lefty's random dog thread.

[lefty]

You like your dog and believe you got a good one. That's all that matters.

lefty

 

[NorCal]

Yeah, she's a fine beast indeed.

 

[lefty]

Someone is probably beefing his dogs.

lefty

 

[nootje]

Just checking in for some reassurance.

the pup is coming along well, at 15 weeks he’s solid at the whistle and vocal recall, even when on a trail, solid on the sit at a distance whistle and overall obedience, with two exceptions.

Follow for some reason just doesn’t drop in that little peanut brain. Trying to train it with snacks just sends him into luring and trying to keep his attention to get him to follow is a fools errand as it last.

His retrieves are also so so. Half the time he’s trying to get me to play keep away, the other times it’s halfway decent.

I know it’s a matter of sticking to it, at 15 weeks he’s still very very young, but a few days like these In a row are sooooooooo frustrating.

Frustration I’m going to get out of my system by hopefully shooting down plenty of ducks tomorrow. I hope the coming year he will prove that he can come with me next season.
@lefty

 

[lefty]

What could you do at 15 weeks?

lefty

 

[nootje]

What could you do at 15 weeks?

lefty

A lot less, that’s for sure.
And I’m quite proud of the little guy, the progress he makes on other fronts just puts me on the wrong foot in terms of expectations.

I know you’re knowledgeable about bandogs and the like (as with Jlibourel, is he still around?), what did you train your dogs for? Ever done any gundog specific stuff?

 

[lefty]

Not really a gundog guy so can't help you there. All my experience was in protection dogs.

But as we transition to the country, a WH Vizsla or Drahthaar may be in my future.

He seems like a great dog. The key to follow is to make sure that you are way more fun than whatever else is around. A light longline is also going to help.

Have two of whatever he is retrieving. He gets the second thrown when he brings the one in his mouth anywhere near you. Build from there.

lefty

 

[nootje]

Not really a gundog guy so can't help you there. All my experience was in protection dogs.

But as we transition to the country, a WH Vizsla or Drahthaar may be in my future.

He seems like a great dog. The key to follow is to make sure that you are way more fun than whatever else is around. A light longline is also going to help.

Have two of whatever he is retrieving. He gets the second thrown when he brings the one in his mouth anywhere near you. Build from there.

lefty

The German wirehaired, Or draadhaar as they are called here would be interesting. The guys that hunt with them wouldn’t want any other, but do complain that they are such tough and sharp dogs. Just now there was a convo about making sure they leave goats and sheep alone, or they will make sure the critters end up on the tableau. Given your background, that should be a match?

And you’re right, reflecting on it last night I realized I took him to environments with too many stimulants. At least that’s easy to rectify. And nice to see this morning that even experienced dogs definitely Can go walkabout when carrying a bird.

saw well over a 1000 geese, only shot a few. too high, but a nice morning.

 

[gnatty8]

It's been close to 15 years now since my rottie died (osteosarcoma) and I've been debating whether or not its time to bring another one home. Goddamned though, seems like there are almost zero insurance companies that will write homeowner policies if there is a rottweiler in the home. Anyone with one of the "blacklisted" breeds have any luck with this?

 

[JLibourel]

Grain Free? I recently read that studies made by the veterinary school at U.C. Davis (one of the country's most prestigious) that were published about a year ago indicated that the popular "grain-free" diets promulgated by the purveyors of many of these high-dollar, boutique dog foods are actually quite dangerous, denying the dogs essential nutritional elements and making them very subject to cardiomyopathy. I asked a couple of the vet techs at the veterinary clinic we use (Banfield) about this, and they were emphatic about shunning grain-free dog foods unless the dog had a definite allergy to grains. It may be a case of the post hoc fallacy, but my magnificent Tosa Dempsey had been on grain-free diets most of his life. I had to put him down for a combination of cancer and cardiomyopathy at the ripe old age of six years, seven months (and he was the longest lived of any of my Tosas). Given that dogs have lived largely on grain-based diets for the past 10,000 years or so, I always had some skepticism about this "grain-free" business. Anyway, does anybody here know more about this matter or have any opinions about it?

 

[lefty]

Not sure I would feed a dog a processed food where grains are the first ingredient on the list, but dogs are omnivores and need a mixed diet.

Nice to see you back, Jan.

lefty

 

[nootje]

We use the dry kibble brand a few gamekeepers here recommended, mostly animal protein.

I doubt that a lopsided diet will reliably cause cancer in any living being. It can screw with the immune system for sure, and cause development issues when started young.

But in the case of your Tosa’s I think it’s regular inbreeding that causes a high susceptibility to cancer. I know in these parts that for instance flat coated retrievers are very cancer prone, I think Dalmatians have the same problem.

 

[JLibourel]

^The Japanese shun inbreeding (although the Tosa gene pool is relatively small, having gone through a bottleneck during WWII, as did many giant breeds around the world). Inbreeding is more common in Tosas bred elsewhere. In any event, I am through with the Tosas--it was a carnival of death! Besides, at my age, I'll be 80 in less than a year and a half, it would probably be imprudent to acquire any giant breed dog. I mean, I work out regularly, but to paraphrase Clint Eastwood in "Million Dollar Baby," "Old guy strong ain't strong enough!"

 

[nootje]

^The Japanese shun inbreeding (although the Tosa gene pool is relatively small, having gone through a bottleneck during WWII, as did many giant breeds around the world). Inbreeding is more common in Tosas bred elsewhere. In any event, I am through with the Tosas--it was a carnival of death! Besides, at my age, I'll be 80 in less than a year and a half, it would probably be imprudent to acquire any giant breed dog. I mean, I work out regularly, but to paraphrase Clint Eastwood in "Million Dollar Baby," "Old guy strong ain't strong enough!"

Personally I wouldn’t get one, and I’m 37 and quite fit. My property doesn’t warrant any guard dogs, I don’t have interest in protection work, and my neighborhood is so full of dogs that a tosa would probably be an accident waiting to happen.

If training this spaniel for hunting works out we might try our hands at a scent hound though. Pigs are becoming more of an issue in these parts so there’s plenty of work for one to do.

 

[JLibourel]

^There are many better choices than a Tosa if a guard dog is wanted. Human aggression is discouraged in the breed. Of the five I owned, only one had good natural guard/protection dog instincts: If someone broke into our house, Zuma would have barked furiously and backed up; My two girls, Jessie and Tessa, and my black boy Cyrus would probably have thought, "Oh, is this a new friend?" and wagged their tails. Dempsey would have been a different matter. I am inclined to think our male Golden Retriever would be more aggressive than any of the Tosas if someone tried to break in. He's a tough little bastard! However, Tosas make excellent "scarecrow" dogs, and there's much to be said for that. Interesting that pigs are increasing your part of the Vaderlant. I have the sense that the true, pure Eurasian wild swine are much larger and more formidable than the ferals that are increasing over much of the USA.