Out training this evening and she was pretty hyped up with the action when we set of home. Fox pooh big time reared it's head and she got herself a liberal coating and I lost control of her, in a word, for a few minutes where she showed a wild side that's really normally deeply buried. - would not recall - would not come close just ran off to an unreachable distance - squared up to the sheep and was clearly up for at least a chase if not an attack. Very disconcerting. Got her back with out and out bribery. On the lead she lunged at the sheep so I resorted to a series of quick sharp punishment jerks back on the lead. Ping she popped out of it and was as good as gold. Bit of a wake up call there I think?
Re: How it's a fine line between domesticated and wild Oh dear, not so good. The fox poo must have gone to Lady's head. ??? One of the reasons I pop the lead on straight after a training session. Have seen things go pear shaped too many times during the off lead romp, which has then cancelled out some good training that went before.
Re: How it's a fine line between domesticated and wild Glad you managed to get her under control before anything too exciting for her happened (chasing sheep for example....). One of my two working bitches is now 2yo and we have been walking and training in the same paddocks since she was tiny. There are horses there every summer. For some completely unknown reason she suddenly tore off across the fields last week ignoring stop and recall whistles to chase the horses. Previously had completely ignored them, and would walk through a group of them at gateways etc without a flicker of interest. Came back after a 150m dash before she actually got to them, was praised for recall and walked past them at heel, ignored them until we were a couple of hundred metres away and my attention was waning then the little devil spun round and did the same thing again! She spent the next week on a long line being bawled at if she even as much as glanced in their direction and now is back off lead completely ignoring them again. Similar sort of thing really - a completely wild outburst in an unpredictable manner. Hope it doesn't happen to you again, but they keep us on our toes don't they?
Re: How it's a fine line between domesticated and wild Bit scary! Glad all ended ok. Just goes to show, they are individual animals, not machines, no matter how well we think we have them trained...
Re: How it's a fine line between domesticated and wild Just wondering - could this have something to do with the recent 'lamb rescue' efforts? Got her all excited about sheep???
Re: How it's a fine line between domesticated and wild Not the sheep rescue I don't think. She just went off the rails for a bit. I'm following Heidrun's advice and putting her on the lead after training until she calms down. I think it was hype plus pooh that got her going. Not as much off the rails though as her friends Ruby (whippet x greyhound) and Moss (Lakeland) this morning. Ruby spotted a cat and ran it down and grabbed it. Moss moved in to kill it as he would have given half a chance. Owners frantically sprinting to rescue of said cat but with not a hope really. Fortunately for the cat it swiped Ruby on the nose and Ruby dropped it. Phew! Moss is very tough and bears the scars of several fox encounters giving his face in particular a lot of character. Lady saw nothing of interest in the encounter having lived with a cat when she was a tiny puppy. She tries to make friends with cats and just can't figure why they don't reciprocate. ;D
