Quote:
Originally Posted by Elsie's mum
Thanks for the replies I will give it a go, she is motivated by both toys and treats however when we are in the field where she misbehaves she is totally uninterested in both. She is very prey oriented and will chase any small furry/feathery thing that moves she is very fast and has caught rabbits and a few birds in the past. Once she is in 'chase mode' there is no stopping her so recently she hasn't been let off here but then she just goes madder the next time like she has to make the most of it. Someone at a show suggested to whistle train her like a gundog but I have no idea where to start
|
Hi it's interesting you say she is a chaser but not surprising when you consider it really and her breeds. Border collies are built for chasing and herding it is what they do and springers are used for flushing and retrieving game so they would have a pretty strong chase instinct too.
Quote:
|
Once she is in 'chase mode' there is no stopping her
|
Yep that is because when a dog is in full flight all their attention is on the thing that she is chasing- so she simply doesn't hear you.
A great way of tackling this would be to teach a chase recall. This article I have found an excellent help myself with my collie:
How Do I Stop My Dog Chasing? | Behaviour & Training
The article explains in detail how to create this chase recall which means that you can recall your dog before he or she gets into full flight by supplying an activity that the dog enjoys more. To this you will have to build up the dogs chase instinct and love of playing ball or fetch with a favorite toy. With a collie x springer you should have little trouble with this as both breeds generally love playing fetch (collies often to the point of obsession
)
By the end of the proccess you will be able to call "ball" or "toy" and your dog should turn or come running back to you to play ball. Eventually the dog may even learn to completely ignore rabbits altogether.
Best of luck and I hope this helps.
