Dog & Hunting in Switzerland

The leaves on the trees turn warm shades of color before slowly falling to the ground. The air becomes cooler and fresher, often accompanied by mist in the morning. The days get shorter, the temperatures drop. It is slowly becoming fall.

Our morning and evening walks will soon be spent in the twilight again, so it is important be particularly visible when out and aboutfor both two-legged and four-legged friends. Reflective clothing, headlamps and/or additional light sources help us to proactively avoid accidents.

Autumn also marks the start of the annual hunting season. In some cases, deer hunting is already underway. The most intensive hunting period is in September, October and November. Each canton has its own regulations with the corresponding dates, enquire about this with the canton and pay attention to the local signs.Keep your dogs on a lead and wear high-visibility clothing, a lead and a harness: safety first.

"Help, my dog is chasing". What can I do to stop unwanted hunting behavior or prevent it from happening in the first place?

Why do dogs chase?

This is one of the most common issues that people bring their dogs to us at dog training school. Hunting is not only part of the behavioral repertoire of typical hunting dog breeds that were explicitly bred for hunting. Every dog has this motivation from the functional circle of food procurement. Some have it to a greater extent, others to a lesser extent. Dogs need food to survive. Now some of you are probably asking yourself the following question: But the normal domestic dog no longer needs to obtain food itself, because we humans provide it with food. That's right! Most of our dogs hunt - breeding, genetics, experience aside - for the simple reason that it's damn good fun. That's what makes it so difficult for us humans in training. Depending on when the dog had its first real hunting success, it will take a long time to stop or control this behavior. to stop or control this behavior. Young dogs between the ages of 6 and 12 months are particularly susceptible to this kick. A successful hunting sequence - and here it is enough to chase after the prey without actually grabbing it - at this age can lead to the dog showing undesirable hunting behavior from this point on and really looking for the next kick. So don't let things get out of hand. Ideally, I don't allow unwanted hunting behavior to develop in the first place.

How can I tell whether my dog is hunting or not? Is rummaging in the bushes or following tracks also part of hunting behavior?

Yes, that's why it's important to be able to read your dog and know when he's starting to show hunting behavior. Because it is always easier to interrupt or redirect the onset of undesirable behavior than when the dog is already in full sprint after a hare. Let's take a look at the so-called hunting behavior chain, i.e. the elements of hunting behavior: Locate - Fixate - Stalk - Chase - Grab - Kill - Tear - Eat. The earlier I interrupt my dog, the greater the chance that I will be successful. By the time the dog is chasing, most people have no chance of stopping the dog.

So what can I do to stop my dog from chasing the deer?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer here, because I have to look at the dog, its behavior and everyday life individually and make various adjustments. On the whole, however, it's about to make it clear to the dog that it should only go hunting on the human's signal and together with him. I offer my dog a substitute hunt with me, so to speak. There are many alternatives that I can offer my dog, especially in this area, so that he can live out his hunting motivation, because I can't suppress or turn it off. How about for example, with retrieving training, tracking work, mantrailing or training with a tantalizer? If I only try to suppress the behavior, frustration arises and this may then be discharged elsewhere. It is important that I exercise my dog both physically and mentally and take a look at everyday life. Because it often has to do with lack of training and boredom in the dog to do. A dog that is oriented towards its human, has structure and is well exercised will certainly hunt less. However, with dogs that are really motivated to hunt and have already had one or two successes, such training can take a very long time and in some cases it will remain with management and protection, as the behavior is already so ingrained that I can no longer get rid of it completely. Therefore, my appeal to everyone with a dog motivated by hunting: as long as you cannot redirect or control your dog's behavior, show consideration for wild animals, your environment and other people and secure your dog with a harness and drag line. Running away from a chasing dog is extremely stressful for wild animals and even if the dog stops chasing at some point, in the worst case scenario the animal can die of exhaustion - especially in winter, when food is scarce and the animals run on reserve. Some people are certainly not happy when they encounter a loose dog. They may be afraid or have a dog on the lead themselves. And last but not least, your dog will put itself in danger if it forgets everything around it during a chase and runs headlong onto the road or over railroad tracks, for example. In the worst case scenario, this can also be fatal. Therefore, if in doubt, use a harness and drag line. This will not make the dog any less happy and you can go for a walk with peace of mind. As mentioned above, there are many forms of damage that can also be done on a drag line.

Article "Hunting behavior in dogs" by Anja Papenberg Hundeschule Winterthur & Kloten