# Dog etiquette in the field



## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

I just want to hear what everyones thoughts are about Dog etiquette in the field. I always try my best to keep my dog away from other peoples dogs while hunting. I also know some times a dog may run off but its up to us to keep that from happening. A main rule of thumb I go by when running my dog in the canyon is I love my dog but it doesnt mean everyone around me does. So I keep her on the leash and away from people unless they ask to come see her or pet her. 

Lets hear your 2 cents on the subject, and how you handled any problems you have had with your dog or another persons dog.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey Dead go to sleep. It's way to early to be on this thing. I used to have "pets" but really no huntin dogs. I remember when I used to hunt the ring necks and all them guys that had them dogs seemed like those dogs had the same name. They were always calling the dogs back. I remember them calling " come here you S. O. B. " Funny how they named them all the same. :lol: I guess that falls under etiquette. Train your dog so no one else has to deal with them. :roll:


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

1. Dogtra
2. Tritronics

Dogs are dogs. I recently watched a very popular field trial stud run away from his owner and up the side of a mountain whilst his handler was screaming the whole time for him to return. I remember thinking, "_This_ is the dog everyone's been talking about?" Then I watched his second run and he'd settled down and ran clean and beautiful. My point is sometimes dogs just do what they want to do because that's how a dog lives its life, thinking of only the here and now. Even the best dogs have their ugly moments. That's one reason I always have an e-collar on my dog in the field. I could go weeks without having to use it, but there's always that one time I need it. I won't allow my dogs to bother others in the field if I can prevent it.


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

Another way to prevent run ins with other dogs is to hunt in places others don't. I can't recall seeing a dog that was not in my party on an upland hunt the last 2 seasons.

When it happens on hikes I heel my dog. Not to long ago my pup was up ahead on a trail and when she walked back to me she was at the side of a gal with a pit bull. Lucky for her it was a nice dog.


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## coolgunnings (Sep 8, 2007)

Texscala said:


> Another way to prevent run ins with other dogs is to hunt in places others don't. I can't recall seeing a dog that was not in my party on an upland hunt the last 2 seasons.
> 
> When it happens on hikes I heel my dog. Not to long ago my pup was up ahead on a trail and when she walked back to me she was at the side of a gal with a pit bull. Lucky for her it was a nice dog.


I would let my dog eat your dog! If I ran into you in the field. :twisted:


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## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

So what do you guys go when you run into a guy in the field or on a trail and he has a unleashed dog causing you problems? Most people no matter how polite you are end up thinking your an a-hole for ruining there dogs fun. Three really bad experiences I have had

#1 Deadicated1 and I had killed our pheasants and were loading up in the parking lot when some guys pulled up with there two yellow labs. Our dogs were already in there kennels in the back of my truck when they dropped there tailgate to let there dogs run while they got ready. The first thing the labs did is run over and jump up on the side of the truck trying to smell our dogs or birds. :evil: Since it was my brand new Dodge we both quickly pulled there dogs off and walked them over to the guys and they took control of them. A few seconds later there dogs were back clawing the crap out of my truck. This time when we kicked there dogs off the truck deadicated1 mentions something to the effect "A dog could get killed for less than that." Anyways the guys got all defensive with us and I was no longer cordial about the event.

#2 Early morning I'm sitting in my blind with a buddy and we hear a crashing sound behind us. I flip around expecting to see a **** or something and it is a huge Chocolate Lab. The dog runs straight at my dog and starts fighting. My dog usually holds her own pretty well but I don't like her to fight and with the size of the lab I didn't want to take any chances. So I grab the lab while my buddy grabs my dog. The lab starts biting me so I start choking the dog with its choke chain. I walk the dog back up to the fields and send it on his way and he runs right back to my dog. By this time the dog has drawn blood on me and my dog so I'm ready to bury it in the marsh. I may talk tough but I don't wanna shoot someones dog unless it is really serious so I give it one more chance and take it back to the fields. This time I run into the owner, he grabs the dog and starts walking away with out a apology and I mention with a dog like that a leash would be useful on the way to the blind. He tells me to mind my own business. I then become no longer cordial about the event. 

#3 A few weeks ago my Dad is running his Setter and my Weim on the canal and a dog in a nearby yard is barking like crazy so the owner comes out and notices our dogs and sends his little Brittany over and says sick um. Lucky for him are dogs didn't react and do anything but keep on running. What I don't get is why would you send a smaller dog in to fight 2 dogs? And if it was a joke why would you let your smaller dog run up to a couple of larger dogs that you don't know anything about. What if either one of my dog was aggressive? Just cause your dog gets along with most dogs doesn't mean he will get along with every dog.

So now let me hear your problems and how you have handled them. Also is there something I should have done different? Ps I don't blame the dog just the bad owners.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

deadicatedweim:
Situation #1- I would have done largely what you did except for the killing remark. Those dogs weren't out of line for wanting to sniff your birds. You should be upset at the owners, not the dogs. The owners were out of line for not correcting their dogs.
Situation #2- I've had a very similar situation and it ended much like yours did. If it ever happens again I promise the offending dog will take the worst of it. 

