How do I stop my dogs obsession with chasing birds?

[monstermash]

First of all I would like to thank everyone to posted tips on my last question about dog walking. I now need to deal with another problem!

I dream about getting up and taking the dogs for a nice long run along the beach, but instead everytime we go to the beach it turns into a nighmare and I end up in a fowl mood all day!

The problem we have is one of our two schnauzers is totally obsessed with chasing birds and unfortunately the beach in a magnet for seagulls. The minute we arrive at the beach she is scanning for birds and once she sees one she is total focussed on them and totally oblivious to anyone or anything around her. If she is off the lead it becomes impossible to get her back and we end up hiding in grass banks and pouncing on her when she finally realises we are not there. She also becomes so focussed on them that she just keeps running and running until she is so far ahead she is a tiny dot on the horizon. It may provide entertainment to others but it is embarrassing and we have no control over her at all which could prove disasterous and worries me a great deal.

I know we need to desensatise her somehow but I really do not know where to start.

The male dog does chase them a little but he doesn't seem to get so fixated on them.

This behaviour only seems to happen when we go to the beach or the local park where the birds seem to gather on the oval, when we take them to the local reserve they are so well behaved and responsive. They even know the spot where they have their lead put back on and wait for us to catch up, I would love to be able take them to other places and get the same pleasure from walking them and give them a variety of places to enjoy.

Any tips greatly appreciated!

[DogCharmer]

Hi, my 2 small mix breed dogs used to have a problem like that to kind of... except they hated people. When I would go on a walk all of their attention would go onto the kids and people walking bye. They would bark soo loud and you cant get them to come that easily without a pull on their collar. Luckily they arent big dogs! I tried using treats if I saw trouble coming and get all of their attention on me, or I would walk away if they barked and turned back around and if they barked again I would turn aroung again. I would also use the sentence DONT YOU DARE and I would stare into their eyes. So before your dog sees a bird I would try getting their attention on you. If your dogs pull on the leashes to get to them I would turn around and walk about 15 steps and keep doing that. That is waht I used with my dogs and now they dont bark at people when we are walking, only my new Papillon puppy does but I have been working with him and he has gotten much better. Good Luck!

[DawnStorm]

I interrupt this thread to tell the story of a time when Flanders was a pup. She ran up to a flock of birds minding their own business in one of my Japanese Maple trees, and they turned on her! Chased her across the yard! I don't know what kind of birds they were, and it hasn't broken Flanders of chasing birds, airplanes, etc, but I will remember that incident for the rest of my life!

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