Loves Rabbits

kiva

kiva

Active member
I have a year and half pointing lab female that did great on birds in her first season.
Lately, she has been pointing and tracking rabbits on our daily walks this summer(they are thick this year)Is this something I should correct with her e-collar? Should I try and avoid these areas(hard to do)? Be happy she has prey drive and let her figure it out on her own?
Thoughts?
 
Or since the are few birds, take up rabbit hunting! I am sure it will point the few birds it finds in the course of the day. An old pointer trainer used to say, "the only game in town", meaning that she is interested in having some action. This is boredom. I would try to keep it brief, without a lot of extreme behavior, and see what happens. Usually this will correct its self as the dog gets older, and more experienced, for heaven's sake do not shoot one! ad hope she never catches one! If you have jack rabbits, let her run to futility, tongue dragging, exhausted, that can be a cure. Saw a pointer that was a certified Meadowlark dog, as a youth, a turkey specialist, and a few rabbit and squirrel dogs, most all got over it. Just like teenager's, we roll our eyes, and eventually they get older, and wiser, and quit, a relief to the "parent"!
 
david0311

kiva said:
I have a year and half pointing lab female that did great on birds in her first season.
Lately, she has been pointing and tracking rabbits on our daily walks this summer(they are thick this year)Is this something I should correct with her e-collar? Should I try and avoid these areas(hard to do)? Be happy she has prey drive and let her figure it out on her own?
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

No offense meant--but if you have to ask these questions--you may want to get some help on this problem before it becomes ingrained--

Good luck--dc
 
david0311

oldandnew said:
Or since the are few birds, take up rabbit hunting! I am sure it will point the few birds it finds in the course of the day. An old pointer trainer used to say, "the only game in town", meaning that she is interested in having some action. This is boredom. I would try to keep it brief, without a lot of extreme behavior, and see what happens. Usually this will correct its self as the dog gets older, and more experienced, for heaven's sake do not shoot one! ad hope she never catches one! If you have jack rabbits, let her run to futility, tongue dragging, exhausted, that can be a cure. Saw a pointer that was a certified Meadowlark dog, as a youth, a turkey specialist, and a few rabbit and squirrel dogs, most all got over it. Just like teenager's, we roll our eyes, and eventually they get older, and wiser, and quit, a relief to the "parent"!
Click to expand...

Seriously??? He wants to stop this not encourage it

It is much easier to stop this NOW with well time correction--
 
david0311 said:
No offense meant--but if you have to ask these questions--you may want to get some help on this problem before it becomes ingrained--

Good luck--dc
Click to expand...

Point taken. I will put a call into Dale at Bearpoint(her breeder). And see what he does to address this problem with his dogs.
 
There are a few things you can do to correct this. First and foremost work on obedience so that when a different game animal is found you can quickly and effectively call the dog off. Also don't get enthused in the slightest over the unwanted behavior, this can be in the form of negative attention too. Limit the possibilities that this may happen for a while ie train with planted birds in a short grass area. This serves two purposes one most likely if it is only ankle high there won't be any rabbits in and it also allows you to praise the dog lavishly when it performs the desired trait you are looking for. In this case that is birds. Every time your dog makes contact with a bird praise it. Dogs associate things with your tone so after a while your dog will do what you want because it has a more favorable outcome for the dog.
 
david0311 said:
Seriously??? He wants to stop this not encourage it

It is much easier to stop this NOW with well time correction--
Click to expand...

There is some levity in the situation ???? and some tongue and cheek, I don't necessarily encourage the stick in the mud response to what should be a recreational activity? I have seen it resolved with a firm leave it, rather than make federal case out of it. Obviously you and I disagree. A different response might not solve it immediately, but certainly has worked before, many times, it's what you want to do, leave it at that.
 
I've dealt with this with all my dogs. Each dog learned within a season or two not to make a big deal about rabbits. I think the lack of enthusiasm (on the trainer/masters part) and calling the dog off rabbits makes the point clear to them--"no rabbits". Obviously when they get on birds, the trainers enthusiasm goes off-the-roof (when their young).

