When we decided that Cookie was the one to carry on Jasmine's legacy, little we did we realize that we were in fact adopting a hound.
She looks like a Rottweiler...
Whether she was born that way or whether it's because she spent the first half of her life tied up outside, watching the world go by but unable to interact with it, we'll never know.
She is who is she is and her instincts are strong.
Her senses are keen and she does not discriminate between them. Sight, sound, smell ... she'll employ the one that is most appropriate at the time. She runs like the wind through the toughest bush. She tracks, chases, stalks and pounces.
She is extremely good at catching mice.
She must hear them. Because she'll go running to a spot with certainty and start hunting. Unless called away, sooner or later she'll produce a mouse. You know that when she's looking there IS one in there.
She checks out every tall tree for squirrels.
She loves it when we all stand there staring up the tree.
She knows all the places where bunnies hang around.
There is an area with a thick brush where she'd always go to run around in. One time we decided to make our way through there. The place is lousy with bunny tracks. In fact, there is a bunny highway going through there.
She has spots of interests she has to regularly check on. Places where she's seen squirrels or bunnies. Have to go and check it out just in case there were any.
She has all the makings of a hunting dog.
We never planned on taking up hunting but now we decided to start training Cookie to be a hunting dog. That is what she's meant to be.
We've learned new criteria to consider on our walks, such as wind direction.
If the wind is coming from south, we have to be more watchful of Cookie because that's where the road is.
When her nose goes up in the air and stays there, we know to leash her because some strong scent is very close and that is a level of temptation she wouldn't be able to resist.
We know which spots she likes to check on and we let her do that.
In the meantime I have ordered couple of books on positive hunting dog training. I even learned how to use a pellet gun and will progress to the real stuff eventually. And I always hated guns of any kind. But I love Cookie and I'm willing to go in any direction she wants to go to fulfill her destiny.
The boys, of course, already know how to shoot.
Related articles:
From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Taming Of The Wild Beast: Cookie's Transition To Civilization
Staying On Top Of The Ears: Cookie Is Not Impressed
Who's Training Whom? Stick And Treat
Observation Skills Of Dogs
If You Want Your Dog To Do Something, Teach It
Tricks? It's Not Just About The Tricks
What Constitutes The Perfect Dog?
Are Dog Training Classes Really For The Dogs?
Look Where You Want To Go: Finding My Reactive Dog Training Zen Zone?
Dog Training And Emotions
Dog Training And Emotions: Postscript
Dogs Love Sentences In Question Form?
Not All Dog Trainers Were Created Equal Either
A Thought On Separation Anxiety
Happy One-Year Adoptoversary, Cookie!
About Freedom, Trust And Responsibility: A "Pilot Study"
So, We Have A Bear
About Happiness: What Makes Your Dog Happy?
Our Example Of The Use Of "Look At That" (LAT)
Why Do Dogs Dig?
Who Is In The Wrong?
Your Dog Wants To Follow You. You Just Gotta Be Going Some Place
We Still Have Two Dogs: A "Pilot Study" Part Two
Early Winter Safety: Exploring New Territories
Cookie Is Okay. We ... Might Be, Eventually. (Don't Try This At Home)
One Thing I Love About Winter: I See What They "See"
Give Your Dog What They Need, Get What You Want
She looks like a Rottweiler...
Whether she was born that way or whether it's because she spent the first half of her life tied up outside, watching the world go by but unable to interact with it, we'll never know.
She is who is she is and her instincts are strong.
Her senses are keen and she does not discriminate between them. Sight, sound, smell ... she'll employ the one that is most appropriate at the time. She runs like the wind through the toughest bush. She tracks, chases, stalks and pounces.
She is extremely good at catching mice.
She must hear them. Because she'll go running to a spot with certainty and start hunting. Unless called away, sooner or later she'll produce a mouse. You know that when she's looking there IS one in there.
She checks out every tall tree for squirrels.
She loves it when we all stand there staring up the tree.
She knows all the places where bunnies hang around.
There is an area with a thick brush where she'd always go to run around in. One time we decided to make our way through there. The place is lousy with bunny tracks. In fact, there is a bunny highway going through there.
She has spots of interests she has to regularly check on. Places where she's seen squirrels or bunnies. Have to go and check it out just in case there were any.
She has all the makings of a hunting dog.
We never planned on taking up hunting but now we decided to start training Cookie to be a hunting dog. That is what she's meant to be.
We've learned new criteria to consider on our walks, such as wind direction.
If the wind is coming from south, we have to be more watchful of Cookie because that's where the road is.
When her nose goes up in the air and stays there, we know to leash her because some strong scent is very close and that is a level of temptation she wouldn't be able to resist.
We know which spots she likes to check on and we let her do that.
In the meantime I have ordered couple of books on positive hunting dog training. I even learned how to use a pellet gun and will progress to the real stuff eventually. And I always hated guns of any kind. But I love Cookie and I'm willing to go in any direction she wants to go to fulfill her destiny.
The boys, of course, already know how to shoot.
Related articles:
From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Taming Of The Wild Beast: Cookie's Transition To Civilization
Staying On Top Of The Ears: Cookie Is Not Impressed
Who's Training Whom? Stick And Treat
Observation Skills Of Dogs
If You Want Your Dog To Do Something, Teach It
Tricks? It's Not Just About The Tricks
What Constitutes The Perfect Dog?
Are Dog Training Classes Really For The Dogs?
Look Where You Want To Go: Finding My Reactive Dog Training Zen Zone?
Dog Training And Emotions
Dog Training And Emotions: Postscript
Dogs Love Sentences In Question Form?
Not All Dog Trainers Were Created Equal Either
A Thought On Separation Anxiety
Happy One-Year Adoptoversary, Cookie!
About Freedom, Trust And Responsibility: A "Pilot Study"
So, We Have A Bear
About Happiness: What Makes Your Dog Happy?
Our Example Of The Use Of "Look At That" (LAT)
Why Do Dogs Dig?
Who Is In The Wrong?
Your Dog Wants To Follow You. You Just Gotta Be Going Some Place
We Still Have Two Dogs: A "Pilot Study" Part Two
Early Winter Safety: Exploring New Territories
Cookie Is Okay. We ... Might Be, Eventually. (Don't Try This At Home)
One Thing I Love About Winter: I See What They "See"
Give Your Dog What They Need, Get What You Want
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