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Unusual training breakdown: What does it mean?

Ruth

Posted : 7/20/2006 1:52:41 AM

I had a freaky experience at the dog park and I am looking for your thoughts . . .

So I take Ace (2 yo lab/husky mix) to the dog park several times a week. It is a large lake with a trail around it, maybe 3 miles around. You can have your dog off-leash there. My dog is a crazy fetcher, so we mainly walk around the lake and play fetch. He plays with other dogs sometimes, and he recently discovered that he likes to swim, so we play fetch into the lake.

Typically my dog is one of the most well-behaved dogs at the park. He is well-trained. He sits and waits for me to throw the ball. He comes when called, and sits and stays with no fuss. I can call him off another dog and have him come and lie down.

Tonight he took off swimming in the lake with another dog. It looked like they were chasing animals in the water -- beavers, I think. The other dog got out of the lake and went away, and I called Ace to come, but he didn't. I am not even sure he heard me -- he was in some kind of zone. His ears didn't even twitch when I called his name, although he could see me. He was just swimming around in the lake, changing direction and swimming around. He swam after the beavers. He swam after the ducks. He swam in circles. He swam and swam and swam. I called him and called him for about 10 minutes before he would get out of the lake! And then he jumped right back in and swam around some more, not listening. In another couple minutes he got out of the lake, and I leashed him and took him home. He was freezing -- shivering, poor guy. And this is a northern dog that will lie out on the snow in -5 degree weather. I've never seen him cold like that before.

It really freaked me out! He's usually so good. He's never ignored me like that before. Never. Not anything remotely like that. I mean sometimes he pauses to pee on a tree on his way when I call him, or he continues playing for a couple seconds before he comes, but this was really, really out of character.

What do you think it means? A one-time fluke? A total breakdown in discipline? Is he sick? (He seems completely normal, otherwise. We do have a friend staying with us, and another dog, so his routine is a little off, but he seems completely fine.) Can I take him off-leash to the park anymore, or will he run away? How worried do you think I should be about this?

Please advise!

mrv

Posted : 7/20/2006 6:23:32 AM

I suspect, welcome to prey drive. Both of your dog's breed donators are "hunting" dogs. Labs as a partner and sibes for survival. I would suggest that his prey drive kicked in and took over. You can work to reduce the level of this distraction but there is always the situation that can take over. I have seen the most highly trained dogs (obedience competition dogs) forget every thing they knew when they were in a pen with sheep for the first time. It was hee yaa, they didn't know sit, down, come, 'nuthin. Instinct is a powerful thing. As to the shivering, I suspect he was in just too long and he body temp lowered, but not dangerously. I had a dobe who would swim to absolute exhaustion and still not want to quit (I have no idea what instict that was linked too).

probe1957

Posted : 7/20/2006 8:26:39 AM

It sounds like you have done a great job with him. I think he is just in that rebellious, adolescent stage. Keep working with him, be careful and it will pass.

Xerxes

Posted : 7/20/2006 11:48:41 AM

I agree with the prey drive.

Now the challenge for you as a trainer is to make that drive work to your benefit. When he's swimming, instead of the recall, try teaching directional signals (Left, Right, Out, In-close.) Sounds like he is ready for that next step.

I've got a very high prey driven dog, actually if you could say "completely" prey driven that would be closer to the truth. So when we're on walks I use hand signals and a "Psst" to direct him where I want him to go. It doesn't take long to learn, and depending upon the dog's personality and learning behaviors you could teach hand signals or whistle commands.

diane303

Posted : 7/20/2006 12:19:44 PM

Reminds me of my pointer, Grace. Sweet, obedient Saint Grace...until she she sees a bird or rabbit nearby. Then she is a Bird Zombie [

]. She's also 2. I have occasionally been able to break the spell and when I do and she comes bounding to me with her big floppy smile, I act as if she's trully amazing.

You are, apparently, doing a great job. He is 2 - just a young fella, yet. Keep working with him. He is not, or maybe, will ever be 100% trustworthy off lead. You just have to pick your venues and as he matures he will get better and better.

Ruth

Posted : 7/20/2006 12:41:34 PM

Thanks, everyone.

Prey drive sounds about right. I remember thinking that it was like he had discovered the ducks for the first time -- when we first started going to the lake, I really expected he would be interested in them, since he's a lab mix and he loves to retrieve. But he totally ignored them. Yesterday during this experience it was like he suddenly noticed them and became obsessed with them.

I do think directional signals in the water would be really helpful for us. He just started swimming, and before this he would just swim out after his ball and bring it back. No problems there. But if he's going to be just swimming around, I definetely need some way to control him out there. Any suggestions (or helpful websites, etc.) for how to teach commands in the water? Put him on a long line and . . . what? I have never worked with a dog in the water before.

schleide

Posted : 7/21/2006 1:22:48 PM

I unfortunately, don't have a good answer to the water question... But, it definitely sounds like prey drive to me - all of Wes's obedience goes out the window when he is "in the zone." In fact, in the park this morning, all the dogs seemed really interested in the tiny fenced in garden (no dogs allowed, but it is in the middle of the park). None of us knew why - and then Wesley decides to squeeze himself throught he crack in the gate - and before I can get to him, he is racing around, through the bushes and the plants (thick shrubbery) and it was as if I didn't exist. I could have taken out freshly baked liver treats and nothing!! I couldn't figure out why he was posessed and then I saw it - a MOUSE! The mouse was running around, Wes was chasing him, the dogs outside the garden were going nuts - it was a disaster! I have never seen him act like that and I am glad we were in a contained spot because eventually the mouse ran by me, so did Wes and I caught him. If Ace looked anywhere near as posessed as Wes did - I imagine it was pretty scary!

Janey

Posted : 7/21/2006 10:58:01 PM

I agree - prey drive. I had a australian shepherd mix, Oz, who was a horrible, panic-type swimmer, UNLESS there were ducks. Then all of a sudden, he was smooth, fast and would swim until he might drown from exhaustion. Completely different attitude all caused by the presence, or not, of chasable ducks!