Labs Gone Wild!!!

[UGUIDE]

Question for the body of knowledge here.......

I was out with my son's 2 year old lab and I am the only one that has hunted with her now for 2nd year. Was in some crp and we had flushed several birds and got a couple. All of a sudden to dog goes whacko, starts running large circles and barking like crazy. After 3 large circles she pretty much runs off over the hill. I did not know if I would find the dog or not or find it dead. Normally this dogs works very close and I did not have a e-collar on her that day. Fortunately she was laying by the vehicle over the hill a few hundred yards away.

I called my son after that and he did say that she had done that once before.

I'm thinking some smell triggered it.

Any ideas?

 

[Rhodi]

I couldn’t begin to guess, but my dog did something similar while hunting some WIHA on Tuesday morning. He stopped dead in his tracks and made a b-line for a clump of grass over to my left. He got it into it and kept smelling and then started backing out of it, not taking his eyes off of the area. He then turned and ran over to the other side of me, as if he couldn’t get away fast enough. I walked over to the area but didn’t see a thing. My only guess was that he smelled something that he didn’t like. To be honest, he acted a little skittish the rest of the morning.

 

[quail hound]

Last year I was doing a little training with my pup on some wild quail in some prime cover. We got into a "super covey" feeding in one area. There was literally hundreds of birds surrounding us, my dog went nuts running wild, yipping, and barking. Sensory over load! Possibly what you experienced?

 

[UGUIDE]

Last year I was doing a little training with my pup on some wild quail in some prime cover. We got into a "super covey" feeding in one area. There was literally hundreds of birds surrounding us, my dog went nuts running wild, yipping, and barking. Sensory over load! Possibly what you experienced?

There was about maybe a dozen birds within a small area, a corner at the edge of a CRP field. Dog came running back at me barking non-stop and then started running in circles and then ran off.

 

[captaincoot]

Mine did that fishing once when I caught a really big carp. He was waiting at the river bank for it. It swam right to shore by him. Eyes got big, barked at it, did circles and then ran like hell back to the truck

 

[Wirehairs]

Badger? I saw my GWP circle a badger barking like crazy once, thank god I got him called back, I am sure the badger would have won that fight.

 

[henhenROOSTER!!!]

My lab didn't run around in circles, but he suddenly froze-up once last year in THICK red grass...It almost looked like a point for a sec, but he kept backing away and absolutely refused to finish the flush as usual (I make no claim to a pointing lab, he's a hard flusher & I'm proud of it)...When I slightly-irritated charged in to see what the sissy hesitation was all about, I just about stepped on one big, mad racoon spoiling for a fight! Glad my dog sticks to his roosters & didn't pick it...

 

[Natty Bumpo]

Sounds like EIC. Just another hereditary pathology in Labradors.

NB

 

[DMA]

Sounds like EIC. Just another hereditary pathology in Labradors.

NB

EIC would have a collapse not crazy

 

[Natty Bumpo]

EIC would have a collapse not crazy

EIC has many manifestations and is poorly understood at the present time. The dog was found lying under the truck.

Just sayin.........

NB

 

[HUNTIN4FUN]

I have seen this in spaniels too. We used to have field cockers as a kid growing up and one of them did exactly what you described Uguide. We don't know what caused it but I can tell you the dog went crazy for about 5 mins covering more ground than anyone thought possible. We found her laying on the bank of a pond with a really wierd stare to her. After that though she was one of the best dogs I have ever hunted behind. I hope you are able to get through this and continue to have good success with the pup.

 

[UGUIDE]

I have seen this in spaniels too. We used to have field cockers as a kid growing up and one of them did exactly what you described Uguide. We don't know what caused it but I can tell you the dog went crazy for about 5 mins covering more ground than anyone thought possible. We found her laying on the bank of a pond with a really wierd stare to her. After that though she was one of the best dogs I have ever hunted behind. I hope you are able to get through this and continue to have good success with the pup.

Yeah, she hunted great the next few days with no problems so hopefully an isolated issue. Also was wondering if having ecollar on her would have made any difference like zapping her out of it.

 

[Gatzby]

I will probably get slammed for this...... Please, e collars are only for renforcing known commands. This dog sounds like he was a bit freaked out already. "Zapping" him out of it would/could confuse him even worse.

I hope I haven't offended anyone.

Steve

 

[UGUIDE]

I will probably get slammed for this...... Please, e collars are only for renforcing known commands. This dog sounds like he was a bit freaked out already. "Zapping" him out of it would/could confuse him even worse.

I hope I haven't offended anyone.

Steve

Steve, zapping probably wasn't the right word. Nuking was probably a better word

In 2 years of hunting I have never had to use anything but audibles tone on the e-collar. Just waiting for right moment to "Nuke". Somebody else nuked my dog when the the frequencies were the same on our transmitters.