Disappearing Lurcher

[bunn]

On Friday I took the hounds for a walk in the woods.  Rosie decided that my choice of route was not the same as hers.  And she looked at me down her long nose, ignored me calling and just *went*.   I don't think she was even chasing anything.  She'd just decided that my company was uncongenial.   And she vanished.   After I'd searched for an hour, I met a family walking their dog who said they had seen her in Latchley.   So I walked to Latchley, but there was no sign of her.  In the end I picked up the car and went home for reinforcements, only to find that she had arrived there about 3 minutes before me, having taken her own route home.   She was delighted to see me and bounced all over the place!   And she was still wearing her muzzle, and no sheep along the way appear to have been bothered, so I got away with it.  But this Really Will Not Do.

This sort of thing is exactly the reason that some years ago I concluded that although Salukis are very attractive dogs, I didn't really want to own one.  And now I have... well OK, not really two.    And thank heavens, Brythen (now he has grown up!) has turned out to be just the kind of gentle reliable dog I thought he was going to be.  Thank goodness he is only 1/4 saluki.




You'd think butter wouldn't melt, wouldn't you?

I've made some liver treats, and we are back to working harder on practicing recall training again.
Positive reinforcement is supposed to work on all organisms.   Even Salukis, eventually...