Kayla and I are on our honeymoon in Michigan's Upper Peninnsula--bear country. Kind of hoping to run across a bear in the woods, but we'd be content to see one in the backyard--40 acres of forest and wetlands. Tuula went with us on a hike in the woods this morning/afternoon. It's honestly the thickest forest I've ever walked in. Reminded me of a jungle. On the fringes where the ferns were growing, Tuula and Darcy flushed grouse and Tuula tried to follow them, but mostly lost them due to the thickness of the woods. I was proud of her. I wish she'd have gotten after some of the small game I saw up in the pines--lots of red squirrels--but I don't think she can wind them. We'll be backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains in a few days--
Congrats Kevin! Sounds like Tuula's a natural hunter. I think as long as you keep on taking her out and letting her give chase, she will grow up to be a good hunting dog. You could always take a road trip out here and we can go chase some pigs and bobcats.
@Dave, We love having the dogs with us. They keep us active and make sure we sleep well at night. We left my old lab at home, knowing he would enjoy the hard daily exercise, but that he would hurt afterward as well. He's in good hands; my father and mother-in-law's house is a fun place for him. That would be quite the road trip, Gen. I just said the other day I'd like to hunt Tuula on bobcats, but they're protected as a rare species here and I wouldn't want to hunt something rare anyway. I just might take you up on your offer someday...
Sweet Kevin, well now you know what you need to start chasing! Bobcat a rare specie???? Thats the first I have heard of bobcat being a rare specie. I guess every state has their own unusual rules. Mountain lions are still protected specie here in Kalifzistan even though the state issues over 5000 depredation permits and every ones taxes pays for a USDA exterminator to kill lions that are seen near live stock. There has been a increase in attack on humans and I myself have been stalked over 5 times by grown lions. Drop in deer numbers and increase in lion numbers equals bad juju.
Bobcats in Indiana are pretty rare--I've never seen one and it's fairly rare that anyone in my part of the state has. Interestingly, there have been some lion sightings not far from my house--really really very weird. Stupid Hoosiers killed every imaginable predator many years ago. The only thing we have now in the way of predators are coyotes.
I'm lucky in that there are no large predators where I live. I'd have to go to a different prefecture, and even there they're Asiatic Black Bears. Much smaller and omnivorous than what you have over there. Guess if I was in Hokkaido I'd actually have to be careful as the Brown Bears up there are dangerous and will stalk people.
Watch those porcupines! I live in the Nat'l Forest-bear/moose/bobcat country (plus the mythical catamount?) but I fear most the porcupines because they do not run away, guaranteeing confrontation. Both my guys got quilled a few months ago. Not fun.
We didn't run into anything else except a deer that walked into camp while we were backpacking. Kayla distracted the dogs while I threw things at the deer to make it leave. We want to hunt our dogs, but can't have them run deer. That gets a lot of dogs killed for various reasons around here. My 4 month old puppy hiked like a champ. She was tired when we were done, but she never complained once, though she did lie down every chance she got the last mile or so...
I don't make a habit of overdoing it. She wasn't carrying a pack and we did 6 miles one day and 6 the next. Perhaps a blessing that the Chaco sandals were tearing my feet up so bad... We had to call it quits a little early.
Haven't written about Tuula in a month... She's 26 pounds as of yesterday at the Vet. I think she's on the verge of a growth spurt, though, as she's finishing all her food now. Either that or she's learned that if she doesn't eat it, someone else will. Almost 6 months old. She's been in the woods a lot lately, though it's been frustrating. The leaves are still on the trees, probably most of them for another couple weeks, so it's hard to shoot anything out to her. I've had a difficult time locating game that she trees, but she's been chasing and treeing pretty reliably. Tonight she treed a coon. On our way out of the woods, she and Darcy chased a cat and put it up a tree. I assumed it was a raccoon until I shined it with my light. Poor cat probably crapped. Darcy was jumping up the tree so high she was getting pretty close to kitty's branch. As for her working ability, I'm thrilled. The only issue is that she isn't a strong 'stay-put' dog, at least not yet. Once I approach the tree, she thinks her job is done and she's ready to go on and find another coon/squirrel/whatever. I'm not even confident that she would stay on tree if it took me ten minutes to get there. Darcy would stay treed for days if need required it. If anyone knows a way to encourage stay-putness, let me know. Laika breeds are not known for being super hard tree dogs, but I'm hoping she'll develop more persistence.
