Malamute Question

[Chris]

I have a friend who has the most wonderful 11 month old Malamute dog called Rocky. I'm slowly seeding the idea that NDT is the way to go.

This is Scot's first dog and he's very keen once the dog matures to do sledding with him. Scot is also very keen on deer hunting and he asked me today how he could teach Rocky to walk beside/behind him when out hunting without 'ruining' the dogs natural pulling/out front nature.

So if anyone has a Malamute and does NDT I'd love to hear any ideas you may have on this.

Many thanks

[rudy]

It's just a matter of asking them to do different things, right?

Both my cockers pull AND heel (well Lou is getting there on the heel). There is something about equipment that seems to communication something for my dogs: harness means pull, backpack means "stay on trail with me". A malamute would be a great pack animal for a hunter!

When I put the pulling harness on I don't ever ask for a heel or "with me".

I want to see video of someone pushing with a Malamute! LOL A dog that size would bowl me over

[Alec]

I don't know how to teach a dog to pull or to hunt (even though I think both are awesome for dogs); however, I don't think that a dog learning to heal or orbit you would ruin their ability to pull. There have been several dogs trained in protection type sports which include concentrated healing and they also do weight pulling events. To get the dog to stay with him I would think that he would work on being more attractive than the other things going on and the dog would look to him as being the access to the deer.

Rudy mentioned a backpack as helping keep the dog by her. I don't know her situation but I've seen this keep dogs close to the people they're walking with, in my opinion, because it slowed them down. So getting the dog to carry some of the stuff may be a good way to go at least at first.

I am just guessing though...

[Chris]

Thanks guys, good idea re the different equipment. My last shepherd was a dream on lead and off lead but the moment I put a tracking harness on him off he went on the trail not in the least bit worried about pulling me along.

For my guys when we go hunting or hiking all I really did was stop if they went on ahead or just turned and went the other way, they soon learnt stay in group mode and this hunt moves along and is fun, go out of group mode and the hunt stops and doesn't start again until everyone is in group again.

I might suggest to Scott he doesn't use a harness when in 'hunting' and to do lots of hide and seek to teach Rocky to stay in group and see how he goes with that.