Deer dogs walking to "heel"

woollyback

Well-Known Member
I have finally decided to bite the bullet and commit to a deer specific dog. After much deliberation and research I have settled on a Teckel and found an excellent working line in which I will hopefully getting a puppy off later in the year once the bitch comes into season.

I've always had, and still have Labradors and spaniels, and due to my previous job as a keeper I feel my dogs are pretty well trained. Labs and spaniels are a doddle to train the basics but considering this will be my first Teckel, what sort of obedience can I come to expect? Is it possible to get Teckels to walk to heel while out with me stalking. I understand each dog has it's own personality and some do things other can't but I'm just talking about a general ability of the breed as a whole.

If any SD member have experience with this breed I'm particular, I'd be glad of some advice!

regards, Woollyback
 
Teckles are not like other dogs. You can try and get it to walk to heel whilst stalking but don't hold your breath. My teckle and every other teckle i've known do very much as they please. That aside they are cracking dogs. They make great tracking dogs.
 
Wollyback Teckels are different ! I am on my second, a mini wire bitch and this dog has been much easier than the old one, a standard wire dog.
The dog was much braver and more confident but largely un controllable once on a scent but quite good when there was nothing very "interesting" to scent. In hind sight some of this was my fault not really appreciating the nature of the beast. they have been developed to hunt like a hound rather than stalk but due to their excellent scenting ability we use them for deer work. From my experience I have concentrated on the boring stuff with this Mini, before she encountered any game we did a lot of recall and heal work in boring places and spent a long time rewarding good responses. You wont need to teach one to hunt and if you achieve a strong bond so that it does not hunt independently the dog will work out that what is required is dead deer as that is generously rewarded. I've had this one 12 months and we have only just started to stalk, dont rush as I did with the first one as you get a long working life from them. I will be using a lead when we hunt for some time even though she is good for a Teckel at heal as good work can be quickly undone with them. Determined little devils and good company the rest of the time

Regards,Steve
 
Thanks for the advice,

Yes I'm expect something completely different and I'm under no illusion it will walk like my labs/spaniels at my side; But because it will be a completely new breed to me I wasn't sure how high or low to set my expectations.
 
I thoroughly agree with the previous replies here. My 2 year old, nearly 3, standard wire-haired bitch will walk at heel eventually but if anything more interesting appears then it's nose to the ground and off. I have had her on various driven pheasant shoots in Scotland and she does exactly the same irrelevant of other dogs, terrain or weather. I did all the recommended lead work with her and I am happy with her as it has been said " that's what they do!" Rewards and patience seem to be the way forward but I can assure you will not be disappointed. Some of the more stoic members of my syndicate may disagree but the pride you get when they track and attempt to retrieve difficult kills when other dogs have been and gone unsuccessfully is tremendous.
 
Never been able to get my large munsterlander to walk to heel unleashed and he's 4 now but he's great on the lead and sits as soon as the rifle comes up, i have him on a loop round my shoulders so hands are free, it's not the end of the world and he knows his job when he's on it.
 
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