What Is Effective Voice Control?

[silentchild]

After witnessing too many events of dogs running at 100kms an hour towards strangers or other dogs whilst their owners scream and scream their name and the dog doesn't so much as twitch an ear - I wonder, what do the average Joe Blow pet owners (non-competing, simple pet owners, little or no formal training) classify as a reliable recall or 'under effective voice control'?

It is very alarming to have a dog come bolting up from across a huge park towards me or my dog whilst the owner shrieks and shouts its name repeatedly and is completely ignored.

If the dog in question is bolting towards something with a very high level of temptation - such as another dog, a ball/toy, a cat, or even food, or a scent he really wants to smell - what would you classify as an effective recall in that situation? Would you classify the dog pausing for a moment to turn and look at you as to be "under effective voice control"? Would you classify it as effective control only if the dog comes running immediately back to you and ignoring the temptation? How about the dog that ignores your call and goes towards the item it desires, has a sniff, and then comes right back to you? Is it ok for a dog to ignore its recall because the item it is running towards is so desirable that its normal for them to "not pay attention"?

How about in council terms, as the law states dogs off leash must be under effective voice control, what is effective voice control to a council officer? If the dog stops its chase and turns to look at the owner, could the council classify that as effective control?

I am sick and tired of people letting their dogs harass others off leash without a reliable recall. For me a reliable recall is if your dog returns to you the moment you tell it to come. After witnessing so many owners who just yell their dogs name again and again and again to no avail, and then finally smile smugly when their dog loses interest in whatever they were chasing and returns to their vicinity I wonder what do others classify as being under effective voice control?

Edited August 22, 2013 by silentchild

[huski]

I don't think it matters if the dog is 'just' a pet or a competition or working dog, to me reliability and effective control means the dog responds to the command the first time, straight away.

[silentchild]

Thanks huski. What about if the dog supposedly does normally have effective control and responds to the first command, every time, but just this once the temptation to go sniff/chase was just too strong so it ignored the command - would you see that as acceptable? I've often heard the argument that you can't expect every dog to be perfect all the time and that there is no such thing as a 100% reliable recall. (and then attacks happen..."my dog has never done this before!!")

[WreckitWhippet]

Pretty much I say recall is you come when I request it.

I expect the Stafford's to turn on a dime and come back, I've been a little more forgiving with the Sighthounds as I've learnt that they don't put the brakes on and turn around, they have a rather large turning circle if running flat out and then they come back. If not running flat out, they will spin on the spot and recall.

[WreckitWhippet]

Thanks huski. What about if the dog supposedly does normally have effective control and responds to the first command, every time, but just this once the temptation to go sniff/chase was just too strong so it ignored the command - would you see that as acceptable? I've often heard the argument that you can't expect every dog to be perfect all the time and that there is no such thing as a 100% reliable recall. (and then attacks happen..."my dog has never done this before!!")

Nope, that is not reliable and therefore not acceptable.

[Staff'n'Toller]

My experience is that most pet owners are unaware of the rule. If they are, they think it doesn't apply in a totally fenced dog park.

[minimax]

I know one of my pugs is not 100% reliable. I'll call her and she will stop and look at me (therefor is that responding?), but she stands there and I swear she's deliberately weighing up her options. If I get her attention again quickly before she's had too long to think, she'll come. Otherwise she gives me the finger and goes back to what she was doing.

However, she is still better than the majority of dogs in our dog park.

Edited August 22, 2013 by minimax

[Staffyluv]

Agree with others - the dog obeys first command, first time.

[Guest hankodie]

Effective voice control to me is being able to command your dog and have them respond to you the first time - MAYBE the second time if you weren't loud enough. I have met only a few of owners who have their dogs effectively under control off lead - I'm not one of these owners and my dog is never off lead.

Recently I was walking with my dog on lead when I encountered a girl walking her lab off lead (illegally I might add). She grabbed her dog's collar as we were passing, I was about to cross the street to give them space but before I could think "hey, at least she grabbed her dog, I guess that was mindful of her" she LET GO of her dog and called out "he just wants to say hello!" the dog charged up to mine and growled. It's these types of owners that I cannot stand but unfortunately based on experience I've made the assumption that they are the norm

[raineth]

Sometimes I see dogs who are called and they turn straight away, and start to come back to their owner, then they have a moment where they pause and the owner has to call them again to get them to fully come back.

