Well, we wondered if ole Ivan could swim, or if he'd even like water. Hasn't shown a likin' to the pond since we got here.....till the canadian geese landed in it. Yesterday he takes off haulin' as* to the pond after the geese. He swam like a beaver! He couldn't catch those geese for nuttin though, and i didn't want him to.
I got worried 'bout the dang dog though. He swam continuously for about 30 mins. I called for him and he wouldn't come. I was worried that he might go under since this was first swim and that was a LONG time. Im not exaggerating when I say 30 mins either and he never touched bottom the whole time. Eventually, he came out, tongue all hangin' out and stuff. He rested up and was fine, but dang that worried me.
Are most dogs sensible enough to know when enough is enough or could his drive for wanting the geese end up hurting him? And another thing, is there a way to break them from wanting the geese? My lab never had that urge, well, Im sure he did, but he listened when I called for him. Ivan is half lab/half boxer. DOn't know anything 'bout boxers.
I know that labs naturally want to retrieve, but his behavior went too far (for me). I don't want him killing the geese. It was his first exposure to geese/ducks. Any suggestions on how to handle this in the future?
Ding dong, the dog may not catch them. Be sure to fry them up if he does... Labs have spit for brains, and will exhaust themselves trying to get a bird in the water. Be sure your hunting licenses are current...
Labs are relentless when they are hunting and Boxers are hard headed. LMAO you go tthe best of both those worlds I see. Training, training and still moretraining is all I can tell you to break that habbit. How old is the dog? When you see the geese outthere get him out there on a leash and let him watch the geese and everytime he makes the slightest move tell him NO! Stay! Don't touch! I use Don't touch alot with mine. If you can get the dog in a sit/stay and keep the dog there no matter what eventually the dog wil get the idea. Chances are the dog wil not catch the geese so every now and again after he starts sitting calmly with no indication of trying to move away after the geese let him go for a bit but keep the dog on a very long leash. If the dog goes toword the water with the intention of chasing the geese say NO! Don't Touch! and call the dog to you. If the dog refuses to come you have the dog on a long leash so pulling him in to you is easy. Then immediatly back into a sit stay position. Eventually the dog is going to understand that freedom is given so long as obedience is recieved. You will be surprised how fast the dog will learn. This desire to chase the geese is a natural desire for the breeds you have so be patient.
As for the long bouts of swimming we had a yellow lab once her name was Baby. We found her at a gas station nearly starved to death. Well we took her home and got her healthy and every day we would go to the river. (We lived right where the sawannee and the santa fe river met in Florida.) anyhow if we didn't take her she would run following the van all the way the 5 blocks to the river. She LOVED the water. And she would fetch a tree limb all day long. Just as long as it was in the water. She looked exausted but she wanted more. Just swim, swim, swim. One day the river had a bit of a strong current to it and it took the branch a ways down the river and she lost sight of it. We watched that branch and her for a while until we couldn't see the branch anymore it was way down the river. This dog refused to leave the water without that branch. We tried throwing others in and it didn't matter she wanted THAT one. After an hour and a half straight we could see she was getting tired but still she would not come. She had been swimming all day for goodness sakes. My hubby had to go out and get her because she started to struggle. Long story short yes your dog can end up in trouble just as mine did. Dogs HAVE been known to drown this way.
And BTW Canadian Wild Geese are protected. And I have to disagree because Labs are very intelegent dogs.
-- Edited by Pitsanddobes at 04:24, 2005-07-03
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This too I shall live through.
For like the Phoenix, I shall rise from the ashes and soar through the sky having been reborn. http://pitbulls-dobermans.tripod.com
Whoo. Hoo. My best trainer forum went into the tubes tonite. I guess that we can corroberate on the idea, though. Amazing that the inheritance of the Lab folk is out there .... Ansy, was this your vision.
This too I shall live through.
For like the Phoenix, I shall rise from the ashes and soar through the sky having been reborn. http://pitbulls-dobermans.tripod.com
I know nothing of Labs but I can tell you that Boxers are the most hard headed dogs ever next to the APBT and AB. If a Boxer wants something they are determend to get it. They will try and try come hell or high water. They are actaully very good swimmers I've yet to have one that wasn't a great swimmer, and they usually love the water as well.