ourwully Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 My training with my 10 month Juno is going really well. Through books and many suggestions on this forum I have built up a good set of strategies for dealing with a lot of issues but last night while on our walk a rabbit ran right across our path and then continued to taunt us further down the sidewalk. I just couldn't come up with a way of dealing with this. Because it surprised us, Juno was at the end of her leash like a rocket and then she was pulling like mad. What I did was pull her in and then walk the other direction but it took a while to settle her down.. Any thoughts or is it too much to ask a 10 month old to ignore a bad rabbit? Thanks Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Dear Bill, Yes, it's too much to ask. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Yes, absolutely. I have a two year old who might not get by a rabbit, either :/ This is one where you take a moment, give your dog a shoulder hug and say, "Man, that was quite a thing, eh, Juno?" (Well, if you are not Canadian, you can skip the "eh" bit) You got her to walk in the other direction without anyone/thing getting injured. That in itself is something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 What they ^^ said. Heck, I get spooked and reactive if something totally unexpected darts across my path, and I am well past 10 months old. The best thing you can do in these situations is stay calm, (it sounds like you did that) and re-direct her. The quicker I get myself settled the quicker I am to get my dog's attention back where it belongs. Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Yes. Definitely too soon. Keep working whiplash turns and impulse control. Do as much real life work off of low level distractions as you can. It will sink in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 We regularly come across rabbits in my suburban neighborhood and walking trails. Generally, I see them before the dog and point them out. Then we play an on-leash stalking game where we try to get as close to the rabbit as possible before it bolts. The dog can then run to the end of the leash, we have a good laugh and continue our walk. My new guy Taz (4 months old) isn't too good yet and tends to pounce too soon, but my previous dog, a German Shepherd, could sometimes get as close as 5-6 feet from them. The rabbits somehow seem to know it's not a serious threat. As well as being fun, I figure this teaches self control and the importance of paying attention if I point something out. Not to mention a potentially valuable survival skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 ^^ That's great! I love training/development solutions that are based on finding some middle ground between the dog and his needs/instincts/desires and the human and his needs/instincts/desires. Everyone wins and that is about the perfect scenario, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 When the zombie apocalypse comes, JohnC, you'll be selling buckets of rabbit stew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourwully Posted August 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Thanks for the responses. I kind of thought it was a bit much but it is good to get reinforcement! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 when Tess was about 8 months old, we where walking along the woods when a rabbit crossed the path some 30 feet ahead of us. It stoped. looked at us, crossed the rest of the path and plunged into the bushes. When Tess saw him she stoped. looked at him, looked at me, looked at him again, at me again, ran to the spot he had disapeared and peered into the wood. Then she looked at me again, I called her and she came. I was flabergasted. Granted she doesn't seem to have an urgent need to grab and kill small animals, but still, I wasn't prepared for all that self control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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