Leash. Training. Repeat.

[Ron H.]

Greetings, all:

Train your dog. Leash your dog. Keep your dog secure and safe.

I just knelt in the middle of the street with someone else's dog as she died, hit by a car. Her humans weren't around; evidently she'd run off. She went quickly at least, but damn. So preventable.

Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[speedyquad]

you've never had a dog get loose from you?

 

[Ron H.]

you've never had a dog get loose from you?

Sir, yes, I have. Things happen, I understand that. But the odds of something bad happening to your dog rise exponentially if you don't train or leash him.

Semper Fi,

Ron H.

 

[tomrkba]

More importantly, teach your dog not to run away from you. It's not difficult to do and can be done in five minutes.

 

[A10]

Dogs around our part get crazy this time of year, and 4th of July too. Way too much noise. People need to keep their animals under control regardless of the technique used. It is for the protection of the animal.

I feel for you Ron. I've been there, too.

 

[mwtdvm]

Too much experience with HBC's

My friends say I am a "Command and Control" Freak because I demanded immediate and unconditional obedience from my dogs. That is because I have seen too many that died from MVT, AKA as HBC, Worse than that ROBT(Run over by Truck). My dogs came instantly when called and a "Whoa" stopped them in their tracks. It is not hard to do and only requires minor re-enforcement once the training is in place. I know what can happen with that moment of "lack of compliance".

I am also disgusted with the owner's response... "They didn't even stop.."

Your dog has no legal "right" to the street. It is your fault your pet was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Ron H.]

On a related note, and in the order of a public service announcement, how do you get a strange dog to come to you? This dog (RIP) was loose and out in the street, and wouldn't come when I called her. Is there a known-good way to do this? The methods I use with my own dogs didn't work, obviously, and not knowing the dog, I had no idea what she'd respond to. Stray dogs are no rare thing around here, so it would be good for me to know this.

Thanks, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

More importantly, teach your dog not to run away from you. It's not difficult to do and can be done in five minutes.

That is what I thought too. My daughter has a dog that is just dumb. If he gets the slightest chance he gone. How that dog is still alive I don't know. Don

PS She watches him very close.

 

[TACC1]

Ron, you tried to help, glad you were there, even if you
couldn't get the poor critter out of harm's way
Dogs are like any other animal. They have little or no
idea what cars are, and could care less. As stated above,
if your dog runs out into the street or road, and gets hit,
it's the owners fault, not the dog's OR the driver's.
Thanks for posting this reminder.
TACC1

 

[RWJ]

My friends say I am a "Command and Control" Freak because I demanded immediate and unconditional obedience from my dogs. That is because I have seen too many that died from MVT, AKA as HBC, Worse than that ROBT(Run over by Truck). My dogs came instantly when called and a "Whoa" stopped them in their tracks. It is not hard to do and only requires minor re-enforcement once the training is in place. I know what can happen with that moment of "lack of compliance".

I am also disgusted with the owner's response... "They didn't even stop.."

Your dog has no legal "right" to the street. It is your fault your pet was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I would agree with your anger at owners and they definately need to train. True, they don't own the street, but...

While that may be the case, in many jurisdictions, drivers DO have to stop, i.e., in Md: Transportation Article, Section 20-105 :

"(a) The driver of each vehicle involved in an accident that results in damage to an unattended vehicle or other unattended property immediately shall stop the vehicle as close as possible to the scene of the accident, without obstructing traffic more than necessary. "

and 20-106:

"Driver failure to notify appropriate police after motor veh. strikes and injures domestic animal"

(Emphasis added)

Wildlife is fair game.

 

[GRT3031]

How do you train your dog not to do this?

 

[arjay]

Give them a little food every time they come to you.Positive reinforcement works well.

 

[diamonback68]

More importantly, teach your dog not to run away from you. It's not difficult to do and can be done in five minutes.

Tell me how it can be done in five minutes.

 

[gunlovingirl]

One thing I'd like to add....microchip, or at least spend a couple dollars and get a tag for your dog's collar with your contact info on it. Preferably do both. If your dog does run off, you have a much better chance of getting him/her back. Seems like a no brainer, but I see a lot of lost and found ads with dogs that have no tags.

 

[Doug M.]

My dogs stay in the house. We invested in upgraded fencing in part to protect them from others, and from their own inclinations. I lost two dogs 3 years ago to a fight, which still kicks my backside. Losing one to getting out and being hurt is worth anything to prevent.

 

[cjw3]

On a related note, and in the order of a public service announcement, how do you get a strange dog to come to you? This dog (RIP) was loose and out in the street, and wouldn't come when I called her. Is there a known-good way to do this? The methods I use with my own dogs didn't work, obviously, and not knowing the dog, I had no idea what she'd respond to. Stray dogs are no rare thing around here, so it would be good for me to know this.

