave deer scent trails alone, many dogs will still chase a running deer because of the excitement of the visual attraction. I personally know how it feels to have hunts ruined by them, and I also know how it feels when those random dogs run deer right to me. We have two small children and we both work so we need to find a way of helping the dog to control his urge to chase. Salt Lake City — As you avoid large groups and practice social distancing in the coming weeks, you can fight cabin fever — and still stay away from other people — by going for a hike or doing some wildlife watching. In original canine terms, the wild animal inherits exactly the right amount of each part of the sequence to lead it into the next. Punishment not only restricts a source of enjoyment, but also introduces pain and more anxiety into the dog’s life. This is a timely post I will keep in mind. I took my flashlight and just as I was going to look out the window, a dog looked in. Having established a reduction in background anxiety levels, we can start to look at how to control the actual chasing behaviour, for which there is now less need. Chasing may be preceded by stalking or searching. If we can’t totally remove the challenges, and sometimes that just isn’t possible, adding other things that improve the emotional balance will go some way towards reducing the need to chase. Your thoughts/advice would be immensely appreciated. I’m also using Belle’s name as the predictive command but your dog will probably respond better to a brand new one like, “Toy”…. We have 2 spaniels,cocker 2 and springer 6. “Internal reinforcement” is when the brain gives the body a feeling of pleasure. Start to use it when your dog is not expecting it. To each their own though and best of luck hunting to all of you. Jack I was writing my post at the same time as you, both bucks I mentioned below were shot in Mississippi. Regards, Dogs evolved as endurance specialists. Not only do you have full control over your dog’s chase behaviour, you also have the rapt attention of your dog any time you want it. You feel like killing them. We just don’t seem to be getting anywhere. They will not necessarily equate the displeasure of following a scent trail with the sight of a running animal. Check the list. Wildlife Act and in both cases the dog owners were fined $345. A good number of people said they could never shoot a dog, even one harassing deer. 2. When your dog spins round and looks eagerly for the game every time you call “toy”, you can test how well you are doing by taking them to a place where there are rabbits, but in the distance. But we can’t control cats and rabbits, can we? Dogs can chase anything that moves. We ended up having quite a few more deer come through that evening so it didn’t impact this hunt much. Boredom Indoors is always good, or the garden if there are no rabbits. David, Hello and thank you so much for this fantastic article. Sort by. This is the first reason that owners cannot recall their dogs when they are in full flight. My dog is not a dangerous dog. Give your dog plenty of non shiny interactive toys and feed him his meals through these toys or hide them around your home and send him on a daily treasure hunt. If they don’t, back to the garden and reinforce the new toy some more. Sorry I forgot to post the name. I was hunting on a friend’s property last year and I saw some deer run through early and was surprised as it was a bit warm, then we saw the dogs. This is the time to take your training up a notch, for the best recall ever. You are not yet ready to compete with the old problem. The cat used to run away immediately but now he’s a bit bigger (5 months) he’ll stand his ground before legging it. What is the difference between Deer, Elk and Moose? It’s also why I firmly believe you ought to be able to carry a sidearm while bowhunting for protection. The first is that if you can’t adhere at least minimally to a programme you will not change the behaviour of your dog; a dog which incidentally has been practicing the unwanted behaviour for seven years, which is always going to be a tough one. My dog is pretty well trained and usually comes to my commands but jumping deer like he did he just lost his head. In the threads I‘ve read, a majority of people say they would shoot every damn dog they see chasing a deer…some say they’ve killed many dogs doing it. Have done so many times, and will continue to do so regardless of collared or not… My theory is, if you love your pet its your responsibility to keep them off my property, its true dogs don’t know boundaries, but their owners do. When we told Dad what happened he laid into both of us real good. I yelled and the big lead dog turned my way and snarled. Hi Lisa, Stotting (also called pronking or pronging) is a behavior of quadrupeds, particularly gazelles, in which they spring into the air, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously.Usually, the legs are held in a relatively stiff position. Call, “toy!” and as soon as your dog looks, throw it behind you. David, Hi David Thank you They are no different than coyote to me.. Your dog may never have chased the deer before, but once is too many, and this deer paid with her life. If you want to stop your dog chasing rabbits, start by preventing them now. If they smell a predator lives there, they'll stay away. The dog chases as a way of improving their emotions. Have a dog(s) chased deer and ruined your hunts? Tennis balls are her absolute favourite, followed by tug toys. Leave it later and later to call your dog back and then start to reduce the time the first toy is ‘dead’ before sending them. Thanks for your interesting question. The process is explained more fully in my book ‘Stop!’ Up until about maybes may last year he was amazingly flawless off the lead, just came naturally, he wouldn’t run off and when he did do a little hunt around he was only gone a couple of mins and came straight back in just one call. If you can tick any two plus the last one, it is almost certain that your dog is predatory chasing. The sequence is genetically “hard wired” and prepares wild canines to catch prey in order to survive, for example, by searching for or stalking it. This is timely for me. Hogs are also able to use their tusks to root for food, an advantage deer do not have. Hi Emma, As you stated they can’t read property lines and are bound to mess up occasionally and cross property lines. What is your favourite exhilarating activity? I think it must have been his first proper desire for a female when I first lost him and we’ve must have lost him off the lead about six time or maybes even more. We’ve gathered some useful information for retraining your dog not to chase cars, bike riders or runners. “It’s illegal for a dog to chase deer in Richmond and Bushy Parks, and owners may face prosecution if caught.” Part of the increase is thought to be down to new dog owners unfamiliar with the best conduct around wildlife. Every time your dog chases a rabbit, there is an extra connection between the two brain centres. Why Dogs Chase . Shorten it by degrees until there is none of it left at all. As much as folks try, things like this happen. appeared first on Reader's Digest. Pretty soon your dog will associate the word with the unconditional arrival of the toy. Clean: Elk and Deer antlers don’t smell or stain. “I get a brain boost from chasing rabbits – I need the brain boost – I need to chase rabbits.” Do not take your dog anywhere near rabbits. It fills an emotional hole for them. Dogs don’t need a biscuit as a reward for performing it; they do it out of sheer pleasure. Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up. Why do dogs chase cats? Keep it special and always retain it when the game finishes. We fed him and got in contact with a rescue group for Golden retrievers and they came and took him. They went on to say that the warden would contact the dog’s owner if it could be determined, and that the owner of the dog may even face charges for letting his dog run loose and harass wildlife. A lunge lead is no good as they need so much exercise being working strain. First of all, not all dogs have a chase instinct but those who do tend to get massive feel good chemicals when they chase. 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