Stressmagnet Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) So Bundy's 'Dear' post has me worried. Ernie recall is about 75% there. He checks in constantly when off lead but he's becoming cheeky and when he's sniffing (i.e. Hearing brain 'off') or really really going for a game of chasey - he switches off and won't come to me until he's finished. This has only started happening the last 3-4 times we've been out. Before all this - he was at 100%. I think it's teenage rebellion and the plain simple fact that I am NOT as interesting as dead bat, or horse poo or chasing his best friend. I've gone back to having him on a long line, and stashing high value treats (BBQ chook, cabanossi) but I'm still being ignored. Obviously, I've missed something but I'm scratching my head as to how to make myself THE most interesting thing in the world. I'm looking for advice/suggestions from folks who've been in the same boat or from those of you whose dogs are 100% reliable on recall. One of the place I used to take him off leash to has a busy road at one end - obviously we can't go back there. Note: we missed out on early bonding since I got him at 6 months, so I lost the advantage of those early puppy days. ETA: I'm currently treating 100% of the time when he comes back. In all other areas, his treats are much more random. Edited April 12, 2015 by Stressmagnet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I hear you Our young dog has a 100% recall, but our older girl cannot be let off the lead, because she chases things & worst....rolls in things. We always have yummy treats with us when we go for a walk, & the only thing we did different with the young guy is that sometimes when he comes back, we take him by the collar, treat him then let him go again. Other times we will get him to do a spin or two when he comes back or have a tug. But the older girl....well the only solution for her, is not to let her off the leash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 So much to write. So little time! Firstly - agree that they have to earn trust. I don't quite agree with the teenage years - I suspect it's more about us getting a bit complacent with our super puppies :laugh: Regardless I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS reward an awesome recall - food, toys, play and then release to run again. However! I don't reward mediocre. They have to turn on a dime and sprint back. No stopping. No sniffing. No dawdling. No big wide circles as they check out the bird life (Em!!!!!!) They might get some verbal praise if it was good but not brilliant. If they don't come the first time I go and get them. No second chances. Leash on. Fun over. 5 mins and they will get another opportunity to prove how awesome they are. I play a LOT of recall and relationship building games as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 When he ignores you and he's on the long line, reel him in immediately Stressy, then praise and treat even though it wasn't his idea to respond immediately. This how I trained my Rottie, she was on the long line every day until her response was immediate. The end result was a bomb proof recall, it had to be as our unfenced off leash park had busy roads on two sides...well three sides if you add in the possibility of her going through the car park. My Rottie girl did the same this as Ernie is doing. Her recall was brilliant until the day she decided it was optional. This is when the long line was put into practise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha bet Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 There is no such things as a Bomb Proof Recall.... same as there is no Bomb Proof Horse..... Animals are not computors and cannot be 'programmed'. Hence instead we should be thinking of having excellent recalls... meaning the dog will hear his name and pay attention and then you can ASK him to come to you.... Remember: "when a dogs mouth is going.... his brain is not.... when his nose is going..... his brain is busy"..... So if we want to teach our dog to have an excellent recall we need to give a dog time to enjoy the off leash activity first and then recognise when is best to call... if he has his nose to a new smell and you call him... his brain is too involved with the smell at hand - he doesn't hear you, or not fully anyway. If you wait (perhaps only 30 seconds) his brain will absorb the information from that smell and his head will lift up and he will then we wondering what else am I going to do now.??.. this is the time to call his name...give him something to do....ASK him to come..... and when he comes don't just make him sit and treat... otherwise the dog relates the treat is for sit....... sometimes give him a job... perhaps a spin... perhaps to jump something interesting then stop and treat if you wish and offer another 'game' to play..... Make the task of coming to you part of the fun of being out and about, exploring new territory..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I recall my dogs during a offlead walk as a game. They come running we have a big patting session and off they go again. I try to avoid calling them and ending the fun all the time. SO call and then release. I am careful about when I call them. ie I never call them for a bath. If he is super busy sniffing something I would go get him rather than calling him for now. You don't want them learning they can disobey. For an emergency right now how is his sit, drop or wait? I tend to stop my dogs first rather than just calling them. If he has a strong sit then yelling out 'sit' may have more effect in a emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemmy Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'm glad you made this post Stressy, I've been concerned about Luna's recall as well. Now that it's getting colder I'm going to start going back to the dog park nice and early so we can walk the trails on the long line and put some of this into practice. (I haven't been going there over summer because there was a snake sighting and I'm a massive chicken) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stressmagnet Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) Thanks for all the great ideas! His sit, drop and wait are immediate. His stay is awesome. He really loves to play stay until I'm far away and then run to me. I know that when their nose is busy, their ears aren't. I guess I need to work on my timing. I really like the idea of reeling him in, then making him spin, or stay or something - he loves loves his tricks! But yeah, this whole 'optional' idea he