Lure Coursing question

[Laurelin]

On the off chance there's coursers here (I'm not sure?)

Anyone had a dog get 'lure smart' for lack of a better word?

Hank coursed the 3rd time today and he's really really good. He's very into it, very high, has a lot of fun and does very well.

BUT

Most the other dogs stop when the lure stops. Hank doesn't. Once the lure is dead, he's off looking for a 'real' bunny. He is so SURE that there is a real bunny in the field. So he will run off and keep searching to find the bunny to chase. We're talking tunnel vision, won't come for me, won't come to freaking PIZZA today.

So basically the issue is that he courses great and then I'll end up DQ'd for delay of trial because no one can catch him. I have no idea what could trump his prey drive though to get him back. Today we only got him back because a lady had a turkey call and she got him to get curious about that. But I figure we've got 1-3 runs of that before he realizes that's nothing. The first few runs I got him by the collar but now he's savvy and knows that the game is done when the lure is dead.

so um... ideas?

 

[stardogs]

Premack it? At a fun run, set the lure going, when it ends, call him back, and as soon as he returns, let the lure go again? Rinse and repeat as needed.

Alternatively, would he go for a flirt pole?

 

[Laurelin]

No, he won't go for a flirt pole. I tried with some of the tugs I had, treats, one girl brought out pizza, etc and he was not even remotely interested. He has really really high prey drive and he is so certain that there's a real bunny out there. They tried moving the lure but once he realizes it's a bag and not a bunny, he's off looking for the real deal.

Maybe I can talk to the people and see about working on him with the catch at the end. They were wanting to hurry things along here today. It was a fun run.

 

[animalcraker]

What are you using for a tug? Is he food motivated at all?

 

[Laurelin]

I have a bison fur tug and a rabbit fur and fleece tug and a food toy. No interest at all for him. The lure was just plastic bags. He is VERY food motivated generally. He's pretty high drive all around.

But he's definitely more into real prey than anything else.

 

[Snark]

Riley was an idiot about being caught afterward, too. He'll also ignore food and toys to search for something else to chase (he's never been very motivated by food/toys, even at agility class). The lure only holds his attention if it's moving, once it stops, he doesn't care about it. Don't know if this will work, but it did for Riley - the last time I couldn't catch him, the Huntmaster (as he skirted by her) sternly told him to sit, and surprise, he did.
The next time I ran him, I used 'whoa', which he knows since I use it in scootering, also when I need him to wait on the throw rug inside the door so I can wipe off muddy feet and occasionally to keep him from bouncing onto and off the pause table. Anyway, he stopped long enough for me to walk up and collar him, and I've been using it ever since. So, maybe work on a long distance command (sit, down, whoa)?

 

[FG167]

He won't chase a rabbit fur tug on a long line? I'm basically thinking like the bag stops moving and you start running with the rabbit fur bouncing behind?

 

[DJEtzel]

I'd probably ask them to jiggle the line at the end so that I could grab my dog. I've never had the issue, but I do course with my dogs. My biggest problem is getting them to stop cutting corners (they are herders in this regard!).

 

[SizzleDog]

Yep... in many ways. Poison has begun to be hard to catch at the end as well. It's about 50/50.... I never know if I'm going to get the Poison with a great recall, or the Poison that makes a complete fool of me at the end.

For CATs, I usually ask the lure op to bring the bags right past me so I can grab her before her brain clicks into Naughty Mode.

 

[MicksMom]

...Don't know if this will work, but it did for Riley - the last time I couldn't catch him, the Huntmaster (as he skirted by her) sternly told him to sit, and surprise, he did.
The next time I ran him, I used 'whoa', which he knows since I use it in scootering, also when I need him to wait on the throw rug inside the door so I can wipe off muddy feet and occasionally to keep him from bouncing onto and off the pause table. Anyway, he stopped long enough for me to walk up and collar him, and I've been using it ever since. So, maybe work on a long distance command (sit, down, whoa)?

I don't do lure coursing, but this sounds like a good idea. As I was reading throughbthe thread another idea came to mind- instead of using a toy to get his attention, would you be allowed to use a small, white plastic bag?

 

[protodog]

He already knows the lure isn't a real bunny, but he also knows when the game is over. You can try asking the lure operator to bump it in; you can also try giving a command other than come (like sit or down or touch--works for some dogs); you can also keep a white plastic bag (the kind you get at the grocery store or gas station--they make good noises) in your pocket and wave it at him when the lure stops moving.

Once when Grendel pulled the lure off the line and was running around the field, partying with his prize, I got him back by waving my own bag at him. He wasn't responding to "come," but he was all for another game of chase.