Dog Owners: Training Your Dogs To Be Fishing Companions.

[126barnes]

As a dog owner, I want all dogs kept on a leash.

 

If you don't care about others, at least care for your dog.

[softhackle]

Well Skwala and Silver Doctor, I strongly suggest you think very hard before taking any aggressive actions against dogs you meet while fly fishing, for several reasons and all of them to do with your safety..

 

That being said, I totally agree with you both..

 

The reason for my first statement is that a dog running wild or even just loose and ahead of its owner is very unpredictable. Also the owner is unpredictable..

 

Now your nervousness can cause nervousness in a normally calm dog, you aggression can cause aggression in a normally calm dog.. I have witnessed this several times.

 

I always watch people as they approach Fischer, and when I sense that they are nervous I will get him to sit and ask them if they would like to meet him or ask me questions.

 

He does not charge or chase bears wolves etc, and he will put himself between me and somebody or something if he feels that I am being threatened, he will do this for Tiana also and my sons even though they are grown now..

 

Now the point of all this is that you make sure you know the difference between a well trained dog and an untrained dog, don't make a mistake, because I won't!

 

Fair enough, it is good that your dog is well trained and intelligent enough to rationalize the difference between a dangerous situation and a non-dangerous one however, I do question the ability for Fischer to actually take on a large male grizz. I too have been chased both on a bike as well when I have fly fish halloween costume on. For whatever reason, especially in off leash "natural" areas (Southland specifically, there are a very large percentage of dogs who see us dressed up types and rationalize that we are dangerous meanwhile the unrational dog owner carries on like there is no issue. Unfortunately, the dog owner in most cases are unable to control their dog as the danger outweighs the owners ability to get their pooch under control. I have vowed to carry pepper spray as I do not want to get bit and feel it is only a matter of time before this happens. Rivers and Lakes should be completely off limits to off leash dogs, not because of "Fischer" but because of untrained dogs. IMHO.

[scel]

Wow, this became quite the discussion.

 

Here is a funny. Take note though, Ze Frank equivocates 'gremlins' to 'men with hats and beards'. How many of you have beards/moustaches and travel the river with a hat on?

 

I have encountered many ill-mannered dogs on the river too but most of my bad encounters have been as a cyclist (for over 15 years, I rode more than 150km/week). Every time I encounter a dog on the river (or on my bike), I just take off my hat/helmet and lift my sunglasses. It completely disarms 80% of the dogs, downgrades 15% dogs from aggressive/defensive to cautious (these dogs are likely loved but were probably not properly socialized), but 5% of dogs are just bad. So 1-in-20 dogs is a complete ass-hat. That means that I tend to encounter more dogs I like than people I like. So, I give them all the benefit of the doubt. Even though I have encountered bad dogs, I have not had a bad encounter.

 

I worked directly with dogs for 15 years before owning one. Dogs are incredibly sensitive and they can feel your mood but cannot hear your thoughts. While there are no excuses for a poorly trained and soclialized dog, especially if the dog is off-leash, if your thoughts are 'will have to mace this ass-hat dog?', I would not be surprised if every dog encountered would be, at least, defensive.

[clancy]

I'm more worried about some of the people I run into.

I never took my dog fishing with me because he wasn't trained for that. I was concerned that he would run up to fisherman and disturb the water where they were fishing people.

 

I have encountered many well trained dogs while out fishing, and have never had any kind of an incident.

 

Back to the original purpose of the thread, I think it is wonderful to train your dog to go fishing with you. My dog passed away a couple of months ago. When I am ready for a new one, I am going to train him to come fishing with me.

All of the tips and tricks are much appreciated.

[SilverDoctor]

From my own experience with my dogs here is a few thoughts, a well trained dog is a joy to meet.

