Training The Whistle Recall Question

[4 Paws]

I have just finished conditioning my dogs to recalling on a whistle using the Training The Whistle Recall by Pamela Dennison.Now it is working a charm and they recall everytime I have had to use it

Now my question is this.My dogs will go up the back of our large block and fence fight through the picket fence with another dog.Now sometimes it may be twice a day,the next day never.As I'm home most of the time I recall them as soon as I hear them and they recall super fast and I give lots of treats.(I'd previously just voice recall and they would take there time,possibly not hearing my voice over there own barking)

My OH reckons they are now going up there fence fightening so I will recall them so they get lots of treats.Do you thinks dogs think like this??

I don't think it's happening(fence fightening) any more than before I started recalling using a whistle so i don't believe they have this agenda in thier head

[Aidan]

My OH reckons they are now going up there fence fightening so I will recall them so they get lots of treats.Do you thinks dogs think like this??

If you want to test the theory, you could try a "Differential Reinforcement of Lowest Intensity Response" strategy.

Blow the whistle at a quieter moment, it depends a bit on the pattern of fighting but most dogs will pause at some point or stalk or even "point". Whatever they do that is the "lowest intensity response" in the repertoire of fighting behaviours, that's when you blow the whistle.

If you get more pausing or stalking or pointing then OH is right! Bummer! The side-benefit is that you get less fighting and more pausing or stalking or pointing. (So you could probably keep OH in the dark and then just tell him he was wrong, you got less fighting, even though you secretly know he was actually right all along.)

If you get more pausing, or stalking or whatever, then you can begin to increase the duration of that. You might eventually completely shape out the fighting, at least when you are home.