has right now, Is going to really curtail his fun, as the BEST off leash area I've found that he loves - has that busy road. So: Work on my timing. Reel him in and reward anyway on a long line. Once he gets that -- try him again and clip the lead on when he doesn't come? Or reward and play as if he came of his own accord? The issue is my leg. It's gimpy due to a tumour, so Cheeky Boy will wait till the last second before I reach him - then come wagging like it was his idea. Edited because autocorrect is brain dead and I hate it. Edited April 13, 2015 by Stressmagnet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) I think we have come to accept that a 95% recall is described as bomb proof (semantics). If my dog is sniffing he will recall immediately. That was also the case with my Rottie. Sniffing is no excuse not to recall immediately IMO. I agree with Jules, especially that a recall should end in a positive result for the dog. I call, praise, treat and release. To do otherwise would make recall an unattractive proposition for any dog. If the dog is about to experience something it clearly doesn't like I will go and get him/her rather than call him/her to me. When we need to leave the fun of the off leash park I go to the dog and attach the lead rather than calling him/her to me. When an off leash park is unfenced and bordered by busy roads, to allow a dog to 'enjoy of off leash activity first' when that dog does not have reliable recall is not a risk I would take. Edited to say: Stressy I don't recall off lead until the dog is responding every time I give the command. I do of course let the dog off to play but I don't recall until I'm sure he'll respond. (another gimpy leg here but nerve damage, fortunately not a tumour.) Edited April 13, 2015 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I would only be calling me at the moment if I can ensure success. So if that means only calling him when you have a lead on, do that. I probably wouldn't make him do anything when he got to you. As you would then be rewarding that and not the recall. Just get him in and make a massive fuss. If he comes (no matter what has occurred prior) you need to reward. And super happy voice when calling. So many people have a gruff voice when calling their dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I wouldn't care how obedient my dogs were they wouldn't be off lead with access to a road. A risk to big in my eyes something exciting could present at the other side of the road then it's on ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) Yes I hear so many people call there dogs in such an aggressive,gruff voice. It's like,"Get here Fido you little so & so". I wouldn't come back either. Just had to edit to agree with Don. I never take risks & let either of my guys off lead within cooee of a road. Only takes something to catch their eye & their gone... Edited April 13, 2015 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) I wouldn't care how obedient my dogs were they wouldn't be off lead with access to a road. A risk to big in my eyes something exciting could present at the other side of the road then it's on Me neither - no dog is 100% I believe. I also rescue and rehome Whippets and Italian Greyhounds(as well as other kinds of dogs) and they are NEVER 100% - we tell people that all the time and only try and do adoptions to people that get it. Some prospective owners don't believe or agree with it so we don't rehome. Our Facebook page constantly has missing dogs (not dogs from us). Sadly not all of them make it home. Edited April 13, 2015 by Her Majesty Dogmad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stressmagnet Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Much much better this arvo. I think he saw the training lead and remembered! I've decided to ban the off lead park with the busy road. Too worrisome - and I cannot fully proof him against rabbits or other excitements. We will continue working every time we are out on his recall - both leashed and unleashed. I've discovered he goes mad for these kangaroo and liver treats - so I'll save those for recalls only! Thanks all for your input. You can never learn enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I wouldn't care how obedient my dogs were they wouldn't be off lead with access to a road. A risk to big in my eyes something exciting could present at the other side of the road then it's on ???? Yeah same here. Lili's recall is very reliable but I just couldn't be sure she might not see a rabbit or something and bolt. Mosley can't be off lead at all the little bugger :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) I wouldn't care how obedient my dogs were they wouldn't be off lead with access to a road. A risk to big in my eyes something exciting could present at the other side of the road then it's on ???? Yeah same here. Lili's recall is very reliable but I just couldn't be sure she might not see a rabbit or something and bolt. Mosley can't be off lead at all the little bugger :laugh: Mine got out of a fenced dog park they went running up the road with a group of joggers Ferals Edited April 13, 2015 by donatella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately. If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail. My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it. There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them. Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakti Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately. If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail. My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it. There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them. Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :) Hear hear! I completely agree Huski. My Newf (not a highly-regarded Obedience breed) is also expected to have a 100% recall. Yes it took patience and perseverance and some thinking-outside-the-box to help him learn that but I believe it is my responsibility to my dog to do my very best to ensure their safety and a reliable recall may one day mean the difference between life and death. Would you say there are any breeds of dogs that could never be trained to have a reliable recall? (Of course there are individual differences within breeds as well) What about the LGDs?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Mine got out of a fenced dog park they went running up the road with a group of joggers Ferals May I suggest obedience training for the 'ferals' Dona? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now