• Socialize your Pup early and often
• Tell your dog commands don't ask him, be firm but not mean. Never loose your temper or scream.
• A lot of dog owners focus on correction instead of positive reinforcements. Be sure to focus on what a good dog he is when he gets it right, I've owned several breeds and it works.
• I always found "sit" to be the easiest command to start with and you can branch off your other commands from there
• Teaching commands like "stay" should be started gradually with you right there in front of their paws. Very slowly increase your distance a foot at a time over days plus length of time on the stay command. When he understands a command and what it means add a distraction like a squeaky toy he hasn't heard. Solid training can save him from a Porcupine, skunk or worse.
• All dogs learn at different rates and you are teaching a dog not a person, I found some of the dogs I owned could "get" multi word commands but most could not
• Be sure your dog really get a command perfectly before moving on to another
• Don't be afraid to admit it if you cant train your dog yourself, dog training classes aren't so much for the dog but its master.
• Be very consistent in your training, train, train, train and don't stop.
• The I've always taught are commands “Sit”, “Stay”, “Down”, “Come”, and “Leave It” with some others, your dog should also be able to heel properly on a leash without tugging or pulling you.
• Your dog may be a bundle of energy around the house but in the outdoors in uneven terrain or bolder stream beds they can pull tendons, bruise and injure their feet. Remember they count on you to know what is right
• I always carried water for my dog and never allowed outdoor lake or stream drinking
• Outdoor training is completely different from indoor training. I've always approached both separately, I discover this in my younger days when I trained bird dogs. In the outdoors you are competing with a myriad of scents, sounds, movement and other outdoor distractions that can be overwhelming for some dogs that have not grown up in an outdoor situation. Train outdoors, I know you would rather be fishing but take the time.

There is a lot to know and learn about dog training, much more than I can chat about here but these are a few things off the top of my head. Hope it helps

[flyfishfairwx]

Having a dog is like many things in life it is a responsibility and hard work. The reward is a companion that won't tell any one your secret fishing spots and how small your fish really were.

 

I take Fischer very seriously when he tells me something is not right, he has not been wrong yet. He is getting old and somewhat unsteady of body as most GSD's do so he rests more at home now after a day on the water now. I leave him home now more if I know the days fishing will be in a more challenging area.

 

Will I train another German Shepherd after Fischer, yes without a doubt, that is part of the joy of having a GSD.

 

Will I be able to replace him, no never.

 

The issue with the "aggressive Dogs" that people are encountering is mostly with the owners, they are responsible for the actions of the dog, and many people have a problem with responsibility these days..

[scel]

From my own experience with my dogs here is a few thoughts, a well trained dog is a joy to meet.

• Socialize your Pup early and often
• Tell your dog commands don't ask him, be firm but not mean. Never loose your temper or scream.
• A lot of dog owners focus on correction instead of positive reinforcements. Be sure to focus on what a good dog he is when he gets it right, I've owned several breeds and it works.
• I always found "sit" to be the easiest command to start with and you can branch off your other commands from there
• Teaching commands like "stay" should be started gradually with you right there in front of their paws. Very slowly increase your distance a foot at a time over days plus length of time on the stay command. When he understands a command and what it means add a distraction like a squeaky toy he hasn't heard. Solid training can save him from a Porcupine, skunk or worse.
• All dogs learn at different rates and you are teaching a dog not a person, I found some of the dogs I owned could "get" multi word commands but most could not
• Be sure your dog really get a command perfectly before moving on to another
• Don't be afraid to admit it if you cant train your dog yourself, dog training classes aren't so much for the dog but its master.
• Be very consistent in your training, train, train, train and don't stop.
• The I've always taught are commands “Sit”, “Stay”, “Down”, “Come”, and “Leave It” with some others, your dog should also be able to heel properly on a leash without tugging or pulling you.
• Your dog may be a bundle of energy around the house but in the outdoors in uneven terrain or bolder stream beds they can pull tendons, bruise and injure their feet. Remember they count on you to know what is right
• I always carried water for my dog and never allowed outdoor lake or stream drinking
• Outdoor training is completely different from indoor training. I've always approached both separately, I discover this in my younger days when I trained bird dogs. In the outdoors you are competing with a myriad of scents, sounds, movement and other outdoor distractions that can be overwhelming for some dogs that have not grown up in an outdoor situation. Train outdoors, I know you would rather be fishing but take the time.

There is a lot to know and learn about dog training, much more than I can chat about here but these are a few things off the top of my head. Hope it helps

 

This is awesome advice. Thank you.

[lad]

I go to the water to fish not meet dogs. There is also a much greater risk of being bitten by a dog in the farthest reaches of cutthroat habitat than by any bears and some people bring shotties for bears? Never had trouble with a bear yet but dogs a few times fishing.

Keep your dog on a leash when in public please.

[kstick]

Maybe we should back up the train here for a minute. All the Alberta municipalities I am aware of require dogs to be kept on a leash except within specified off-leash parks. Here is the listing from the Mountain View County by-laws:

 

3.03 (a) No person who is the Owner or Keeper of any Dog shall permit such

Dog to run at large within the corporate limits of the County.

