2) Redirect your dog’s attention away from the prey
On your daily walks or during playtime, learn to scan environment for possible prey. If your dog has spots a prey and begins to hunt, stock or chase it, do not yell or reprimand your dog. Actually this could aggravate him further and even encourage the chase. Instead, engage and distract your dog so that his attention is directed away from the object of prey. Keep eye contact with your dog to help him stay focused on you or an activity, rather than on a potential prey.
Does every dog have a hunting instinct?
Whilst some dogs run off as if stung by an adder simply upon smelling prey, others need visual contact with the animal before commencing the hunt. Some even let the hare passing by move on unscathed. Regardless of what category your dog belongs to, the fact is that the disposition towards hunting is genetically determined. Dogs can thank wolves, their ancestors, for their hunting instinct. Although our domesticated dogs now no longer need to hunt to procure food, their impulse to hunt is still deeply ingrained.
The strength of the hunting instinct depends on the dog breed for a start. Some breeds such as the Beagle, German Shorthaired Pointer, Dachshund, Weimaraner, Terrier, Basset and many more were bred specially for hunting purposes. Hunting utility dog specialists suitable either for hounding, stalking and pinning down or grappling with prey were created through targeted breeding. In contrast, the hunting instinct was gradually neglected with other breeds. Golden Retrievers, Boxers, Maltese or Pugs are nowadays considered outright family dogs primarily defined by their good social behaviour.
Whether and how quickly a dogs hunting behaviour is triggered depends on its DNA. However, other factors too can strengthen the urge to hunt. Even dogs that have never hunted before can suddenly chase after a wild animal and seem to forget their good training from one second to another. The drawback is that once dogs have shown hunting behaviour, they will always repeat it. On walks with several dogs, its often enough for just one dog from the group to be struck by hunting fever in order to incite all the others to hunt too. In this context, we speak of emotional contagion. Hormonal fluctuations and a change in the dogs sexual behaviour can also influence the hunting instinct.
Setting young retrievers up to fail
Sometimes the problems you are having with your young retriever in the field are self- induced. That is to say that you have put your dog in a position that he or she was not ready or able to handle. You have in essence, set them up to fail.
In your excitement to get your new hunting partner out there in the blind or the field, you may have pushed your dog into something they are not ready for. The result is often devastating. This is where we often see dogs that are so gun shy, there is no way to fix it. Or dogs that have terrible experiences with birds that leave them psychologically scarred and destroyed.
Young dogs need training, good solid training but they also need slow guided hunting experience. They need time to develop their skill and confidence. Read about how to make the first hunts successful.
