new baby old problems

[LtsHnt]

let me start by saying i have had issues with my pup in the past being timid, i have posted other threads regarding this before however coming off her first season i was VERY pleased. she was a hunting nut and i figured we had gotten over her issues. BUT, one month ago my wife and I had our first born son. despite my anxieties about the intro between him and our 1.5yof vizsla, things went and are currently going very good. when weather permits here in SD, i have been running her on some family ground just letting her run and stretch her legs a bit. this is ground she is very familier with. we hunted it every week this season with NO ISSUES. however now when we are out on this land and other areas that are by no means new to her, she seems to be over sensitive. she sees a car on the highway a mile away shes scared, hears any sound in the distance from machinery shes scared, sees deer running...you get the point. she seems to notice everything and cant focus on searching for birds. she wont go into thick cover for birds she wants to go back to the truck and it seems we are back to square one. , we have done this about five times in the past month and she seems to loosen up a bit toward the end of the walk, once we met another NAVDHA member on the training grounds and having his dog along seemed to really get her to open up a bit and start searching but she was not the same dog as before. any other members on here have issues with their dogs after a little one came? i feel like her confidence has been knocked down having new rules and bounderies to follow with the baby? hope getting on some planted birds this spring wakes her up.

[campgsp]

Have you tried socialising the pup?
Taking him for walks in town, going to stores, different places where things are happening.
New sights sounds around every corner. New people.

[LtsHnt]

i feel she has been properly socialized. i took her everywhere with me. she goes on walks around busy streets, but i feel in those instances there is so much noise its almost like no noise. she forgets about the noise bc there is so much at once. she has never had any problems with traffic noises or new people, she does however get scared of random objects such as traffic cones, although this veries from day to day(with the same cone even). she loves the vet and various pet stores. just when its a quiet day in the field does she seem to be afraid. like i said before, these are familier fields, these sites and sounds were there all season....she is a challenge man lol, but im determined to work with her. she is such a good dog otherwise. and when it clicks she is very good. the only change i can think of is the baby.

[shags]

Look at how the baby has affected your household. New smells, new schedule, new noise, new activity, and maybe a lot more anxiety in the air. All that can turn an already timid dog upside down.
IME you have to be aware of your attitude and how you react to the dog's reactions. If you fuss, she's going to think there's something to worry about. Even if your fussing isn't all negative, if you do a lot of 'it's all right, good girl' when the dog is acting timid or reacting negatively to things, you reinforce her worries.
Take her out, don't pay attention to her timid behavior, go about your business boldly and confidently even if in your head you're concerned and frustrated. If you don't have game birds available get some pigeons and do some birdwork with her. As often as you can run her with a training buddy's dog; the other dog can help with her confidence and having a buddy will help you to stay relaxed.
Good luck, best wishes to bringing your pooch back to where you want her.

[cjhills]

I have seen dogs act timid in the cold weather and also from ear infection. If you act like you normally would, ignore it and get her on some birds when it warms up chances are it will go away. Check her ears.
I have a hard time with the new baby making her act different in the field but anything is possible with a dog. She might just want to get home to be with the baby.
Congratulations on the new baby. Good luck......................Cj

[Ricky Ticky Shorthairs]

Is she coming into season?

[LtsHnt]

She a fixed so that's not the problem. The weather will b nice today so I'll see how it goes. It being the cold thing could really be it too.

[Sharon]

"I have had issues with my pup in the past being timid." quote OP

The thing to remember is that dogs are always changing. They don't stay the same. WE think we solved a problem and ...............This was an issue earlier so may pop up again off an on. Take everything slowly.

[LtsHnt]

well today went much better than past outings. she seemed much more relaxed, tail was not down, running, searching, seemed like her old self. perhaps it was just the cold. time will tell i spose, but for now im happy she showed some excitement to be out. cant wait to buy some birds for her. i feel she will snap out of this. :roll: looks like the weather will be back in the teens for the next week or so.....