Now the doozy- Situation #3- Again, not the dog's fault. No dog worth his salt is going to let strangers walk by without letting them know to stay away. I'll admit that my dogs bark at anyone unknown who comes into my yard. I'm glad they do because they've prevented vandalism and theft in my neighborhood. I check the situation and tell them it's OK if all is clear. My dogs then quiet right down. The owner is the fool once again. I would have done everything in my power to prevent a confrontation between the dogs in that situation. The Brittany was being sent into a situation that wasn't fair to it. The dog was put in the alpha position by the owner. Even if your dogs crushed the little Brit the dog did what was right in its mind by taking the alpha position when encouraged by an irresponsible owner. Allowing your dogs to attack would only leave the Brittany thinking it needed to attack with more ferocity next time. This owner needs his/her butt kicked. The other two just need to learn manners.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> I would let my dog eat your dog! If I ran into you in the field.


I'll speak for Arrow (Texscala's dog)- She'd only make a bite or two for most dogs, but they'd have to catch her first. :wink: That little gal can cover some ground in a hurry. She'd outrun my dogs on two legs.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

I think dog etiquette extends beyond the field. In starts at home, and not making every one of your neighbors within earshot hate dogs. I have a neighbor who lives 4-5 houses down and their dog will go on barking rants that seem to last all day. Allowing that type of behavior is a black eye for all dog owners.

Next, any time we take our dogs on walks, what we allow our dogs to do also reflects on all dog owners. Whether we allow our dogs to chase other dogs, jump on people, chase kids, poop on people's laws (some people's lawns I actually encourage this), etc. And there's always a few people who don't contain their dogs, so when you're walking your dog, their dog follows you and makes your walk worthless and miserable.

Then in the field...


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## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

I definitely don't blame the dogs for there actions just the bad owners. My dad pointed out a few things with that dog owner on the canal. First you can't fix stupid. Second really any actions you take only will affect the dog not the stupid owner and its not really worth the time to call animal control. So really its just a hassle you have to learn to deal with. The only dogs I blame at sucking at life are the little lap dogs that bark constantly and never quite down. I would rather own a cat then some good for nothing yap trap dog.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

I am sure there would have been some sort of blood shed over the dogs scratching my truck, I kick my own arse if I allow it! But someone elses!

If a dog goes after my dog and me also..... Very seldom I am without some sort of gun! 

The brit being sicked on my dogs... The brit if it got to the dogs would recieve some sort of arse kicking.... If a pit bull or something mean and bad..... Very seldom I am without some sort of gun! 


Now lets not confuse this with the nice dog coming over and saying hello and wishing ya all luck!


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I have my dogs trained to return to me under any and all conditions at either a voice command or a double blast on my whistle, I rarely let them get further from me than 20-30 feet when moving into or from our hunting area, and I keep an eye on all encounters if there are other dogs around. I snub them up short and keep them where I can either thump them or defend them as necessary. I have only had one incident where blood was drawn, on MY dog, by a dog that he refused to leave alone, though I had told him to "Leave It!" twice already, when she sliced his ear I kicked HIS arse and told him to leave her alone. He got schooled and has not ignored me since. He was not wearing his e-collar that day as it had been many weeks since I had needed to use it on him and I had not bothered to charge it. He wore it for the rest of that season, even though there was no further occasion to use it.

There was one scumbag dog owner that was walking up and down the dike with his GWP and it was causing all sorts of problems with every dog it encountered and had drawn blood on at least 2 other dogs that I knew of before it came near me and my dog. When it came after MY dog, I stomped it into the ground, stood on it's neck and stuck the barrel of my shotgun in it's ear. When the owner tried to cop an attitude about this, I told him that if he came one step closer I was sending his dog to hell and then stomping HIM into the mud like a coot, and then proceeded to give him a lecture on dog etiquette. I explained to him that I knew his dog had already blooded two other dogs, and demanded his name, number and rabies certificate number, which I later gave to the owners of the dogs his had hurt. I told him that if I ever saw him or his dog in the field again, then I would shoot it on sight and no third chances. He finally seemed to get the idea that HE was not in control of the situation and became very apologetic. I also told him that I was giving his name etc. to the CO along with his license plate number as I had seen him arrive and knew which car he was in. I told him that the days events would be reported and he would be under scrutiny any time he chose to enter the marsh with his dog after that point. 
Then I told him he should be ashamed of himself for not training his dog any better than that and allowing it to injure other dogs for NO reason that was even remotely acceptable.
I told him to come over and get a grip on his dog, which had quit struggling against me quite some time ago, and told him that if I saw it off the leash again between now and the time he loaded in in his vehicle I would kill it and press formal charges against him.
During this whole ordeal, MY dog simply stood around behind me watching and behaving himself like he knew HOW to.
I have never seen him since, so I guess either he took the "hint" or is really good with his timing.
If that dog or any other had ever attacked ME and drawn blood, I would not hesitate to kill it. I don't tolerate that kind of behavior in MY dogs or anyone elses. Bite me and die. PERIOD.
As far as dumbasses siccing their dogs on me or mine, that has not occurred recently at this point, but if it did, I suspect that my current reaction would be to get on the phone to the police reporting an attack and requesting an officer to respond whether I chose to let the dog live or not. I would make sure that idiot lost interest in thinking his dog was tough, no matter what breed it was.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Wow deadicated, you are a better person than I am! I certainly don't go off the handle, but I don't think I could be that calm. I do like your dad's thought that you can't fix stupid. That is probably a good thing to keep in mind to just blow it off I guess. 
Personally, I have not ever had any such run-ins fortunately.


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