I have a 5 month old bedlington-whippet puppy. We always keep him on the lead when walking on streets and roads etc. But he is very good off the lead and so when we are in the countryside/beach we let him off on walks. He never leaves our side and always comes when called. However, on 3 occasions now he has found a dead bird. When he has something like this is in his mouth he knows we are going to take it from him (i worry he'll choke on the little bones!) and so he won't come when called. I try luring him with a treat but he always prefers his dead bird! On one occasion my partner tried to catch him and he ran away...all the way home (only 1/2 mile) and in through the front door!! Although this was a happy ending, it was a terrible fright as he ran down the open road!!!!! What can we do? We could always keep him on a lead but it seems such a shame because he is so good if there are no dead things around!!!!!

Can't help apart from by telling you that eating dead birds etc won't hurt him as long as they haven't been poisoned etc which is very unlikely.Many dogs are now fed raw bones...even chicken etc and the dogs digest them with no problem at all.
Archer

Hi Guest.
Archer is right in what she's saying although for safety reasons it always pays to be able to take anything away from your dog if you need to.

This is actually something which working gundogs learn as a standard part of their training. Here's a few ground rules to help you.

I train taking things away from my puppy's right from the start. I start with toys, taking them away with a command "Give" (Some gundog people use the command "Dead", it does not matter as long as you are consistent.) Always be gentle when you take something away but at the same time be firm. It's not a request, it's an order! Immediately you have taken it away give it back, I always use happy chat, "Oh that's all right sweet, you can have it!"

I know some on here won't agree with me but later I do the same thing with food. I pick the bowl up, move it a few inches then put it back down again, possibly with a little more in it. I'm trying to make the point that although I am no threat I do have the right to touch or take what I like. Whatever you do don't tease! This won't only not help but positively make things worse by promoting the guarding instincts.

When your dog picks up something he shouldn't, first thing, don't panic and start shouting and screaming. It won't help and will in all probabilities encourage him to stay well away! Instead, call him in a happy voice, possibly whilst walking in the opposite direct. WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T CHASE HIM! You will loose the race for sure! ;)

When he comes to you DONT TRY TO THAK THE THING AWAY! Think about it, he's just found this lovely smelly thing and if you take it away he won't be so quick at bringing it to you next time! Keeping well clear of his head pass your hands around to his body and make a fuss of him, reward him for coming. Then move your hands towards his head and take the THING using the command you have been training the leave with.

Often you will find that when you call him he will start circling, running around you in circles. Try to position yourself against a hedge or fence then he will not be able to!

You might not like the sound of this but once you have taken it away, you might like to bring it home with you and do a little practise in the garden!!! What a gundog person would call a "Cold game" retrieves.

You never know, you might be embarking on the start of a working gundog career! ;)

Regards, John

John,

Thanks for the advice! I will try trainning him more at home as you suggest. We use the command "leave" when he gets hold of socks or shoes at home or whatever. He will drop things like toys etc when told to 'leave' but if it's something he's is proud of (like a shoe) he will loosen his grip on it but we still have to take it from him by hand. We tend to reward him with a chocolate drop or something when he lets go. We have lots of practice at taking things from him and he doesn't have any aggressive guarding insticts to speak of with food or toys etc. My biggest concern is that despite learning things he always seems to forget everything he knows when he's excited. I.e. he won't leave the dead bird, not will he sit when there's another dog/person close by or heel when it's windy. I suppose its just puppy excitement. Maybe he'll get better as he matures and calms down!!! I think you may be right about taking things away. I will try giving things back to him and hope he'll be less wary of coming back to me in future! Thanks! :)

There are a few problems in what you are doing, although some are unavoidable.

The trouble with taking things like shoes and socks away is that (Obviously) you cannot give them back! This means that the dog gets use to the idea that to bring something to you means that he is going to loose it. This is the reason I use toys, and later, even food. To reward your dog for bringing things is fine as far as it goes but, you then get into value of the reward! (Mercenary things, these dogs!) A choc drop may be fair exchange for a sock, allowing for the fact that there are plenty of socks in the world, but a dead animal? A once in a lifetime find?
When my dog will give me a toy I'll start throwing it for him and calling him when he has picked it up. The basis of all retrieving! No payment has entered into it with the exception of voice and hand praise. This is the reason very few gundog people use food as a reward. The fun of the retrieve is the reward.

Regards, John