Riding with your dog

[sheffy]

Hey guys and gals.I have a question for all the dog owners out there that ride regularly with their dogs.We have a 11 month old yellow lab that we took riding yesterday on a small xc loop....while riding his rear hair stood up so we knew something was up then outta the blue he ran off the trail..we still couldnt see anything around and all of a sudden theres a small bear cub running away from our dog.We called him right away and after a few yells and some panic in our voices he came to us shortly after(thank god we didnt see mom but im sure she was close).The question is that if any of you have had any close calls with wildlife and how the hell do you teach your dog that every animal is not friendly does not want to have playtime...lol.

[Bryan]

first and formost, control of your dog in any situation would be best.....having said that...not always the easiest to do when certain dogs are bred to chase animals.

the other day my dog was gonna chase a deer and i easily called him off, but he's a little lazy by nature and likely soon realized a deer would be far to much work to chase. my dog also has a key word which will always cause immediate obedience, sadly that word is not a nice one to use out in public. he doesn't like it much when people use the f word.

[fillis]

My dog is very food driven as are most so having some treats in an easy to get to pocket to reward the dog every time you call a command works. After a few years of this I can no just call the dog and simply make my hand look like it has a treat and the dog comes back and simply licks my hand and gets a good pat on the head. Also I make my dog wear a bear bell.

[sheffy]

He responds really good when other animals arent involved....i dont think Winston would respond to the F word as he hears it around the house..ha ha

[Bryan]

the best thing i taught my dog is to come when i whistle, nothing worse then someone screaming their dogs name.

i used the food method too,so whenever i whistled i'd give him a treat.

i did a puppy training course with my dog and i think that's the best thing i could have done. it was a non-food reward system and taught me and my dog the basics. they offered a off leash training course that i really wish i would have taken... although Samson is decent off leash he could be better.

[stillgoing]

I was riding up ledgeview one day when a bear comes out of the bushes on my left, about 10 feet in front, and runs into the bushes on the right. My dog started to take after, but stopped when I used the command voice and just called her name, + "no!"

You've got to teach your dog that there's that one voice you use that means business- when you use it, they are intended to stop whatever activity they are doing and look to you for direction.

To bad I don't have a similar command voice for my wife and kids.

[Stuminator]

Best thing is to leave your dog at home.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Stuminator

Best thing is to leave your dog at home.

not bad, 6th post

[Robot]

the only people who like riding with dogs are dog owners... /potstir

[pardus]

your dog is still young and enthusiastic but a training program would be good, also socialize at dog off-leash parks. if you can control your dog there from running off to play or chase you will have better luck on the trail. My dog is pretty good, I just have to call out heel and she comes to my side. However, ever now and again it doesn't work, one time she did the same thing as your dog but didn't come out, went into the brush and saw she had chased a full grown black bear up the tree. she usually likes to be in front but now that she has slowed down a bit that sucks, so I have also trained her that when you call heel, she pulls up and goes behind the rider.

Originally Posted by Robot

the only people who like riding with dogs are dog owners... /potstir

probably true. the reason... we love our dogs and as part of our families we recognize how stoked our dogs are to be on the trail, they bring a lot of happiness to us and this is some payback. all I have to do is pick up some piece of bike gear or my bike shoes, even move my bike in the basement and my dog starts doing backflips. She barks the entire time she sees me filling up my water pack. She is getting old now and struggles on the sfu lap by the end but she wouldn't miss it for the world. I enjoy seeing other dogs on the trail as long as they are not nippers.. i have been bitten twice by other mtb's dogs at sfu...not cool.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Stuminator

Best thing is to leave your dog at home.

What is this, MTBR?

[Oldfart]

Originally Posted by Stuminator

Best thing is to leave your dog at home.

Better yet stuminator can stay home.

[DaveM]

Originally Posted by Robot

the only people who like riding with dogs are dog owners... /potstir

bighitter's dogs will change your view

I've ridden with a few dogs, never as obedient as his. They generally follow in at the back of the pack, but if they do get in front (usually because I've crashed, fallen or just slow) as soon as they hear you coming they jump off the trail and sit then follow in behind you. I've never had to do so much as tap the brakes.

Once we were up on 4LS and Bryan was sessioning the jumps, Samson sat in one spot for at least 1/2 hour until we continued down the trail. It was pretty impressive.

[biggles604]

Originally Posted by DaveM

bighitter's dogs will change your view

I've ridden with a few dogs, never as obedient as his. They generally follow in at the back of the pack, but if they do get in front (usually because I've crashed, fallen or just slow) as soon as they hear you coming they jump off the trail and sit then follow in behind you. I've never had to do so much as tap the brakes.

Once we were up on 4LS and Bryan was sessioning the jumps, Samson sat in one spot for at least 1/2 hour until we continued down the trail. It was pretty impressive.

Samson is awesome.
heh. Dig a mud puddle by the jumps on 4LS and Huntley would be good for the entire day

[Nechako]

Originally Posted by DaveM

bighitter's dogs will change your view

I think I met Bighitter's dog at the Woodlot, a black lab?

They were about to head down a trail when I rolled up. I stopped at the trailhead and as they rode away their dog would not go in front of me to catch up with them.
He just stood there waiting for me to go, when I started riding he stayed behind me the whole way down the trail.


Richard