Thanks, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

I've gotten a few out of the street when I was walking, etc. With a dog that is not very skittish, I usually have had good luck by bending over (or kneeling) and speaking to them in a higher pitched voice. Patting my hands together softly or on my legs seems to help while doing so.

If you can call them while continuing to walk, they will often tend to tag along and this may get them out of danger and also acclimated to you. This has worked for me if they are hesitant about getting within reach. They are pack animals, and you and the dog may make a sufficient "pack" so that you can lead it out of danger.

I haven't expressed this very well, but maybe the idea is somewhat clear. It takes years to learn to read them, but you just have to process the feedback they are giving you and go from there.

You cared enough to be there with her as she died. Many would not have done so.

Thank you for that.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

More importantly, teach your dog not to run away from you. It's not difficult to do and can be done in five minutes.

Well... Pugsters is part Beagle so if she gets on the scent of a rabbit her brain tunes everything else out. However, I have trained her to ride a tank.



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[diamonback68]

Well... Pugsters is part Beagle so if she gets on the scent of a rabbit her brain tunes everything else out.

I have the same problem with my Lab Sophie. Good on the leash, but if loose, just the possible scent of a squirrel or rabbit and she's gone. She does come back quicker now that she's gotten older though.

 

[sq hunter]

e-colllar works very well. used after dog has learned the commands, helps clear the hearing. Had a lady tell me using one was cruel. She went on vacation ,her dog was hit. 300.00 in repairs .my dogs come when called.

 

[GoodysgotaCuda]

More importantly, teach your dog not to run away from you. It's not difficult to do and can be done in five minutes.

Five minutes eh? No leash? Any dog? Any situation? You should be out making some money training dogs then.

Sorry, but that's quite a tall claim.

My dogs have been trained [professionally] with e-collars for 2 years. I'd put them through just about any situation off-leash short of a gun fight, tidal wave or explosion without them taking off on me. Took a little longer than five minutes to get that far though.

 

[Ron H.]

I've gotten a few out of the street when I was walking, etc. With a dog that is not very skittish, I usually have had good luck by bending over (or kneeling) and speaking to them in a higher pitched voice. Patting my hands together softly or on my legs seems to help while doing so.

If you can call them while continuing to walk, they will often tend to tag along and this may get them out of danger and also acclimated to you. This has worked for me if they are hesitant about getting within reach. They are pack animals, and you and the dog may make a sufficient "pack" so that you can lead it out of danger.

I haven't expressed this very well, but maybe the idea is somewhat clear. It takes years to learn to read them, but you just have to process the feedback they are giving you and go from there.

You cared enough to be there with her as she died. Many would not have done so.

Thank you for that.

Sir, thanks for the info. Good to know.

Thanks again, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[A10]

We've gotten several strays off the street, mostly with the techniques described by cjw3. Some are so skittish about the only thing you can do is try to chase them back home. I don't think there is a single solution.

 

[COL Jagdog]

Unfortunately, some folks just have no common sense when it comes to owning a dog -- I have been in the OP's shoes helping a dog that found itself on the street -- GoodysgotaCuda makes a good point that it takes repetition to train the basic commands - sit, stay, down, come -- let alone more complex commands for hunting dogs - "Back", "Over", "Dead bird" etc. I have trained dogs for over 35 years
(we currently have 4 Oakley English Setters - Dram, Radar, Shade, Taser; plus my American water spaniel, Ruger, who is my duck/goose dog, and my wife's Newfoundland, Beignet, who is a trained water rescue dog -- all wear collars with ID tags that have our address, home and cell numbers, and all are chipped. We have kennel runs both at home and the farm, plus fenced in areas for them to run. Plus crates inside for them to sleep in on cold nights) Responsible dog ownership is like responsible gun ownership -- you have to learn it and constantly train it. We have never "lost" a dog (i.e had one that ran away) primarily because we put a lot of time and effort into training and caring for them -- this is because they are like family members to us and we love them very much and considering what a good ES, AWS or Newf costs these days, it wouldn't make much sense to buy a dog and not train it, then lose it to a mishap. Lost dogs are kind of like accidental discharges -- they should not happen.

We use British-style slip-leads -- a leash that has a loop for your hand and a loop with a sliding ring that goes over the dog's head -- very simple to use and very effective for walking and training a dog. Academy often carries them and you can order them from mendotaproducts.com --

 

[DWFAN]

I thought this was going to be a wife training seminar. I've been working on mine for thirty years and she still pulls the leash, won't sit but knows how to play dead,
DW

 

[arjay]

I thought this was going to be a wife training seminar. I've been working on mine for thirty years and she still pulls the leash, won't sit but knows how to play dead,
DW

Or the barking?My God how does one control the barking?....I'm ok...I'll just go back in my man cave now....

 

[Old TexMex]

Ron, you're a good man.
We don't have strays around here, the coyotes own the night and take them down.