Trying to Train a Dog and Two Deer

Every morning, unless it is raining, Kudo and I go for a walk through my woods.  It is usually a little after 7AM.  All year long, we encounter various numbers of deer during most of these walks.  Some are far away and never bother moving as they stare at us through the summer forest undergrowth.  Some are closer and sometimes bolt when they see us.  Their attention is usually focused more on Kudo.

Occasionally, we come across two does.  I have seen these all year long.  They like to hang out around Dog Walk Trail or even in my backyard.  At first, both of them were very skiddish.  Over these past weeks though, one has become increasingly trusting.  We can often walk past it less than 20 feet away.  The other doe sometimes shifts before we approach but if the other doe stands her ground, as she often does, then the second doe calms down and just stands there, too, though a bit further away.

Kudo on Dog Walk Trail with a docile doe and her more hesitant friend.  I have taught Kudo not to chase deer.  Now, she and I are training the closest deer in this photo not to move as we pass.  She often doesn't budge.  She remained where she was in this photo as we passed while the other doe, less trusting, shifted off to the left.  It is magical.

My technique for making this magical close encounter happen is two-fold.  First of all, Kudo had learned not to chase deer.  How did I teach a part-pit bull not to chase deer?  It wasn't that hard, actually.  I just had to threaten to kill her a couple of times.  

When Kudo first adopted me, she was wilder and would constantly chase deer all over my woods and property.  I kept getting on the her for it, but her instincts were just too strong.  Until, one day she was literally chasing deer back and forth through my woods as I yelled for her to stop.  Suddenly, I bellowed like Zeus into the world "NOOOOOOOO!"

Kudo stopped and stared at me.  By then I was running right at her.  Cursing and spitting in a huge rage.  She knew it, too, and started running away form me.  I chased after her.  She is fast and can easily outrun me but I kept after her, yelling and screaming and telling her I was going to kill her.  Teeth gritted, arms waving wildly, I was a mad man and she was afraid.

Jennifer happened to be outside with Charlie and Kudo ran to her for help.  I didn't let up.  I was almost gagging with rage punching the air with my fists.  Kudo cowered down and I slapped her backside once very hard.  She yelped and bolted to Jennifer.  I stood there and composed myself, breathing heavily.  After a while, I calmed down and Kudo no longer feared me.  We are best buddies, after all.  

That was over three years ago now.  Kudo does not chase deer anymore. At first, when we approached them, I talked softly but sternly to her that I meant business.  She listened.  She just kept going on the trail.  Now, I don't even have to bring the subject up.  Kudo and I work as a team in trying to train the deer.

The docile doe (looking away from me) and her buddy are with a young buck here.  Not an impressive rake yet, but still wonderful to see.  This was taken a couple of days ago in my back yard around sunrise.

With Kudo under control, now comes the tricky part.  You can't yell and scream and threaten to kill deer.  They will never come near you.  If you want them near you, first of all you have to have a docile doe, which is not something that happens every year.  Unfortunately, a docile doe tends to get shot rather quickly when hunting season opens.  I hate that for them, but there's not a thing I can do about it. 

This particular docile doe is paired with one that is more jumpy but not completely crazy like most deer are.  It took me many weeks this year to get that doe to not move at all.  As I said, at first she was skiddish and would quickly shift (not run) away from me and Kudo.  What I got Kudo to do and what she and I do together when that doe shifts is we stop on the trail.  We don't move.

Kudo waits for my instruction to continue which is either soft-spoken or simply I start walking again.  But we don't move until the deer stop their movement in my woods.  If the deer starts to shift or run again, we stop again.  Over time, this one doe learned Kudo was not going after her and neither was I.  So, as long as she isn't right in the middle of trail (which sometimes happens), she will just stand there and watch us pass.

This is our third year of trying to train deer, Kudo and I.  After she was trained it became possible.  Thanks to Jennifer and I living on the edge of nowhere, these deer have space.  Sometimes you can't help it and they all take off like lightning through the forest, which is magical to watch as well.  But, lately we have made a different magic.  The magic of a doe and her still jumpy pal staying near us as we walk in the morning dew of my land in summer.

On very rare occasions, Kudo and I will spot a buck with a larger harem of does.  Back in March, we saw a mature buck.  Maybe a six-pointer.  More recently I snapped a photo of younger buck, still working on his first points (see above).  These encounters are magical for yet another reason.  Bucks don't mess with dogs or humans.  They always bolt if even indirectly approached.  What makes a buck magical is that you manage to see it at all.

When a buck bolts, even my docile doe takes flight, jumping effortless with her long legs through my woods.  But she does not completely leave my woods like all the others.  She hangs out on the edge, looking back, jiggling her tail hurriedly, and trying to gnaw bugs off her back.  I know Kudo and I will see her and her buddy again soon.  We'll see other deer that come and go.  Maybe the next buck I see will be this young one, more matured.

I tell Kudo she is such a good dog.  I love all over her and let her lick me and tell her how wonderful she is and how lucky I am.  She doesn't chase deer any more.  In fact, sometimes, she spots them before I do and makes me aware of them.  Maybe she channels into some of the magic of just standing there with a doe so close.  Maybe she is just terrified that I'll kill her if she isn't a wonderful dog.  Either way, it is a fun, on-going experiment.  What a joy to start a random day with a doe standing next to you, unafraid, as you walk your dog!   

Read about a previous encounter between me and Kudo and a fawn here.

Note: Kudo is totally allowed to chase squirrels, rabbits and cats.  She isn't very good at catching any of them but she does keep our neighbor's cats away from our bird feeders.  This is important.  Our bird feeders became cat feeders there for awhile, with numerous birds being picked off.  Kudo prevents that massacre these days.  Good dog.

Late Note: July 20 - Kudo and I came closer than ever to the docile doe this morning.  This was on a tiny spot of my property that looks and feels like deep woods.  It just stood there and watched us approach.  I thought, "Oh wow, this deer is going to just stand there while we pass!"  But, only seven or eight feet away, Kudo couldn't help it.  

She lunged sideways.  It was not a serious lunge and was more motion than momentum.  She was silent about it.  But it was enough to send the doe off through the undergrowth of the forest.  We were so close Kudo just couldn't help herself.  She stopped on command as we waited for the doe to stop running.  For a moment, she hesitated part-way but then thought better of it and kept going, stopping at the first full foliage.  

It was quiet except for a few cardinals and the slowness of buzzing cicadas.  It was very humid and felt like a hot but cloudy southern summer day was coming.  "Kudo!  Why did you do that?" I spoke in soft but stern and emotional tones.  We stared at each other for a moment.  Then I started walking, she turned and trotted down the trail, nose to the ground, seeking the next interesting scent.

I wasn't angry with her because she did very well and we got really, really close this time.  But her instinct to lunge may have scared that docile doe off for good now after all my work.  It is a frustrating hobby, trying to train a dog and a doe.  But I have to remember how wonderful it was, to be so close with Kudo.  I was a wood-shaman with my magical dog and we had hypnotized a doe.  That doe was just watching us, attentive but her hoofs didn't shuffle, she was not afraid.  Until the lunge.  No matter what you try, instinct usually breaks through.  Not much you can do about that.  Hopefully one morning soon, that doe will give us a second chance.

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