Once they learn the pheasant is the prime objective rabbits aren't an issue.

At this point I can shoot rabbits, but the dog still knows not to put effort into finding them--if we stumble across one I can shoot it without the dog forgetting that the pheasant is still king when we're pheasant hunting and the primary focus. That just comes with time/training/learning/experience.:)

If you never want to take rabbits, then I wouldn't recommend shooting rabbits even when the dog knows better.
 
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At this point I can shoot rabbits, but the dog still knows not to put effort into finding them--if we stumble across one I can shoot it with without the dog forgetting that the pheasant is still king when we're pheasant hunting and the primary focus. That just comes with time/training/learning/experience.
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kinda what I have done, especially with the GWPs.

bottom line: it'll be fine. :)
 
My dogs rabbit hunt after pheasant season and it's never an issue during season.

Now during the off season when they are bored they point, track, or chase just about anything.
 
1pheas4 said:
I've dealt with this with all my dogs. Each dog learned within a season or two not to make a big deal about rabbits. I think the lack of enthusiasm (on the trainer/masters part) and calling the dog off rabbits makes the point clear to them--"no rabbits". Obviously when they get on birds, the trainers enthusiasm goes off-the-roof (when their young).

Once they learn the pheasant is the prime objective rabbits aren't an issue.

At this point I can shoot rabbits, but the dog still knows not to put effort into finding them--if we stumble across one I can shoot it with without the dog forgetting that the pheasant is still king when we're pheasant hunting and the primary focus. That just comes with time/training/learning/experience.:)

If you never want to take rabbits, then I wouldn't recommend shooting rabbits even when the dog knows better.
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Ditto to the above.

If I can add any point, if you are not going to correct this behavior, then PLEASE don't correct the behavior if it occurs while bird hunting, nor even get upset if he starts chasing rabbits while bird hunting. Could lead to mixed signals and cautious running dogs.

From the get go, I correct my dog with giving chase to rabbits and deer, but not to tracking and pointing them. On occasion, what I thought was a rabbit turned into a rooster. Make them steady to flush on the furry critters, then grab them by the collar and lead them away once they take off. It allows teachs them not to give chase. My dog rarely gives a hoot to a running rabbit, but I have seen him follow a scent where I just saw a rabbit/deer run. I just call him back and we keep hunting birds.

I have had my dog point wounded deer while pheasant hunting during deer season.
 
Having an active cattle ranch with TONS of areas for Cottontails to flourish. My dogs. 2 Labs and a Britt) are there everyday most often all day.
I teach all my dogs to treat deer like they would cattle, just look and leave them alone.
Rabbits are great fun, same with mice and gophers. Pups dig and are after rabbits all day. They stay in pretty good shape and love the chase. Sometimes make a kill.:)

I don't shoot rabbits with the dogs around, I do use the 22 on squirrels and gophers, dogs love that.

I also do a lot of pheasant hunting. Never had a dog that will pay attention to rabbits or rodents once their on pheasants. :thumbsup:
 
I have been focusing this week on obedience and not making a big deal of rabbits. I am also trying not be too controlling with the e-Collar and letting her explore and seek out whatever she can find. When she has come across a rabbit I have let her go with it for a for a minute and then calmly call her back. Seems to be working well so far. I have really enjoyed reading all of the advice.
Kiva
 
Pups need to have fun, your pup is doing a lot of what she does to please you.
For sure, Careful with the ecollar.
All its about anyway is you and the pup. She will FOR SURE!! once she is on birds, thats it, rodents are for fun and fun only. :thumbsup:
You have a bird dog, have fun. :cheers:
 
kiva said:
I have been focusing this week on obedience and not making a big deal of rabbits. I am also trying not be too controlling with the e-Collar and letting her explore and seek out whatever she can find. When she has come across a rabbit I have let her go with it for a for a minute and then calmly call her back. Seems to be working well so far. I have really enjoyed reading all of the advice.
Kiva
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Sounds like you have it under control and having some fun with the whole experience too;) Good luck!