I'll get some photos on here soon. We just got a digital camera, so I'll have to get some action shots. Brad, her bark is clear. I don't know about loud, but it's sort of high pitched and carries really far, sort of like a whistle does. I also thought I saw someone walking an REL or KBD. It was at the track around one of the YMCA facilities in town. I was otherwise occupied, but I'm keeping a sharp eye out every time I'm over there. Also I saw a girl walking a black dog that I would have sworn was a Kai the other day. Right size, right shape, even mostly the right color. But again I was in the car and they reached their house before I could stop them. The girl walking the dog was Asian, which for some reason seemed like evidence that Kai was a possible choice... I would be really surprised if it were a Kai--and really excited.
Thanks for the update! I'm glad to hear she's coming along so well. I'll third the request for spam! :-)
As for teaching her to stay-put, after some quick thought I'd do something like the following. I'd put her on a check cord and keep her relatively close. Then either lead her to a tree where you've put some game or follow her until she trees something. Keeping yourself close, start rewarding her for barking and jumping at the tree. Start by rewarding her with a piece or two of kibble for every two or three barks, then extend it to 3-5, then 5-10, etc. Over the course of a few weeks, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to reinforce her for barking up a tree for minutes at a time. The important thing here is to reward her *AT* the tree. Don't pull her away to reward her. Hold the tree against the tree where she has to jump (or at least stand on her hind legs) to get it. That will help to create the association that paying attention to the tree is important.
If I think of something else, I'll post it. But that's what I got off the top of my head. Good luck!
I promise I'll get some pictures up soon. Just a quick update. Tuula and I had a rough day on Monday. Kayla shot out a squirrel to her. The squirrel hit the ground still alive and went into a hole at the base of its tree. I was pissed because I hate wounding anything without killing it. Tuula started digging at the hole, and I called her off, thinking it was a waste of time, but she wouldn't quit. After about 5 minutes of me standing around bumming about the getaway, she ended up digging it out, but it also bit her on the face and didn't let go. I'll spare the details. I didn't realize quite how bad she was bit until later. Thus I tried hunting her a while longer. She couldn't focus and wasn't doing jack squat. I got annoyed and bitched at her. She got annoyed with me, gave me the doggy version of the finger, and took off. She wouldn't come back when called and went all the way back to the truck--probably about a third of a mile. I was super irritated and none too nice to her when I got to the truck. When I got home I realized how badly she had been cut up in the scrape. Damn rodent bit through her cheek. I'm cleaning it up a couple times a day. It's healing fine. I'm also mending a relationship--Tuula was/is slightly distrustful of me. Stupid guy...stupid temper...stupid frustrating day at work.
Oh man, that's rough. I have been there before for sure, I lost my cool with Kona a few years ago and it took a little while to get our relationship back on track. I can have a bad temper, I have a long fuse but a bad temper. I do think dogs have the ability to recognize that we are humans and we make mistakes too... As do they.
My sister was bit through her thumb by a pet mouse once, and was horrible, I can imagine Tuula's cheek is not feeling great now. (yikes)
Just a tip from a fellow hunter. Always carry antibiotics with you. As soon as my dogs get and sort of injury that is even remotely questionable, they get treated. There are so many different germs and bacteria out there that even the seemingly innocuous cuts can start major infections, and in even slightly warm weather will start to fester and rot very quickly.
I'm totally there with you on rebuilding relationships. I can have a short fuse at times, and it's difficult get a dog to understand 'sorry'. Since I've started hunting my dogs I've found I need 100 times more patience than I normally have.
Ditto on the long fuse, bad temper thing here too. You'll get past it with her, and I'm sure you learned something too.
In speaking with a Vizsla breeder/trainer that I know, he said something that really rang true with me. "You can never give a dog its puppyhood back." He explained that to mean for the first year of a dog's life, everything you do with them should be fun. If they bust a bird, chew up a bird, or take a long detour on a retrieve, don't worry about it. The first year of a hunting dog's life should be all about building a positive association with what you are asking them to do. If they aren't hunting well one day, turn it into a play session or nice walk in the woods. Once they turn a year, "class is in session" and you can expect more out of them. I'm really trying to take that to heart with Tyson. So far, with the exception of his gunshyness, it seems to really be working too.
