hunting at heel

Waldo · hunting at heel

In an effort to minimise discomfort on Annie's dodgy (dysplasia) hip I would like her to hunt at heel. She walks well at heel on lead and doesn't do a bad job off lead at heel but when she is out hunting it all gets a bit too exciting. She doesn't go far (probably ranges out to 20m) but she does cover a lot of miles in comparison to myself, if I can keep her pretty well at heel for the majority of a hunt (usually 6-8 hours) when stalking deer we might be able to extend her working career a bit longer, any tips?
Cheers,
Waldo

guy

get another one and run them part of a day each.

jokes apart - she will have to learn that staying close is where the action is - so plenty of planted birds to find close in rather than away.

is there a flaw in the argument? keep close so less ground covered - won't that become stay close but twist and turn more - cocker like ?

Dave A

Hi Waldo
I would say Guy isn't short of the mark as it is a method i use with old dogs and i have one like that at the moment it is to good to leave at home , but not up to a full day. So i work the young one most of the time with the old dog at heel and then give it 10 minute runs this way it lasts all day and feels part of the team.
Buy another this way the one with the dodgy hip still has a part to play and if you retire it you are not left dog less.

Dave A

Waldo

Thanks for the advice, not quite ready to take on another pup just yet. Would like to have Annie at a higher level before considering it and I would feel mean spending the amount of time required with a new pup when I should be spending that time with Annie (bit like cheating on her)?
I did briefly consider a rescue Brittany (3 yrs.) but the description did say not suitable for a family with children so I gave that a miss.
Her heart wants to hunt hard but she does pay the price for it and comes up quite lame for a day or two after.
Cheers,
Waldo

Mugi

Ok - accepting this is not an ideal solution and only to be used for a dog who can't do it's job as as nature really intended.

Mugi (now RIP) spent much of last season on lead when out as he was stone deaf. I fitted him with a Ruffwear harnes - not the cheapest but a small adjusts well to a Brittany and a strong duty flexi-lead. He was still able to use his nose to quest out further than my immediate vicinity but he was restricted and so not only did I keep him safe from a deafness perspective (nose overruled desire to please sometimes) but it also meant his geriatric body was not taxed as much as his hunting instinct would possibly have pushed it.

On the otherhand, my weimaraner had a spinal condition.................I was very lucky as infact I had her for over 10 yrs but she was diagnosed when she was under 2. I always decided that quality was better than quantity so although it sounds harsh I would definitely advocate that fulfilling her desire to hunt and have a happy life is the most important factor even if it ultimately shortens her life. If you look at it from the other perspective you could limit her and still lose her early as the knock on effects of these problems are not always predictable.

Des O'Neile

I have read this thread with interest. I don't have the knowledge to make any meaningful comment but would you please clarify if by "Hunting at heel" you actually mean "Tracking/trailing at heel"?

Des.

Waldo

Hi Des, most or our hunting is deer stalking done in reasonably thick and hilly terrain. In this type of area Annie tends to hunt out to about 20m and works the area in my vicinity, on her first trip for the year she found (not a full on point but indicated) 2 x deer that were bedded down in blackberries or similar that we would have probably walked past (one we were already 5m past). We would normally cover fair distance over a 8 hour day, she would cover many times that distance. A lot of deer stalkers over here work their dogs very close (due to cover) so you can pick up your dog in the preipherial vision and as long as you're working the breeze correctly you can pick up on the body language of the dog if something is close by. I would prefer her working in the 10-15m range depending on cover but she hunts hard and for the next couple of days is quite lame, if I keep her at heel she will do less miles and hopefully less damage???
After the previous comments are leaning towards letting her hunt and just see what happens, there is a number of risks in the Australian bush and I could quite easily loose her to snake bite or sundry other incidents that could happen, while the desire burns strong and she is willing I think I may well let her hunt??
Cheers,
Waldo

doganjo

Hi Waldo
I have been in a similar position. A pup we bred showed signs of illness at 7 weeks just prior to going to her new home. Diagnosis was PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosis - arterial flap didn't close), a litter sister was also diagnosed but to a lesser degree and showing no symptoms. She was operated on at 10 months, still with no symptoms but a very keen home offered for half the cost of the operation. She came through the op well, the condition completely fixed and lived a healthy life thereafter. Button(called that as she was chocolate coloured - liver, and was small) however had left side heart failure, prognosis was death on the operating table at 8 weeks or one month survival if left alone. We took the decision to bring her home from the vet hospital and let her do whatever she wanted to for that month and take the right decision when the time came. That month became 2 years after a life completely fulfilled, hunting, pointing and retrieving anything she could find on our own croft. The right side of her heart gave out on her second birthday, but even on the way to the vet in the middle of the night she was standing on John's knee looking out of the window to see if there were any phessies about, even hardly able to breathe. Admittedly she needed a warm coat even in summer, and had her own little Barbour jacket on top for protection in the winter, but apart from breathlessness she never suffered any other symptoms. She was a feisty little thing - very much undersized - but she ruled our household and the rest of the dogs. I will never forget our very special little Button - Aberdon Jamira (which means 'loving life' in Arabic)