Hello everyone! I was hoping someone could help me with a major problem
I am having with my almost two year old black labrador mix.
We adopted her from the local shelter and she was a dream! Really
sweet, doesn't bark, she didn't destory the house, and everyone adored
her!
But lately Sheba, our dog, has been driving us mad with her love for
water and hunting things in the water.

We have a pond in our backyard filled with pretty good sized coys (Well
used to be filled with pretty good sized coys) We have a dog run for
her and usually she stays on the side of the house. But lately Sheba
has been squeezing her neck out of her collar, ( no matter how tight we
make it) and she stands over the pond and harrasses the poor fish!

I got home today to find that she ATE three of them! And now the rest
of my family is getting fed up with her habit. She used to hate the
water, but I guess it couldn't be helped seeing that she is a Labrador
breed and they hunt by nature. But if this keeps up it's going to be
either the pond or her. So does anyone have a Lab? Or a dog with
instinctual problems that knows a way to get her to stop?

I don't want to punish her for doing something she was bred to do. I
just want her to lose interest in trying to hunt them down! I can't
stay home long enough to wait for her to escape in order to correct it,
I honestly don't even think that would work anyway since she has
memorized how to get out, and doesn't care that we are mad so long as
she catches a fish.

We've over fed her. Doubled her walks given her toys and nothing
amounts to her joy of standing over the pond. Someone please help us!!

~Z

On 16 Jul 2006 23:40:59 -0700, "Z" , clicked
their heels and said:

But lately Sheba, our dog, has been driving us mad with her love for
water and hunting things in the water.

We have a pond in our backyard filled with pretty good sized coys (Well
used to be filled with pretty good sized coys) We have a dog run for
her and usually she stays on the side of the house. But lately Sheba
has been squeezing her neck out of her collar, ( no matter how tight we
make it) and she stands over the pond and harrasses the poor fish!

Thos would be Koi? First piece of advise - don't tether her outdoors.
Supervision is the key, and appropriate confinement (tethering when
nobody is home is a dangerous practice).

But if this keeps up it's going to be
either the pond or her. So does anyone have a Lab? Or a dog with
instinctual problems that knows a way to get her to stop?

How about keeping her safely indoors when not supervised outdoors?

I don't want to punish her for doing something she was bred to do. I
just want her to lose interest in trying to hunt them down!

She's not hunting. She's fishing. She's bored, they're interesting,
and apparently tasty to boot.

She needs TRAINING, focused exercise, appropriate confinement for her
age and personality. In other words - stop giving her the ability to
access the pond without you present.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

Z wrote:


I got home today to find that she ATE three of them! And now the rest
of my family is getting fed up with her habit. She used to hate the
water, but I guess it couldn't be helped seeing that she is a Labrador
breed and they hunt by nature. But if this keeps up it's going to be
either the pond or her. So does anyone have a Lab? Or a dog with
instinctual problems that knows a way to get her to stop?

I have Labs. They don't fish. I wouldn't say it's her heritage as a
part-Labrador to do what she's doing; but from your description,
it sounds as though she finds it highly rewarding.

I don't want to punish her for doing something she was bred to do.

Maybe the non-Lab half was "bred to do" this, but in any case, punishment
is likely to be ineffective because the pleasure involved is great, and
better-
timed than the punishment would be.

We've over fed her. Doubled her walks given her toys and nothing
amounts to her joy of standing over the pond. Someone please help us!!


Your post actually contains many good observations of your dog, her
motivation to catch fish, and the futility of punishment to stop her. I
would look at more effective confinement as the answer. You could
keep her in the house, in a crate if you have concerns about
destructiveness
or house-soiling. An outdoor pen or run is a possibility, although I'd
be less inclined to recommend this as, from your description, she might
apply herself to figuring how to escape and go fishing.

Training is also a good idea, along with anything else that will enrich
her life. If you can teach her to come when called, you can call her
away any time she heads for the pond--then she could be at large in
the yard any time you are there with her.

Amy Dahl

Maybe you could put some chicken wire covering the little pond, or around
the pond.

"Z" wrote in message
ps.com...
Hello everyone! I was hoping someone could help me with a major problem
I am having with my almost two year old black labrador mix.
We adopted her from the local shelter and she was a dream! Really
sweet, doesn't bark, she didn't destory the house, and everyone adored
her!
But lately Sheba, our dog, has been driving us mad with her love for
water and hunting things in the water.

We have a pond in our backyard filled with pretty good sized coys (Well
used to be filled with pretty good sized coys) We have a dog run for
her and usually she stays on the side of the house. But lately Sheba
has been squeezing her neck out of her collar, ( no matter how tight we
make it) and she stands over the pond and harrasses the poor fish!

I got home today to find that she ATE three of them! And now the rest
of my family is getting fed up with her habit. She used to hate the
water, but I guess it couldn't be helped seeing that she is a Labrador
breed and they hunt by nature. But if this keeps up it's going to be
either the pond or her. So does anyone have a Lab? Or a dog with
instinctual problems that knows a way to get her to stop?

I don't want to punish her for doing something she was bred to do. I
just want her to lose interest in trying to hunt them down! I can't
stay home long enough to wait for her to escape in order to correct it,
I honestly don't even think that would work anyway since she has
memorized how to get out, and doesn't care that we are mad so long as
she catches a fish.

We've over fed her. Doubled her walks given her toys and nothing
amounts to her joy of standing over the pond. Someone please help us!!

~Z

On 16 Jul 2006 23:40:59 -0700, "Z" wrote:

I got home today to find that she ATE three of them! And now the rest
of my family is getting fed up with her habit. She used to hate the
water, but I guess it couldn't be helped seeing that she is a Labrador
breed and they hunt by nature. But if this keeps up it's going to be
either the pond or her. So does anyone have a Lab? Or a dog with
instinctual problems that knows a way to get her to stop?

You can't leave your dog outside without supervision any more, but you
can still keep her and the fish. You say she is not destructive and
is great in the house. Why not let her be in the house? If you are
worried that she will get into trouble while you are gone, you can
confine her to one room or crate her. Dogs don't like to be outside
of the home. It's like being banished from their pack. They want to
be in den with you. Let her out when you are out with her and train
while you are out there. Correct her every time she goes for the
pond. But don't leave her out there when you are not there with her.
--
Paula
"Anyway, other people are weird, but sometimes they have candy,
so it's best to try to get along with them." Joe Bay