I've been working with Tuula a lot lately, and even though I'm basically on vacation this week, I've had so much to do and very little time to post. She had an irritating teenage phase. I'd take her to the woods and she wouldn't come when called, would chase deer and was a real pain in the butt. In the last month, though, something clicked, and I'm very pleased with her progress. She's responding well to being called in while hunting. For now, I'm bribing her with cheese about 3/4 of the time to reinforce that behavior. She's treeing game by herself and I've been able to shoot some things out to her--a real thrill to watch her work out a track yesterday and then stay treed while I walked up. I'm tying her there to reinforce that she needs to stay put. Of course I'm pleased with her work, but I'm careful to end each hunt on a good note. No sense in pushing a 6-month old pup to do adult work. She has been handling well, which at this point is much more important than successful hunts. I don't want her to hunt super far out just yet, so I'm calling her to check in at about 300 yards or so. She comes tearing back to me, gets some love and a snack, and then a pat on the butt to get back out there and work. She doesn't check in much on her own yet--I think she'll do this eventually. I got to hunt her earlier this week with my grandpa-in-law and his dogs. She got along fine with the new dogs, rode in the truck box great, and basically did everything I asked her to do except she quit early on me and went and found the truck. I didn't mind that so much, but it did sort of piss me off that she didn't come when called. So we've really been drilling the recall the last few days. Anyway, I'm a happy guy with a hunting dog. I don't think she has the size this year to be coon hunting. Our coons get about the same size as her and I don't want to sour the hunting experience by getting her all chewed up by a big mean coon. I'll keep trying to post somewhat regularly about her.
Comments
Congrats on the happy union!
We'll be backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains in a few days--
We love having the dogs with us. They keep us active and make sure we sleep well at night. We left my old lab at home, knowing he would enjoy the hard daily exercise, but that he would hurt afterward as well. He's in good hands; my father and mother-in-law's house is a fun place for him.
That would be quite the road trip, Gen. I just said the other day I'd like to hunt Tuula on bobcats, but they're protected as a rare species here and I wouldn't want to hunt something rare anyway. I just might take you up on your offer someday...
I'm lucky in that there are no large predators where I live. I'd have to go to a different prefecture, and even there they're Asiatic Black Bears. Much smaller and omnivorous than what you have over there. Guess if I was in Hokkaido I'd actually have to be careful as the Brown Bears up there are dangerous and will stalk people.
My 4 month old puppy hiked like a champ. She was tired when we were done, but she never complained once, though she did lie down every chance she got the last mile or so...
She's 26 pounds as of yesterday at the Vet. I think she's on the verge of a growth spurt, though, as she's finishing all her food now. Either that or she's learned that if she doesn't eat it, someone else will.
Almost 6 months old. She's been in the woods a lot lately, though it's been frustrating. The leaves are still on the trees, probably most of them for another couple weeks, so it's hard to shoot anything out to her. I've had a difficult time locating game that she trees, but she's been chasing and treeing pretty reliably.
Tonight she treed a coon. On our way out of the woods, she and Darcy chased a cat and put it up a tree. I assumed it was a raccoon until I shined it with my light. Poor cat probably crapped. Darcy was jumping up the tree so high she was getting pretty close to kitty's branch.
As for her working ability, I'm thrilled. The only issue is that she isn't a strong 'stay-put' dog, at least not yet. Once I approach the tree, she thinks her job is done and she's ready to go on and find another coon/squirrel/whatever. I'm not even confident that she would stay on tree if it took me ten minutes to get there. Darcy would stay treed for days if need required it. If anyone knows a way to encourage stay-putness, let me know. Laika breeds are not known for being super hard tree dogs, but I'm hoping she'll develop more persistence.
How is Tuula's bark? Is it loud?
Brad, her bark is clear. I don't know about loud, but it's sort of high pitched and carries really far, sort of like a whistle does. I also thought I saw someone walking an REL or KBD. It was at the track around one of the YMCA facilities in town. I was otherwise occupied, but I'm keeping a sharp eye out every time I'm over there. Also I saw a girl walking a black dog that I would have sworn was a Kai the other day. Right size, right shape, even mostly the right color. But again I was in the car and they reached their house before I could stop them. The girl walking the dog was Asian, which for some reason seemed like evidence that Kai was a possible choice... I would be really surprised if it were a Kai--and really excited.
