Gun Dog Forum

My buddy (dumb Lab) and I (2 somewhat smrt GSP's) decide to take the the dogs swimming at the state park this evening which turned into a mini nightmare.We pulled up at my usual spot for the dogs and of course people are there swimming instead of at the beach. So we head down the road a bit to try a different spot near the beach. The beach was packed with people and some how geese. We unload the dogs and start to walk down a gravel road which runs almost parallel to the beach. After about 20 minutes of walking and the dogs running around Ellie my dog disappears. I pace up and down the road yelling for her and no Ellie. The woods are thick and the park is pretty big, I started to worry. Of course as we are heading back I'm thinking of ways to find her and how to explain to my wife how I lost her little baby girl. Just as we reached the trucks to put the other dogs up I remembered the GEESE..So we walked down to the beach and sure as heck she was swimming after the geese. Some guy said she had been chasing the geese for about an half hr. He also said he tried to swim out there to get her (fear of her drowning)and she growled at him and kept swimming after the geese. I was happy and very pissed at the same time. The little SOB was about a 100 yards out and of course couldn't hear me. I swam about 30 or 40 yards out and she finally heard me yelling for her and started to head back to shore. She was exhausted..

Guess what I am buying for her this week?
E-Collar

Sounds like you have your self a goose dog. And certainly not intimidated.

Just wondering - what do you think the e-collar would have done for you? You said she couldn't hear you give the command, and when you got closer she heard you and came in. What would the e-collar have changed with her ability to hear?

And you should be ecstatic that you have a dog with enough drive to get out and get after the geese. A couple of "good dog"'s would have been in order. A little praise for a job well done.

I wouldn't be angry at her, sounds like she has great prey drive. However, it is a good example of why I have an e-collar on my dogs every time I take them out. We have a responsibility to keep our dogs safe, as best we can. I have a friend who told me a story of how his buddy's dog walked out on a partially frozen lake in the spring of the year. This guy was unable to stop him or get him back and the dog fell through the thawing ice. The dog was unable to make it back to the shore due to the ice and all the owner could do was stand there and watch him drown. He cried like a baby. It could have been prevented with a simple push of a button, had the dog been conditioned to the e-collar.

Anyway, I am glad it turned out well for your dog and glad to hear you are getting a collar. Also sorry if I rambled a little.

Charlie

Just wondering - what do you think the e-collar would have done for you? You said she couldn't hear you give the command, and when you got closer she heard you and came in. What would the e-collar have changed with her ability to hear?

I understand your point, but I have seen a few times when I had a dog a little out of hearing range [ or they had selective hearing ] and a little tingle from the e-collar got their attention, turned them and they would start looking for me. I would then start calling and waving my arms, they would spot me and come running. Nothing is perfect but without the collar all I could do is stand there and be frustrated.

And you should be ecstatic that you have a dog with enough drive to get out and get after the geese. A couple of "good dog"'s would have been in order. A little praise for a job well done.

+1

Charlie

My GSP used to pull that at a certain location for field trials. Imagine having that happen with 50 people laughing their heads off. :roll: I had to take her there in off season to break her of it with the e-collar.

agree with slistoe

every time I would go to a big lake mine would run in and go for a swim- female would go out 1/4 mile turn- she would swim for an hour or more- all mine like a big swim- except the pups haven't seen real water- retrieve as far as I can get something out there-

Geese- everytime there'd be some out there she'd go swim- think the geese would just sort of tease her- my male now- when with her they'd try their best to point and honor- course we did do a bit of duck and geese hunting- so

little story- down in Florida we'd to go to Tampa Bay- I'd find where noone was, set up a lawn chair- there'd be sea gulls out there- female would go swim- she'd be out there 400 some yards- just floating 30' of so from them- water point- boats sometimes came in I'd call her in- on the water dogs can hear for quite aways

folks would stop- poor dog it'll drown wonder who's it is- I'd ask- want to bet- got to be some would drive up just to watch- even in good waves no big problem

besides maybe panicking- shock your dog in water- you might never have a water dog
but that's jmo

Sharon wrote:My GSP used to pull that at a certain location for field trials. Imagine having that happen with 50 people laughing their heads off. :roll: I had to take her there in off season to break her of it with the e-collar.

