My dog and archery.

johnspex

New member
I have a problem with my dog. I'd like to take her to the field when I'm shooting but something drives her mental when she gets there. She's normally placid and well behaved but on the lead she pulls like mad to get amongst the archers. I've no idea what she would do if she got away from me. I's not the impact I'm sure I wondered if it might be some high pitched whistle that I can't hear but she can.

Any ideas?
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I have seen a dog on an archery field and all it wanted to do was chase after the arrows. It was all excited as soon as the first arrow was released. If the dog was taken off its lead after the shooting, it would run up to where the arrows were and as they weren't on the ground, it then lost all interest. Until the next end!!!!
 

scottishlass

New member
out of interest what breed of dog is it?
if its a sight hound breed it might be fixating on the arrows, or it might be the sound of the arrows is the problem.....my dog (a collie/beardie/dalmation mix) is very sensitive and hates bangs and loud noises.

try making a tape recording of an archery session to play to your dog at home so she desensitises to the noise.
 

Yew Selfbow

Active member
John
We used to have a Border Collie and one of our horses that reacted in exactly the same way. Never did figure them out.
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Could be the smell of cedar arrow shafts and the bright fletchings. I was demonstrating a bow I'd made to a bloke who let me cut the wood and his spaniel went bonkers retrieving the arrows. V useful except it chewed 'em.
Del
 

fbirder

Member
I wondered if it might be some high pitched whistle that I can't hear but she can.
That was my first thought. I might have a go at recording an end through my bat detector. That will spot any loud ultrasonics that might be annoying them.
 

chuffalump

Well-known member
Dogs are gregarious and nosy. There is a good chance that the sight of a group of archers furiously concentrating is driving her wild with curiosity.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
 

johnspex

New member
I just don't understand it. Fireworks and thunder bother her which is what makes me think it's something high-pitched. She goes a bit potty when I get the bows out at home.
BTW she is a German Shepherd Collie cross (as far as we know), we got her 2nd hand from the Dog's Trust.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks everyone for your help.
Any Middlesex archers on here?
 

Nightimer

New member
Just a guess but I wonder if her previous owner was an archer!!
She might have memories of pleasant times associated with archery.
Who know what goes on inside a dogs head :)
 

OskarsL

Member
My two dogs are perfectly fine with archery, then again they don't mind fireworks, thunder, cars, loud bangs etc. They are very calm. Only sometimes curious of what the human is doing with bow and arrows.
 

Dr. B

New member
Our dog is a regular at the field.
Very patient and quiet, peacefully sleeping while we shoot.
Very occasionally he'll pay attention if we go out of sight behind a shed, then he might give a few small woofs.
He's no good at locating lost arrows though, I tried to train him to sniff them out.
 
Top