Thanks DOBERMANN

Yes, that's the case here also, Dexter is not a dog who can be kept permanently on either a long line or a Flexi. He adores other dogs and if he doesn't get a good rough and tumble with them once a week then he does tend to get frustrated.

I also TOTALLY agree with you that now is the time for me to instill 'manners' into him, while he is still young and not too entrenched in his ways. Also he is just far too big and strong to let him go racing across the park to greet other dogs - there is also the danger of him knocking an owner over accidentally which could easily happen with the way in which he goes racing over

EVen though Tupac has a recall I'm happy with I always take some dry food out with us,taken from his daily ration...when we were training it I would always train him hungry..food works for him!!...I'm soooo evil

oh no, what if he doesn't recall, will he die of starvation

I think you are spot on actually

I've been thinking along these lines too and have been trying to recruit some other dog owners to help me with this - I think that if I can do this with enough dogs, Dex will then get the idea and generalise to all new dogs, hopefully, if I proof it enough.

The slight challenge is finding enough owners happy to help; in our local park many of the dogs do NOT recall and strangely, most of the owners don't seem to care and think I'm strange for being concerned about it!!

Many thanks CADI

Yes, Cadi's post is good and it's something I tend to do.

Just one other thought - in the past, when you have "caught him" have you always tended to put him back on the lead?

It would be quite understandable . BUT it may not be a bad idea to go back over the basic rules, such as:

Do not always put dog back on lead, let him off again often so that he does not associate recall as being the End of his Fun

And also:

Do not recall away from other dogs whilst in training - either go and get dog, or await until he is tiring of play, looking a bit knackered, and THEN call him.

Either of these basics not done right, may cause recall problems - however, they are easy to put right of course, if you have done them at all at any time. OR of course his previous owner may well have not remembered the basics or not even known them!

Once he is "trained" then of course you can gradually call him awaya bit earlier in a game, and give huge rewards whenever he does this, and send him back about 70 per cent of the time for ages, then maybe about 50 per cent of the time ... not always easy to do, but is the ideal really if possible!

Just a few random thoughts really

Wys
x

Ah - now I wonder if you've hit on where I'm going wrong???

I don't wait until he's tired before recalling, I've tried to recall either while he's set to approach the other dogs OR when he's still really caught up in play.....

Many thanks, I think from on I shall do as you suggest and ONLY recall when he's already getting a bit tired of the playing. Once we've got that down pat, then I can hopefully recall earlier.

Oh and yes, thanks, I am careful not to always put him back on lead - almost always I recall and then let him go again

Many thanks indeed, very helpful

Chances are this is where you're going wrong then He needs to learn to come back when it's not quite so exciting first.

if the other owners are happy for them to play for a while and its safe etc, then there is no harm in letting them knacker him out a lot then trying


Always try to set him up for success

I am sorry but I am not going to read 10 pages of to starve/to not staeve/ it is starving /whatever

TO address the origonal post as I see it

imo it is not simply a case of making the dog hungry enough/making the food amazing enough for the dog to instantly obay

a recal, like any other dog trick takes time, you have to build up locations and distractions so the dong understands 100% what is expected and so much so that the recal cue can actually get into the little head of the dog when he is totaly focused on something else

Taking a dog who can recal nicely in the house then waiting till they are in full on stalking mode of a major distraction of other dogs is like teaching your puppy to sit in the house infront of you then yelling' sit' as they charge towards a road in hot pursuit of a rabbit

Its not going to happen - even if you have smoked salmon in your pocket - because they dog is not well enough trained to understand what you are asking of them


I have totaly nothing against feeding a dog his meals out on a walk

- but any left over at the end of the walk I feed my dogs

Its great, you can train loads and not worry about overfeeding
But its just training - its not a magic tool

Dont call your dog when he is focused on something else and not likely to come back - he is not ready for this step yet

do 100 recals when he is already running back to you and reward him like crazy and have a fun game

then do 100 recals when he is looking at you

then 100 when he is not looking but not focused on anything else

Then when he is walking the other way

Then when he is casually sniffing

Then when there are dogs a long way away but he is not totaly focused just aware

100 isnt that many if you are taking all his food out to a park - 10/20 times a day - thats about a week or less

Dont move onto the next step until he is 100% on the last step

Play as many recal games as you can, run away from him make him find being with you the most fun amazing thing in the whole wide world

There is no magic training thing that gives you 100% recal 100% of the time - except for time
the more sucessful recals you have with realy fun rewards then the better chance of even more good uns

The more times you call and fail the more likely failures are

Don't see where anyone said is simply about making the dog hungry enough to obey ..... So maybe u should read the thread

I think what the op is trying to figure out is what reward Dex would respond to best and what overides his longing to see otherdogs....doesn't matter how many times u repeat something if the dog thinks what u have/ are not interesting or valuble enough.