 

So, if you are out fishing with your dog running loose, you are really no different than poachers, people who ride ATVs through the river or those who camp where they are not allowed to. The above actions are all a result of people choosing not to obey by-laws. This is not about whether your dog is well-behaved so you don't need to obey the law. It's about obeying the laws where we live. We don't get the option of picking and choosing which laws apply to us. As good citizens we are responsible to obey ALL the laws, including the ones that we don't like, whether that means not fishing when the streams are closed or keeping our dogs on a leash.

I take my dog fishing and I carry a leash in case it is needed. I have used the leash when other anglers seem worried about him, when he may spook their fish, when adjacent land owners have been concerned about their livestock, and when there are other people pursuing other activities nearby. Usually when we fish he is off leash, but not running at large. If you read the rest of the Mountain View County by-laws you will learn that "at large" does not mean off-leash:

 

(o) “Running at Large” shall mean any Dog not under the Physical Control of a responsible and competent person and off the property of the Owner or Keeper

 

(k) “Physical Control” shall mean: (i) A. restrained or adequately controlled by the owner; B. restrained by a leash; or (ii) kept in: A. a container; B. an enclosure; or C. a motor vehicle.

 

If your dog consistently obeys sit, come, stay, heel, etc. he/she is adequately controlled and you are not in violation of the by-laws.

[scel]

I take my dog fishing and I carry a leash in case it is needed. I have used the leash when other anglers seem worried about him, when he may spook their fish, when adjacent land owners have been concerned about their livestock, and when there are other people pursuing other activities nearby. Usually when we fish he is off leash, but not running at large. If you read the rest of the Mountain View County by-laws you will learn that "at large" does not mean off-leash:

 

(o) “Running at Large” shall mean any Dog not under the Physical Control of a responsible and competent person and off the property of the Owner or Keeper

 

(k) “Physical Control” shall mean: (i) A. restrained or adequately controlled by the owner; B. restrained by a leash; or (ii) kept in: A. a container; B. an enclosure; or C. a motor vehicle.

 

If your dog consistently obeys sit, come, stay, heel, etc. he/she is adequately controlled and you are not in violation of the by-laws.

 

 

My dog is a genius. Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog mix. My wife and I went to puppy class. As it turns out, our dog has almost no need of puppy class, but we, as owners, learned a great deal. Our dog can do sit, stay, come, get in (heel). He can navigate pylons on-leash like a pro.

 

We learned something critical, 'Running at Large' is something is usually defined in a set of bylaws. While being off-leash in Mountain View County may be legal, it is not always legal everywhere. In the UK, for example, it is explicitly stated that a leash is not required for your dog, if the dog is under control. When I visited Munich, Germany, almost nobody used a leash. Leashes were for puppies and bad dogs. In the US, however, most dogs have to be on a leash while not in a space explicitly controlled by the owner or in off-leash areas. City of Calgary bylaws require the dog to be on a leash within city limits, except in designated off-leash areas.

 

So here is what I have learned from this thread:

Leashed or unleashed, fellow anglers want to interact with a dog on the river on their terms.

This is completely fair. People do not go fly fishing to meet dogs. A dog should be completely irrelevant to their day. The only interaction a fellow angler should have with my dog is the notification of their approach, at which point the dog needs to shut up, sit, and wait. If the angler is a 'dog-person', they will still want to meet a well-mannered dog.

 

Train, train, train

Sure, my dog can sit, stay, heel, etc. But it will be a long and worthwhile commitment to make him a truly trustworthy fishing companion.

 

Understand the laws and obligations

The laws are not consistent. Even if something is legal, it is not necessarily acceptable. The onus is on the handler to adapt to different situations.

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

[snuffy]

 

If your dog consistently obeys sit, come, stay, heel, etc. he/she is adequately controlled and you are not in violation of the by-laws.

Consistent isn't good enough - should read without exception regardless of circumstance. Some owners have that level of control and it is very impressive, but they are a tiny minority.

 

Scel - I apologize if my posts have been overly pugnacious and if you can get your dog to the level described above, I don't mind meeting him on the river. That said, I would caution that most all owners believe they have that level of control, yet dog attacks kill 2-3 Albertans every year, maim 20-30 beyond recognition, and send another 1000+ to the ER. By way of contrast, we average ~1 bear attack and 0 cougar attacks, yet we all carry bear spray and and Cypress Hills is plastered with signs espousing cougar awareness.....

[scel]

Scel - I apologize if my posts have been overly pugnacious and if you can get your dog to the level described above, I don't mind meeting him on the river.

 

Not at all. I appreciate the honesty---it is the only way to make good decisions. I also go fishing to get away and a bad dogs/nasty people put a damper in my day.