angieh
19-01-2014, 10:29 AM
I realised looking back at some of Kazz's comments about my posts regarding troubles with Dora and Monty lately that I had not told you all about an incident that in my mind has been the "tipping point". I posted it on the Lurcher forum, but forgot to share with you all. I am sorry for that and it may well give you the background to what's happening with them just now.
On Saturday 11 January, my OH took Dora and Monty up to Stansted Park for their usual morning run and Dora actually caught a deer. The deer got trapped by a fence and OH had to wade in through the brambles to pull Dora off the back-end of the poor deer. Monty had also joined in. There was no blood but the poor creature must have been terrified. Other walkers in the area who have well behaved dogs that don't chase deer say there are more deer up there this year than for many years. They have not been culled. Sadly this means that the dogs won't be going up there again for a while, they will have to make do with going over the field and won't get their long runs. OH had to have a wee tot of restorative in his coffee when he got home as he was upset too.
So that was just over a week ago and since then OH has been taking the dogs over to our local field where they can run off lead and have done in the past with no problems. It's only in the last few days that they have decided to go and chase horses in the next door field and generally misbehave.
My thinking is that Dora in particular has had her prey instinct awakened by the deer incident and Monty has followed her lead. I think it's a case of, as Pamela said, going back to basics and for OH to get control of the dogs again. He could ask for help from our dog trainer, but as you know, men are bad at asking for help. I make suggestions here and there but that's all I can do.
If anyone (Kazz, Elaine, Pamela or other doggy folk) have any wise words I could pop into the conversation, please share!
On Saturday 11 January, my OH took Dora and Monty up to Stansted Park for their usual morning run and Dora actually caught a deer. The deer got trapped by a fence and OH had to wade in through the brambles to pull Dora off the back-end of the poor deer. Monty had also joined in. There was no blood but the poor creature must have been terrified. Other walkers in the area who have well behaved dogs that don't chase deer say there are more deer up there this year than for many years. They have not been culled. Sadly this means that the dogs won't be going up there again for a while, they will have to make do with going over the field and won't get their long runs. OH had to have a wee tot of restorative in his coffee when he got home as he was upset too.
So that was just over a week ago and since then OH has been taking the dogs over to our local field where they can run off lead and have done in the past with no problems. It's only in the last few days that they have decided to go and chase horses in the next door field and generally misbehave.
My thinking is that Dora in particular has had her prey instinct awakened by the deer incident and Monty has followed her lead. I think it's a case of, as Pamela said, going back to basics and for OH to get control of the dogs again. He could ask for help from our dog trainer, but as you know, men are bad at asking for help. I make suggestions here and there but that's all I can do.
If anyone (Kazz, Elaine, Pamela or other doggy folk) have any wise words I could pop into the conversation, please share!