Leg Lifter---HELP

[tmvikings]

I have a great hunting dog with one problem that he does at home in the yard or when it really drives me nutz out hunting, he is always marking his territory or [PoorWordUsage]ing on everything. When we go out hunting he only does it at till I hit him with the e-collar or when he starts to smell birds. So my question is what the best way and most consistent way to get not to lift his leg on everything?

Thanks for the help

[Ufatz]

Normal stuff. Please stop "hitting him with the e-collar" when he does it. That's cruelty.

[fivebucks]

It's a male thing. As long as he has his package he's going to mark. I think the 2 options are snip snip or get a female.

[MinnesotaMongo]

From what I experienced, male dogs get the "juices" flowing when they get their "Hunt" on. I hang out with some guys who run field trials, and when they are training - those male dogs are marking EVERYTHING. I was sitting next to my pickup when a male dog, who just finished a training session ran by at a full fast trot, whizzed on a clipboard that was sitting on the ground at the corner of the truck. Never MISSED a step - he just ran on 3 legs and aimed with the other....

That's just the way it is.

[BLACKJACK]

Haven't you been around any male dogs in your life??! They all [PoorWordUsage] on everything to mark their territory. At this point even taking his nuts out problably won't stop it, but maybe it will slow it down in a year or two.

If you can't handle that leg lifting, on your next pup get them fixed before 6 months of age.

[JDM]

Beyond what has been said, which was good advice and commentary, my only add on would be to try to keep him distracted from leg lifting by getting him interested in everything else (hunting & training). I will always air him out for about 10 to 15 minutes before doing anything and that seems to take it out of him for a while. He still will mark everything in sight if given the chance. I even had a female that would pee over the top of every other dog's marks.

I try to stop him from peeing in my yard and on my bushes. I now have him trained to go in the long weeds behind my house. 100% for #2, and about 75% for #1, so it is not perfect.

[tmvikings]

I have gotten used to this behavior and it’s not as bad as I may have made it sound, but none the less I want it to stop or happen less frequently. I want to have more control and get him to concentrate on hunting right from the start not 5 min in to the hunt. I guess I was hoping some old timer would have a trick up his or her sleeve that would help….

Thanks for all the positive feed back….happy hunting …….

[Ufatz]

Hey TM Vik....I AM an old timer (ha) and I sincerely hope you will PLEASE not hit the dog with the e-collar because of this. Patience my friend, patience.

After all....put the shoe on the other foot...or the collar...and think about your own needs first thing in the morning after an all night beer bust.

[duckbuster]

Air the dog BEFORE you go into the woods. Give him a good 20-30 minute airing, maybe this will help a bit.

[tmvikings]

We went out duck hunting on Monday and he did great. Sat in the blind and retreived 3 ducks, but the one goose was way to heavy for this Brit. Might be the first Brittany duck hunter...ha thanks again!!!!

[jparrucci]

Not the first britt to be a duck hunter though. I've been using my 3 year old all of last year and again this year now. He does great. I even send him on blind retrieves thick in the lilly pads and he has always gotten every bird I have shot. I have also dropped birds while pheasant hunting the edges of sloughs, and have sent him through the muck and cattails after birds...he always get them. He isn't a big fan of sitting in the blind and retrieving in the really late season cold water, but he has never failed to bring back a bird for me. Still waiting on a goose to shoot over him though.