Nick
 
I like when a plan comes together. My theory of training is never under-estimate a dog! I used to think I was great bird hunter, found out later I was a good bird shooter, who was good at finding my dog! he was a great bird hunter! Rabbits are easy task to solve, and a small price to pay in the scheme of things.
 
Like most have said here - my Ruby (flushing lab) was an enthusiastic mouse-digger and rabbit chaser until she was about 3. When she started snuffling in a mouse-hole while hunting I'd just tell her to leave it, not correction, and just nudge her over off it and get back to hunting. Within a season or two she realized that no fun could be had from that scent, and the weeded it out as background scent to be ignored (unless it was a dead one to roll on, in which case....... it was bathttime!). She always chased a running rabbit, but she knew not to get out of range, so I'd let her put the run on it and then I'd whistle her in and get back to hunting. I shot plenty of rabbits post-season with her along - she loved it and retrieved them with glee, but it never really distracted her from pheasant hunting. I expect the problems that present themselves in this regard with pointers are quite different, but with a close-working flushing dog it's fun. She got much more stern responses (but still on e-collar) for showing any interest in deer or porcupines. I did have to nick her once when she charged down a porcupine in an open field and ignored the whistle-sit.
 
Unless you want the dog to assist you in rabbit hunting, I would correct it. To me it's a distraction for the dog to be interested in rabbits while bird hunting. When young, my dog chased a rabbit but I gave him a jolt with the ecollar while he was on the run and that single jolt was the end of his interest strong in rabbits, other than jus taking note of them while hunting. Mine's a Brittany and I understand that the breed was developed for both bird and rabbit hunting.
 
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crockett said:
Like most have said here - my Ruby (flushing lab) was an enthusiastic mouse-digger and rabbit chaser until she was about 3. When she started snuffling in a mouse-hole while hunting I'd just tell her to leave it, not correction, and just nudge her over off it and get back to hunting. Within a season or two she realized that no fun could be had from that scent, and the weeded it out as background scent to be ignored (unless it was a dead one to roll on, in which case....... it was bathttime!). She always chased a running rabbit, but she knew not to get out of range, so I'd let her put the run on it and then I'd whistle her in and get back to hunting. I shot plenty of rabbits post-season with her along - she loved it and retrieved them with glee, but it never really distracted her from pheasant hunting. I expect the problems that present themselves in this regard with pointers are quite different, but with a close-working flushing dog it's fun. She got much more stern responses (but still on e-collar) for showing any interest in deer or porcupines. I did have to nick her once when she charged down a porcupine in an open field and ignored the whistle-sit.
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I should add that perhaps one reason that it's not a big problem here in Nova Scotia is that the rabbits we have are snowshoe hares, which do not really favour the same habitat as pheasants, so perhaps there just aren't that many hares there to distract dogs during pheasant hunts.
 
BritChaser said:
Unless you want the dog to assist you in rabbit hunting, I would correct it. To me it's a distraction for the dog to be interested in rabbits while bird hunting. When young, my dog chased a rabbit but I gave him a jolt with the ecollar while he was on the run and that single jolt was the end of his interest strong in rabbits, other than jus taking note of them while hunting. Mine's a Brittany and I understand that the breed was developed for both bird and rabbit hunting.
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Yes, BritChaser, fur and feather!!!! The potfiller!! My dogs are obsessed with gamebirds...especially the Californian quail, there is something about that gorgeous little bird that is tantalizing to them...there is a good number of hares in my district and they can certainly taunt a young dog! When my adult bitch was young, she did not heed any whistle when she came across a hare but as hares round in big circles, I knew she would come past again:D...poor little dog was exhausted...she has never been tempted to run with the hares again!! I think my laughing at her hurt her more!! But if I want to shoot one for the kitchen, she is happy to switch codes and away we go. Because of wanting to attend wild game trials I do not encourage any chasing of fur...in our trials your dog can point and flush fur but any chase and it is disqualified...I know some dogs do have problems with rabbits on the trial grounds but I think that some of them simply do not have the game shot over them as my lot and other handlers' dogs do.

A rabbit pen is an ideal way to stop a youngster chasing in the field...
 
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