Recall Questions!

Hello Everyone, I have a couple of questions that sparked off when Cooper ran off yesterday...

He isnt doing very well at recall - in the house he is fine, but as soon as we let him off the lead on the field - he just legs it, and as he is a bit unsure of other dogs (previous owner never socialised him) its quite scary when he sees one and bolts for it.... The thing is he dosnt really listen to you calling, but comes back eventually... so this is the question...

.... where is the divide between him being a 'good boy' for coming back - after calling him 5ish times and being a 'naughty boy' for not coming back sooner? for example last night we let him off (no dogs around) but he managed to get through the railings (how he managed this I dont know - hes a big SBT) and buggered of round a housing estate - we had no idea where he was so just stood there shouting his name and 'here' after 5 mins and us shouting his name 15 or so times he poped up out of nowhere and sat at our feet!!!! we just put his lead on coz we were not sure whether he was a naughty boy or not. We really dont want to discourage him for a slow return when at least he is coming back!!!

Have you tried practising on a long training lead at all? We had a 30 foot one for Libs- that way they can still get a good runabout but you're still in control. Less worrying than having him run away and possibly be injured

I would try using a long lead as Lel said and every now and again try calling him back and giving him a treat when he does and even if he dosent come back you can bring him back to you with the lead and give him a treat so he gets the idea that when you call him its worth while coming back

It is also recommended that the dog is never told off for being naughty when he does return- even if its not straight away

(sorry if you already know this- just thought Id mention it)

Murphs recall is only just getting better - I went down the long line route and the treats -but vary the treats and the praise -If he spins on a sixpence ..it's party time and break out the sausage ( or whatever flops his mop ) if he takes his time about coming back then he still gets good boy but a less value treat and if I have to shout him 2 or more times then he just gets a rub and a mutter
hth

Returning to you must ALWAYS be a pleasant experience for your dog ... even when you feel like screaming & throttling the little beast

As already said, keep your dog on a long line & practice recall until he is reliable. If you call him several times before he returns all he is learning is that he can ignore you. He must understand that coming back is not optional, it is a command that he must respond to immediately. If your dog is off-lead and does not come first time do not call again, go and get him (I realize that was not possible in the situation you described). Recall training should be started in an area where there are few distractions, gradually building up to high distraction situations.

What SB said - a useful tip to remember with all training is 'Set the Dog Up for Success'

we used a line on toby a 25ft lunge line for horses.
let him wander around and mix with others give him a tug if needed to get his attention back on you then call him.
if he recalls then praise it doesn't matter how long it takes for him to come as long as he does it.
the main problem we had is that he was so focused on other dogs and wanting to play all the time he choosed to ignore us if he thought he could get away with it.
at least on a line you can keep the control needed and move him on if needed.

This is a really helpful thread for me too.

Only my dog is 2 and 1/2 years old

But i presume the methods will still work for me?

I've had her for two years and have tried everything (I think) - except the long lead.

I always give her lots of praise when she comes to me, but when i call her she walks over to me sooo slowly, like an old dog 'these old bones' routine. It winds me up. I have done treats, cuddles and toys as a reward when she finally gets to me, but she just always sniffs the grass or air like she is distracted, and then walks over really slowly.



Any ideas?

Yes, use a long line on her. Try recalling her from a short distance intiially. If she is slow coming in run backwards, wave a toy/treat around, make "interesting" (i.e. silly, high-pitched happy noises) to encourage her. Treat & praise a correct response every time. Once she is coming in reliably continue to praise/treat but have some really high-value treats which are given only to reward a quick response recall. She should get the idea that the faster she comes in the tastier the reward will be. Eventually you can just praise if the recall is slow & reward with treats only the fast ones. If she is more motivated by toys than by food then play a game with her when she comes to you. She will learn that it is worth coming quickly for the excellent treat or the great game.