Hunting instinct

[xenos]

Xenos 4 years is a crazy hunter! it became to be a big problem for me!
I live in France in a little village i do every day running with my 3 dogs across forest and field, the bad thing is that i must keep Xenos leashed because he runs away to hunt, he come back, sure, but sometimes after more than 30 min!
i understand his behavior because he is a canis lupus before being a breed and hunting is in his blood! The 2 others are hunters too but when i call them back they come, Xenos no he follow the smell of the wild animal he come back only when he loose the smell!
I tried everything! The natural method: i call him back when he come i give him peace of good food, it's not working anymore! i tried to keep him leashed with a long leash to work again the order "come" not working! I took a toy to keep his mind on me after few minute he leave the toy and run to catch the toy and play again but when i turn my head he is gone....
I can't accept that i must keep my dog leashed all his life, i run 17km i know it's good for him also if he is leashed, but i can't be agree with that!
I feel him so happy to hunt, but the first problem here in France is that the law against that breed says that i have to keep him leashed with a muzzle! I live in a little village everybody knows my dogs and me and i don't have any problem i don't go to the city so this is not problem at all to keep him unleashed without a muzzle in the forest! but i m afraid if he goes in a village!
Some people told me that i must try a electric collar that's the way the hunters do here with there dogs, just the time they understand that they can't run far from the hunters!
But this is not the relation i want with my dogs!!
Xenos understand every orders but i think his hunting instinct is more stronger than everything else!
What do you think about???

[xenos]

By the way i must say that he broke his ligament during a tracking of wild goat!! and he didn't stop because of the pain!

[RealPitBull]

Some dogs have higher prey drive (desire to chase and catch game) than other dogs. It can be a real trial teaching a good "come" or recall to such dogs. Many people with dogs with high drive like you are describing choose to keep their dogs on leash. Certain breeds are kept leashed routinely - sighthounds and Siberian Huskies, for instance.

My suggestion is to keep dogs leashed. It's just safer. If there is an enclosed, safe area you can allow Xenos to run, that's fine, but there is no such thing as a 100% reliable dog and if he's off leash and you know he has a strong desire to run off and chase things, it's just safer to keep him leashed.

Having said that, it would be really beneficial to teach him a recall. A solid recall takes practice, but it is doable. There is a great little book called Really Reliable Recall - also a dvd - that will give you a great "recipe" for teaching Xenos. Maybe you can find a supplier in France.

This is the book:

www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB813

When I get home, I can also post my training suggestions for teaching a recall (I'm at work right now and don't have access to my files).

[susan]

OH!!!!! I sooo know what you mean. Halo is 16 months old i have raised her from 12 weeks. We always have taken her to certain feilds to let her run and play ball with us. No problems. This past month she has decided she is a hunter. sniffing out rabbits ground hogs what ever. She also decided she is a bird dog. when she is chasing birds she completely goes into her own little world. Thank god the birds have circled back n brought her back in our direction so we could grab her, because she completely ignores our calls, treats, toys, n even our plees to go bye bye which has always worked before. We have come to the conclusion she no longer can be off leash unless in fenced area, it bumms me out but i am so afraid she will go on chase n get lost or not come back. So it has to be this way her choice.
She also has a fear of skateboards do not know why? If we take her walking and she even hears one not even in sight, she will turn around pulling trying to head for home. She will not stop pulling until we are with in a couple blocks of home. My little angel has become a real bull head, but gota love her n keep her safe.

[xenos]

Susan you used exactly the good words " she is in her own world" same for Xenos!!
I went at training school with him till he had 9 months!!! he was so good that the teacher told me you must do obedience competition with him...
But a wild smell and it's finish!!

Thank you RealPitBull for the link i will check if i can have it in France, i think i already saw a video about this

Today i bought a 10 m leash and i will work again and again with him

[johnr]

Heather had an over the top prey drive and the chances that I would take her off lead anywhere were absolute zero.

[marc]

This sounds a lot like Jackie. Even when on the beach she's on a 30 or 50 foot lead that way i can catch her if she takes off.

Even then we only take her off season when no one is around. That and a tennis ball is pretty much her highest valued item to date over anything, even other dogs.