its the running thing isn't it if we could only teach the deer not to run the dogs wouldn't chase.

i don't think changing the recall sound would work as its not that they can't hear you shouting. it's that their drive to chase is higher than their drive to respond to your command.

Providing a reward for staying put of higher value to them than the chase is the key. But finding that reward may very well be the problem. So changing the recall and providing a reward of very high value to the dog might work. that way the dog associates the new command with the very high reward from the start.

Apparently if you play fetch or other chase games with your dog this heightens their natural drive to chase prey and therefore encourages the chase mentality. If you don't play games which switch on their prey drive they are less likely to chase. don't knwo how that works in reallity, just a theory i heard.

i like that idea. they'd probably learn quicker too.

I found one once at the front of a queue of traffic I was in during the rush hour one morning. We picked it up to take it to the vets, blood pouring out of its mouth, a beautiful gsd By the time the police got the traffic moving again the woman came running down to us saying it had run off after a dear and she had been miles away from the road and had run all the way there. The dog did survive by the way, which surprised me tbh the state it was in.

Sorry, I don't have any answers all of mine would have chased them if I hadn't been quick enough to spot them first that is and give them a leave command. Very hard when animal instinct is involved, but something you have to do if you don't want a dog and a dear come to any harm. Don't forget, during a chase, your dog might encounter barbed wire etc. so it's not just the dear you've got to be thinking about here is it?

No blase attitude, simply stating that if the situation arose where by your dog did chase a deer then it isn't the worse thing in the world. Deer are designed to flee as a prey species, that's why they tend to be very flighty.
And I've managed to frighten a deer that was on the otherside of the river and half way down the field!
Becky

Put the GSD on an extendable lead and train it to recall when it sees the deer. That's the only way I can think this will work.

Heidi

We have two Newfies, one has a strong prey drive the other does not. She also had a dominance desire and while it maybe old fashioned thinking I do believe that when she first came to us she felt she had to be the 'pack' provider of food, hence the chasing of prey.

Where I am temporarily living all the deer live in forrests which surround us, all the locals (mainly peasant farmers) hate them because they eat their crops and trample over their gardens (fences are unheard of here) only the forresters like them because they are allowed to shoot them for meat (since they can not afford meat in the supermarket) when we came across one that was injured (probably by a vehicle on the road) our dog didn't attack it, she simply barked to alert me that there was something strange lying in the undergrowth.

Well that may have been slightly 'tongue in cheek' but in fact I've observed that when they do stay rock still our dog will often not notice or even if she's picked up the scent she will not be bothered.

But when they run...................oh yes she's mightily interested then, but as i said above now she's four years old and gives up after a few minutes.

I also want to ask people who go to country parks to please keep your dogs on the lead of you do not have proper control.

I do voluntary work clearing undergrowth and helping keep a beautiful country park as natural but accessible so people can enjoy it, we have been told by the full time wardens that deer are injured or killed by dogs although I have never seen it. Also thanks for the information about Montjak tusks, I don't know anything about except to enjoy seeing them and would never have though of those little deer as being dangerous.

I would also like to point out that Muntjac are a non native UK species and as with any introductions/escapees these can have a devastating effect on our natural flora and fauna.
Becky