Last year when a similar opportunity came up, I decided against it since I was worried that it might distract Spencer more and/or cause more undesirable issues with his prey drive. Spencer already loses his mind over critters, be they squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, deer or our very favorite; jack rabbits. At the time, I didn't think a game that just rewards that mindless hunting would really be a good plan.
To be honest, I'm still not sure it would be. But I decided that since he is an awesome little dog who tries to give me what I ask for in agility when he is overwhelmed by the environment and the worries, I would see if he would like to play Barn Hunt. Something he just finds rewarding. Something he loves.
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| Love this little dog. Need to find a dog sport that he loves! |
I'm not sure if Barn Hunt is that. I know the practice wasn't for sure. Way too many amped up dogs in a small space. Not unlike Flyball that he is also very much not a fan of.
I was hoping he'd love the gerbils the way he loves gopher holes. It's a critter, you can poke it or bark at it and maybe it'll move. It smells like a critter. What isn't to like here?
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| Sure did not have this happy Spencer when learning to hunt gerbils! |
Turns out, everything.
It's indoors. This was the first time he was allowed to harass a domestic critter that wasn't a cat. But there were so many other dogs around, and he was inside. He was just scared of the environment period and couldn't care less about the gerbils.
So all we jumped on some straw bales and went through straw tunnels for cookies. That was easy. We left it there for him. He was NOT HAPPY with the environment.
Baxter actually did much the same thing as Spencer, for all that he isn't as environmentally sensitive. Too many dogs. Way too amped up. Just too much. He was also pretty sure that the gerbil box was the devil.
Way to not set my dogs up to succeed. Might have gone a little better if I tried to introduce the concept of gerbils in a box at home. At least I didn't enter the Barn Hunt trial!
I think the boys and I have attended too many agility trials where people are very conscientious with their dogs. They try not to crowd other dogs. No dog-dog visiting. Generally, if a dog is out with their handler, that dog is the handlers focus. Maybe because there are more reactive dogs and dogs with issues playing agility? I don't really know!
So, the choice is. Give up on this idea, since the dogs are not innately bonkers for a gerbil in a box. Or get a gerbil and teach the hunting of it, not unlike Nose Work.
The gerbil plan doesn't really excite me. One more thing to take care of. I'm thinking if I have to train something like Nose Work, it might as well actually be Nose Work. At least I have the supplies and I don't need to feed/water/clean up after the scent oils!
Maybe in the Spring we'll see if I can find any Coursing Ability Tests for Spencer. He likes to chase moving stuff AND it's outdoors. Right up his alley.
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| Chase the happy! |
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| So naked! Decent impression of a sight hound though! |
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