Many thanks

I did do this, we started in the park tennis court, recalling and then my praising him the SECOND he turned and looked at me.

It helped a bit but the minute I then moved to outside the tennis court, and the second other dogs appeared, recall failed again.

Could you perhaps rope in a friend with a dog and try recalling inside the tennis courts but with the friend's dog outside the courts? Kind of like, have the friend play with their dog far enough away that they aren't really that much of a lure for Dexter and then recall? Then over a few weeks they get closer and closer to the tennis courts as Dexter's recall gets better? Just a thought

I can't really offer much help or advice but I really do empathise with you! It sounds like we've had our rescue dogs for a similar amount of time and are having the same problem. It really is very frustrating, I feel for you!

I think I maybe suggested this before but if it play he wants, make play the reward? no toys except on walks for being with you - if he knows 'give' means give.

I think the using his meals as a reward for recall should work.

Is he castrated, by the way?
The reason I ask is because although I'd never normally recommend it for training, I do know of one instance with a bearded collie whose owner was in despair. She'd done all the usual, right things but he used to disappear over the horizon on walks. She was considering having him castrated, but not sure about it.

I suggested to her that his interest in other dogs was very much checking them out in a male way, to see who they were and what they were, and to cut a long story short, she opted for castration and in a few days literally, she had a different dog. Recalled at once. From a distance, etc.

This isn't something I'd recommend willy-nilly, but for some dogs, for the right reasons, it can help, esp. if dog/owner bond is suffering and esp. if the bogging off really is related to male dog stuff.

The bearded collie was around one year when he was castrated, he had not really had time for anything to become too much of a learned behaviour.

However I dont think you will need this - just discussing this out of interest really.

Wys
x

Many thanks

If Dex even sees another dog in the distance, he will focus on that and not me or anything I command etc.

Nice to know I'm not alone with this problem, though I wish you were NOT also having it. Several folk I know with rescues report the same problem - maybe it's a common issue with rescues?

Ah then that is a problem I know only too well, sadly Molly only has to hear another dog bark and she is off and away!

Perhaps it is a common issue with rescues because they are more likely to have been allowed to practise bad recall habits at their former homes? I know my Molly was picked up as a stray so I do perhaps wonder if someone let her off lead and she bolted..

Molly sounds just like Dexter

Yes, I wonder that too; Dexter was dumped in the pound by whoever first owned them. It seems to us that he was never, ever walked on a lead or given ANY restrictions whatsoever. It's taken almost a year simply to get him to realise that he cannot leap up to hug every single person he walks past in the street, bless him...

Bless him, he sounds sweet

I definitely think that does play a large part! I'm sure you'll get there in the end, you've just sadly got to make up for someone else's poor ownership. I definitely recommend trying the long line again but with gloves in the mean time though It took me a long time to get the hang of the long line but it is SO useful for training recall around other dogs!

Thank you - yes he does have a very sweet nature, the friendliest dog imaginable

I've been using the long line for months, and I totally agree it does help. It did enable me to build a recall when there are no other dogs around...

I think we've just hit a problem re the presence of other dogs. Even the long line has failed to do the trick...

Let's hope SMOKEY BEAR'S suggestion does the trick - 'cause if not apart from anything else, I'm gonna have one HUNGRY labrador!

Thanks again for your advice - let me know how things go with Molly and if you find anything that helps with the recall issues