Gun Dog Forum

Any suggestions on how to get a dog to road in front of an ATV? Have the harnesses, now just have to get out to do it.
Thanks
Jeff

Have fun with this. Some dogs take it naturally and other you have to well make it happen. Don't be surprised to have one or two blow a pad, or pull out of the harness. Again make it fun. Once that happens when you fire up the four wheeler your dogs will go nuts. They love it. Big time.

I try and run the quad around the while there in the kennels and even have them ride with me when there young, get them used to the harness long before you hook em up and try it.

My dog was skeptical about the quad at first. After a few weeks its go time. But I run her without a harness. Clocked her at approx 22mph today running through the tall grass working a brush line.. fun to watch. Even betterer when she slams on the breaks a points a quail or 20.

One step at a time. Get them used to the harness first buy walking them around the neighborhood (pull you around) then let them free run along side of your quad with the harnesses on and finally get them on your outriggers extending from the quad.

hpvizslas -

+1 on this...

One step at a time. Get them used to the harness first by walking them around the neighborhood (pull you around) then let them free run along side of your quad with the harnesses on and finally get them on your outriggers extending from the quad.

Please do not take this wrong.. I HAVE to ask... Just to be absolutely certain... you ARE going to run the dogs attached to outriggers, I hope?

If the plan is to run the dog in front of the 4 wheeler in a harness without attaching that harness to an outrigger of some sort, so the dog is kept clear of the wheels, the dog will get run over. It is not a question of if, but of when... because it will happen.

If a dog is 10 feet from the wheels of the quad and you are going faster than 5 mph, you(or anyone else) cannot react fast enough to stop the machine if the dog decides to run in front of it.

I do not use a quad myself, I either road on foot or off a horse. I have seen dogs that are not used to roading to some incredibly stupid things like running under the horse around the back end of the horse or right in front and stopping. I thank goodness the horse knows his job well and has both awesome reaction time and a great dispostition.

Be careful please.

RayG

It also works well to road the dog to an area where he will be doing something that he enjoys. When I go to my training field to work birds I road the dogs to the location and put them all on a chain gang. I then run them one by one on liberated quail. It takes a dog that it new to roading no time to enjoy being roaded out to the field.

wes_gsp wrote:It also works well to road the dog to an area where he will be doing something that he enjoys. When I go to my training field to work birds I road the dogs to the location and put them all on a chain gang. I then run them one by one on liberated quail. It takes a dog that it new to roading no time to enjoy being roaded out to the field.

I think that is a super idea....I do it but I keep my dogs in harnesses and use the outriggers as a chaingang. Its a lot quicker and does not consume time when you have 4 - 6 dogs to work. I first read about that idea in Field Trial Mag.

RayGubernat wrote:hpvizslas -


Please do not take this wrong.. I HAVE to ask... Just to be absolutely certain... you ARE going to run the dogs attached to outriggers, I hope?

RayG

Thanks for the info everyone. I am going to use an outrigging, just have to get one built.

The easiest way I have found to build one is to use a galvanized pipe that is 1 1/2'' O.D. to extend out from the atv. On the end that the dog/dogs will be connected to I attached a eye bolt to snap a chain onto. (Make sure the chain has a swivel on both ends.) Now on the ATV, attach a pipe that has a 1 5/8'' I.D. I used pipe clamps to attach the pipe to the rack of the atv. Slide the 1 1/2'' O.D. pipe into the pipe on the atv 4''-6'' and drill a hole through both pipes so you can put a pin through them. This way it is easy to remove and put together when you need it.