fOXHOUND ON THE HUNT!!

[courtnek]

I took them both down to the river today. It's been very cool here, so the bicyclists and the runners and such are less then numerous. I took them way back away from the bike trail, into the wood area. and let them go. they wre running around happy as can be, sniffing things out, when Laurel bolted. I paniced, calling her and running, telling Free to find her...
suddenly, Free took off as well. Now I was really panicked...suddenly, I heard Laurel bay. I headed off towards the bay and found her, and Free, with a FOX trapped under an area of brush and tree limbs, downed by storms. Free was trying to find a way to get in at it, Laurel was doing her job of alerting the "hunter" that the prey had been found. sitting on her haunches, baying her fool head off. Free was not happy, this particular Fox had wedged himself in pretty deep into the brush, and she couldnt get at him (thank God) but was still trying when I got there. Leashes went on, Laurel bayed the whole way back, and Free pulled trying to get back to the fox...

it seems there is a definite disadvantage to hunting dogs, if you dont hunt...

8) 8)

[sarahmyjoy]

:lol: :lol: well it sounds as if they enjoyed their day out!! :lol: :lol:
You do have a hunting pair LOL Im glad that everything is ok and that they are home safe and sound :lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

LOL! Poor babies couldn't get the fox.

At least he does what he was bred to do. I don't think many of my dogs can do that ;-)

[courtnek]

Laurel is a field trialed hunter. for 6 years, I adopted her after she was retired. Freebee? she hunts naturally. never been trained or encouraged.
how do I get these dogs? LOL I dont hunt...

some people will object, but I do not stop Freebee from her natural hunting instincts. She has caught and killed critters in the yard all her life.
I firmly beleive this is their nature, so I dont stop her.

:D :D

[DogPaddle]

I don't think there is anything inherently wrong in allowing a dog to follow its hunting instincts in many circumstancs. In national/state/provincial parks - NO. In an unnatural setting where the dog has an unfair advantage or in an area where the dog and prey are confined - NO. If the prey animal is endangered or threatend - NO. If it is breeding/welping/etc season for the prey animal - NO. If there is a risk to your dog - NO. If the prey animal is likely someone elses pet - NO. Otherwise I think its ok but I often would stop my boys because I'm a softy.
Laurel sounds like a great hunter. I personally love the baying but I imagine it was a bit less than music while you were trying to drag them both away. :lol:

[imported_nea]

Poor fox, bet it wasn't expecting to be hunted so efficiently. :wink:

Can you imagine if somone saw you going back?..you look all flustered...one dog is baying like an idiot and the other is pulling at the leash back to where you were coming from...a suspicious person would be off looking for the body you just dumped in the woods!....

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[courtnek]

K napisał(a):

Can you imagine if somone saw you going back?..you look all flustered...one dog is baying like an idiot and the other is pulling at the leash back to where you were coming from...a suspicious person would be off looking for the body you just dumped in the woods!.... :o :lol:

:o :o :o :o :o

I never thought of that! You're probably right!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Canis erectus]

I've always been fascinated by hunting and hunting breeds with the possible execption of a full blown fox hunt which all sounds a bit over the top to me. It's really something else to see a hunting dog go to work and do what it does best.

I know the hazards of 'hunting' dogs myself. China is actually fills the scavanger role more than anything else, but Zoey zones out into 'chase-mode' at the sight of anything small and moving outdoors. This can become a problem if someone happens to be attached to her by a leash. Earlier today actually I almost bit dirt as I was walking the dogs and not paying attention to my immediate surroundings. And neither was Zoey, so it was a big surprise to me when she suddenly noticed a squirril out of the corner of her eye about six feet away from her. As this is a large dog that can go from zero to something-like-forty before her second step things could have been quite unpleasant if I didn't have a Husky obliviously pulling me along in the opposite direction to counter-balance me out. *Whew* That'll teach me to pay more attention the next time.

I would spend time trying to discourage the behaviour, but I know it really wouldn't get me anywhere. Some dogs just have that "hunting instinct", and it doesn't matter how well trained or obedient they normally are, that'll always give way to their stronger instincts. The rest of us just have to put up with it. :roll:

[courtnek]

Free has the hunting instinct. Laurel was trained to fox, its pretty funny. she will watch Free chase down squirrels in the yard, without moving. but give her fox scent (and I didnt intend that, although I knew there are fox at the river) and she's GUNG-HO!! oh well. the fox was ok, and the dogs had fun...

:lol: :lol: :lol: