H&C

30
Mar
2010

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Giving chase - from horses to baboons

Howard gives advice on an amusing range of problems

"Phew! Busy week, but lots of good things! We were at Thoresby Park in Nottinghamshire last weekend and we had a really great time, the weather was a little damp on the Saturday but the sun shone for the second day and the world and his wife came to the Country Fair, an excellent way for a family from any background to spend a Sunday. The dull part is that we were so busy with our Training Clinic that we never got to look around, there’s so much stuff to see and do. Nottinghamshire’s people were just so friendly, we spent a lot of time talking to people about the success and difficulties that they were having with their dogs, some really interesting problems and solutions.

By far the most interesting and unique conversation I had was with a South African lady who wanted some advice as to how to stop her young terrier from charging up to the top of the hills in an attempt to chase the baboons, yep you read it correctly, baboons. There are a couple of things that immediately sprang to mind as the lady mentioned the baboon, firstly, only a Terrier would have the mind set and tenacity to believe that he could take on a Troop of Baboons and secondly no one has ever asked me for advice on how to stop their dog chasing monkeys………..I’m still laughing about it now.

On a serious note it just goes to show the mess that dogs can get themselves into once their prey drive kicks in….there are a lot of people from the equestrian world getting very angry about numerous attacks made on horses by out of control dogs. Teaching our dogs to be steady around livestock is essential, as dog owners we share the countryside with allsorts of other people, livestock and animals and it would be brilliant if we could all just be more responsible towards each other. No one intentionally allows their dogs to become out of control, things escalate really quickly, one minute you are having a quiet country walk with your dog the next your faced with a very serious and dangerous situation.

Writing about this subject makes me feel guilty, but my job means that I have to get directly involved with some of problems that dogs get into. Owning a dog, big or small, is a serious responsibility and commitment and is something no one should take on lightly, teaching our dogs self control and to be steady is essential, put in the time and effort and it’s highly rewarding, neglect this very important aspect of training and you could end up with problems that are a lot more serious than your dog running in on a shoot."