[MikeB]

ltsHnt,

Just curious... when she shows fear or that she is afraid of someone or something what do you so at that moment?

I think in the house with a new baby I would make sure her obedience skills are at their best. Sit, Down, Stay, Leave it etc. There certainly needs to be some boundries around the baby and especially later when it starts to crawl and then walk.

[LtsHnt]

Honestly I ignore it. Go about my business. I'll just keep walking acting like I would if she was not scared at that moment.

[MikeB]

That sounds good to me. Creative socialization outings will help her too.

[LtsHnt]

update:
this season was ok....she didn't make the progress I really hoped for but did make some. this season she hunted great on familiar ground. no complaints there....however now the problem was on new ground, not surprising. so here is my plan and please feel free to tell me what you think....I noticed this season when on new ground she was timid and scared but when she found scent or a bird got up, she would start working and calmed down. so my plan is this.....

this summer I will be able to get her on private land she is not familiar with. in all I have five different places. and that's not including our land that she's familiar with. I want to purchase game birds and EVERY single time I let her run the field, there will be birds planted. she will not run in the fields without a guarantee of her finding birds. I will either do this this summer...or next season but im leaning towards next season.

I was thinking maybe I should plant one bird in the beginning of each hunt on public land next season..to get her mind on finding birds right away. Maybe then she wouldn't be so concerned with other smells/sounds/sights?

anybody have ideas on dealing with a dog like this.....?

[shags]

That sounds like a good plan. It sounds like your dog is a little to the left of the bell curve, and I would guess it has a lot to do with her timid nature. It may not be something that can be "cured" but you can work around it.

I'd add that it might help to have an exact routine when you go afield - use the same words, the same lead, wear the same hat, the make a deal out of lacing your boots, etc so that your dog has some cues that birds are in her near future. Once afield, let het do her thing, and don't verbalize encouragement especially when she's showing apprehension or fear. IME the best trainers are the quietest.

Be careful about releasing birds on state property. Know and follow any regulations. For instance in my state birds must be banded before being released; some states have regs regarding bird flu. No sense winding up your game warden

[LtsHnt]

thank you! I will look into that...I bet your right though and it is prohibited. but I still have plenty of private land to work with....

[RoostersMom]

V's can be super difficult dogs. Timidity and aggression can both be problems with the breed. Sounds like yours got the scaredy-cat genes. Not unusual though. A high prey drive will make up for a lot of issues - I really like your plan. Birds every time she's hunting will help her to really focus on what her job is. Short outings with lots of successes. Consistency is the number one thing with V's. You have to expect/require the same response by using the same stimuli as much as you can. Be consistent, build the prey drive!

[polmaise]

let me start by saying i have had issues with my pup in the past being timid, i have posted other threads regarding this before however coming off her first season i was VERY pleased. she was a hunting nut and i figured we had gotten over her issues. BUT, one month ago my wife and I had our first born son. despite my anxieties about the intro between him and our 1.5yof vizsla, things went and are currently going very good. when weather permits here in SD, i have been running her on some family ground just letting her run and stretch her legs a bit. this is ground she is very familier with. we hunted it every week this season with NO ISSUES. however now when we are out on this land and other areas that are by no means new to her, she seems to be over sensitive. she sees a car on the highway a mile away shes scared, hears any sound in the distance from machinery shes scared, sees deer running...you get the point. she seems to notice everything and cant focus on searching for birds. she wont go into thick cover for birds she wants to go back to the truck and it seems we are back to square one. , we have done this about five times in the past month and she seems to loosen up a bit toward the end of the walk, once we met another NAVDHA member on the training grounds and having his dog along seemed to really get her to open up a bit and start searching but she was not the same dog as before. any other members on here have issues with their dogs after a little one came? i feel like her confidence has been knocked down having new rules and bounderies to follow with the baby? hope getting on some planted birds this spring wakes her up.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nicolas_perony ... ity_theory