Although that wouldn't be my ideal, I don't think I would be too harsh on a pet-dog owner whose dog has that sort of recall.

But recently what I've been finding is owners on their front lawns with their dog loose. They are not paying any attention and their dog begins to rush us and I have to call out to the owner to ask them to call their dog. Once they actually call their dog, their dog does actually come (much to my surprise)!

Or course having a dog with reliable recall is only good insofar as you are paying attention to what it is doing!

Edited August 22, 2013 by raineth

[Rilla-My-Rilla]

To me a solid, proper recall means that the dog immediately turns and comes to you NO MATTER WHAT it's interested in. My 15 month old BC doesn't have one yet, although her recall is good enough for an obedience trial, I don't trust it once her herding instincts kick in.

Effective voice control is either when they have a solid recall, or perhaps if the dog stops, looks at you and doesn't keep going. Just charging on ahead & then coming back isn't control, it's the dog doing what ever it pleases. People shouldn't have their dogs of lead in a situation that they can't be controlled in. If I have any doubt of not being able to control Rilla, I don't let her off lead.

[biker girl]

I find it ironic, when a highly trained/titled obedience dog who performs perfect recalls in a controlled environment of the trial ring, can not do a basic recall in the real world..............

[Diva]

I remember seeing it defined in a formal sense for the ACT once, and it was recalling on a second command, so one chance to fluff it but had to respond by at least the second.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Diva

[Kirislin]

I've got a good example of my whippets recall but I cannot load the video, I've been trying for the last hour but it keeps failing. Anyway, it's instant.

[Leah82]

Unfortunately the effective voice control of a dog is only ever called into question when something goes wrong. If councils put this on their rules for off leash parks then you would think it would be monitored to a certain degree but it's not.

I was in an interesting situation when I was at the park the other week. A poodle x stole Collie's ball right in front of me and it's owner. When it first happened the owner attempted to call the dog back to him, but with no response what-so-ever from the dog he gave up. After a good few minutes of the dogs running around in circles I made a comment about Collie not being too happy about the situation and I ended up having to offer the dog's owner some of my dog treats to get the ball off his dog

[tdierikx]

My Lab and my Rottie/Pittie cross will come on the first call no matter what the distraction is - the trick is to actually be watching your dog and doing said recall as soon as you see them starting to head off... which most people at dog parks aren't doing.

My youngest 2 can't be trusted yet, so they are on lead whenever we are out... simplifies things to no end really.

T.

[Tibbie_tabbie]

My JRT can't stop dead so she does a big arch thing, at the end of the day it means she doesn't go near whatever the thing was and returns to me, so I'm happy. She is only let off in certain places though, as she has high prey drive so I wouldn't trust her recall around cats etc.

My tibbie will stop straight away, check I have a treat/reward (this can be food or me kneeling for a cuddle and looking quite crazy) and return.

Both of their regular recalls (ie, just off lead walks, nothing interesting) are immediate, no arc or thinking, but then they aren't usually running - just trotting from one tree to another, ignoring everything else including dogs.

Why wouldn't they return when there is meatball or liver in it for them : D

[flame ryder]

My previous dog had 99% perfect recall. She would turn on a dime, dust flying and come back to me. first call, every time. I was so proud of her. No dog I have had since has ever had such a perfect recall...good but not that good. And why only 99% I hear you ask...kangaroos were her undoing. She lost her brain when she'd spot the kangys.

[Dame Aussie]

Lili is pretty good, I'd say she has about a 99.9% recall. Mosley however? I'd give him a .2% recall :laugh: which is why he is never off the lead.

[OSoSwift]

When they come the first time. I accept some dogs cannot skid to a stop, I accept some do a large arc, but they must be slowing, turning, reponding on the first call and have attention turned to the handler.

Just the other day our manic working BC took off after a calf who had just gotten through a fence and got a hell of a boot so was bolting. I just saw something large and brown disappearing into the trees followed by the BC at full pace. I thought Roo. I gave one very loud very forceful yell of his name, he immediately put the brakes on, turned and came back - HUGE reward. He is manic about working and only 9 months old - very impressed and I consider that reliable voice control