I had a derby dog that I ran for a fellow one time. There weren't even geese or ducks in the water - he just piled in and started swimming around and wouldn't come out. I finally got him out, lined to the front and the sucker ducked back and headed in the water again. The second time out he came out on a lead. I didn't try to break the dog of swimming since I didn't own him and I didn't have to deal with 50 folks laughing because the gallery rode off with the judges while I tried to get the dog out of the water (they laughed later).

besides maybe panicking- shock your dog in water- you might never have a water dog
but that's jmo

This is just another example of how some people are misinformed about how to properly use the e-collar.

Charlie

I guarantee you I will not turn my GSP out away from home without my Tri-Tronics Upland Special with remote control beeper. That e-collar has been worth its weight in gold several times. My dog was trained with it since a pup and she knows exactly what it means. It has stopped deer races and saved her from porcupine quills. If she ranges to far hunting one little low tingle and she is back to normal. On a trip to Michigan several years ago we stopped during the trip up to let the dogs out to pee on a side road. We were only stopping for a minute so I didnt bother with the e-beeper collar. My girl jumped over in the woods to do her thing but she never came back. 24 hours later we found her on down the road a piece. I got a Astro DC-40 comeing for this fall as well as the e-collar.

cracks me up- all this training from early age and still won't come back to you without a shock

birddogger wrote:

besides maybe panicking- shock your dog in water- you might never have a water dog
but that's jmo

This is just another example of how some people are misinformed about how to properly use the e-collar.

Charlie

you amaze me- here I don't have a shock collar- never have- yet I've had quite a few decent running pointing dogs- and you have one on yours all the time- tell me I don't undestand the use of a shock collar- sure sounds like you missed somewhere in your extensive training

I'm not a expert on training dogs with or without E collars but the short time I have used one has been a pleasure. I rarely need to bump him with a shock and usually the vibrate option is all that is needed to correct his ADHD. If he feels that collar vibrate he knows I'm trying to tell him something and looks for me. So I think you will find the E collar a good investment. Good Luck.

Shadow wrote:

birddogger wrote:

besides maybe panicking- shock your dog in water- you might never have a water dog
but that's jmo

This is just another example of how some people are misinformed about how to properly use the e-collar.

Charlie

you amaze me- here I don't have a shock collar- never have- yet I've had quite a few decent running pointing dogs- and you have one on yours all the time- tell me I don't undestand the use of a shock collar- sure sounds like you missed somewhere in your extensive training[/quo
You either don't get it or you are too close minded to understand what is being said, so I am not going to waste my time explaining it again.

Charlie

My dogs looove chasing pelicans and seagulls. One time was a little scary when Shooter was swimming at a pelican floating off the beach - it flew off as he got close, but there was another one 40 yards past that one, so he swam at it. It flew off ... and there was another one another 40 yards away. Repeat. He almost got out to the shipping channel before he ran out of pelicans.

you can put me on your ignore list-

Shadow wrote:you can put me on your ignore list-

If you are talking about me, why would I want to do that? I want to read everybody's posts.

Charlie

Shadow wrote:cracks me up- all this training from early age and still won't come back to you without a shock

She bumped a deer. Thanks for some very helpful posts in this thread.

birddogger wrote:

Shadow wrote:you can put me on your ignore list-

If you are talking about me, why would I want to do that? I want to read everybody's posts.

Charlie

fooled me- bye

This is NOT a criticism...but this points out the need for us all to train our dogs to be obedient in the presence of game. Years ago, I lost a dog in heavy cover while grouse hunting...bell had stopped...was sure she was on point...after searching 20 minutes, I whistled and recalled the dog..yes I had to whistle a few times...dog came to me...and then we followed her back up the hill...she reestablished point on a bird and we killed it. My longtail buddies insist that was a low desire dog...I keep trying to tell them that the dog was trained to be obedient in the presence of game...any dog can do it with proper training...has saved me a lot of time and heartache.