As for teaching her to stay-put, after some quick thought I'd do something like the following. I'd put her on a check cord and keep her relatively close. Then either lead her to a tree where you've put some game or follow her until she trees something. Keeping yourself close, start rewarding her for barking and jumping at the tree. Start by rewarding her with a piece or two of kibble for every two or three barks, then extend it to 3-5, then 5-10, etc. Over the course of a few weeks, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to reinforce her for barking up a tree for minutes at a time. The important thing here is to reward her *AT* the tree. Don't pull her away to reward her. Hold the tree against the tree where she has to jump (or at least stand on her hind legs) to get it. That will help to create the association that paying attention to the tree is important.
If I think of something else, I'll post it. But that's what I got off the top of my head. Good luck!
Tuula and I had a rough day on Monday. Kayla shot out a squirrel to her. The squirrel hit the ground still alive and went into a hole at the base of its tree. I was pissed because I hate wounding anything without killing it. Tuula started digging at the hole, and I called her off, thinking it was a waste of time, but she wouldn't quit. After about 5 minutes of me standing around bumming about the getaway, she ended up digging it out, but it also bit her on the face and didn't let go. I'll spare the details.
I didn't realize quite how bad she was bit until later.
Thus I tried hunting her a while longer. She couldn't focus and wasn't doing jack squat. I got annoyed and bitched at her. She got annoyed with me, gave me the doggy version of the finger, and took off. She wouldn't come back when called and went all the way back to the truck--probably about a third of a mile. I was super irritated and none too nice to her when I got to the truck.
When I got home I realized how badly she had been cut up in the scrape. Damn rodent bit through her cheek. I'm cleaning it up a couple times a day. It's healing fine. I'm also mending a relationship--Tuula was/is slightly distrustful of me. Stupid guy...stupid temper...stupid frustrating day at work.
My sister was bit through her thumb by a pet mouse once, and was horrible, I can imagine Tuula's cheek is not feeling great now. (yikes)
----
I'm totally there with you on rebuilding relationships. I can have a short fuse at times, and it's difficult get a dog to understand 'sorry'. Since I've started hunting my dogs I've found I need 100 times more patience than I normally have.
Sounds like she's coming along well though.
In speaking with a Vizsla breeder/trainer that I know, he said something that really rang true with me. "You can never give a dog its puppyhood back." He explained that to mean for the first year of a dog's life, everything you do with them should be fun. If they bust a bird, chew up a bird, or take a long detour on a retrieve, don't worry about it. The first year of a hunting dog's life should be all about building a positive association with what you are asking them to do. If they aren't hunting well one day, turn it into a play session or nice walk in the woods. Once they turn a year, "class is in session" and you can expect more out of them. I'm really trying to take that to heart with Tyson. So far, with the exception of his gunshyness, it seems to really be working too.
She had an irritating teenage phase. I'd take her to the woods and she wouldn't come when called, would chase deer and was a real pain in the butt. In the last month, though, something clicked, and I'm very pleased with her progress. She's responding well to being called in while hunting. For now, I'm bribing her with cheese about 3/4 of the time to reinforce that behavior.
She's treeing game by herself and I've been able to shoot some things out to her--a real thrill to watch her work out a track yesterday and then stay treed while I walked up. I'm tying her there to reinforce that she needs to stay put.
Of course I'm pleased with her work, but I'm careful to end each hunt on a good note. No sense in pushing a 6-month old pup to do adult work. She has been handling well, which at this point is much more important than successful hunts. I don't want her to hunt super far out just yet, so I'm calling her to check in at about 300 yards or so. She comes tearing back to me, gets some love and a snack, and then a pat on the butt to get back out there and work. She doesn't check in much on her own yet--I think she'll do this eventually.
I got to hunt her earlier this week with my grandpa-in-law and his dogs. She got along fine with the new dogs, rode in the truck box great, and basically did everything I asked her to do except she quit early on me and went and found the truck. I didn't mind that so much, but it did sort of piss me off that she didn't come when called. So we've really been drilling the recall the last few days.
Anyway, I'm a happy guy with a hunting dog. I don't think she has the size this year to be coon hunting. Our coons get about the same size as her and I don't want to sour the hunting experience by getting her all chewed up by a big mean coon. I'll keep trying to post somewhat regularly about her.