Further question on Recall

Sorry, another recall query...


As some of you may remember, I've been trying SMOKEY BEAR'S very helpful advice of not feeding Dexter prior to going to the park and then only feeding him when he does a good recall.

So last night, I fed him early, at 5.30pm. This morning he had NO breakfast at all, and then we headed to the park and got there at 09.40.

I let him off the lead and waited until there were some other dogs around and then I immediately recalled Dexter - and he totally ignored me.

He went instead into his 'mock stalking' sequence and did not pay any attention to me at all.

I then put him on the extending lead and kept him on for half an hour. Once he'd relaxed a bit and had a good wander, I let him off again and started practising the recalls. It improved a lot BUT there were still three times when he did not come and I had to go and get him......

So now I'm just wondering: was he simply not hungry enough??

Or is it that for him, other dogs are such a motivator that nothing can compete, up to and including food EVEN when he IS hungry???

Any advice would be much appreciated. I think his recall is improving but I simply cannot seem to get that instant recall outside the house, that I can get every single time around the house/garden.

well I think you answered your own question there didnt you!?

He had his dinner at 5.30pm. He was not hungry! (bear in mind some dogs are only fed once every 24 hours and dont have any food in between)

I think I would use ALL his daily ration for recall and reduce the amount of times he can ignore - you dont want him thinking its ok as he can hold out....

I'd also still work on a toy thing....cos it sounds like this dog needs/wants fun and playtime only he just needs to learn how.....

THANKS DOBERMANN

Guess I just thought that as he had NO breakfast, and as he seemed to want food, he would recall better in the park...

He will play with certain toys at home but when I've tried in the park, he just does not want to know. Especially if other dogs or people are around. I will keep trying I am restricting his access to toys at home so that hopefully when I produce one at the park he will be excited about it.....

but I think he just wasnt hungry enough for it to be more motivating than the dog

You want him to be repeating the recall for food enough times to realise that when you call he comes (eats)

Smokeybear might give you better/different advice but thats what I think as its early days yet with the food thing and I think consistency is key, and if he knows that the time he eats is the time he comes back to you in the park (which is twice/three times a day?) then he will do it?

So if he goes to the park at 5pm and gets his food for coming to you instead of out a bowl at home, then he still got the food for coming to you and not just able to hold out for 'dinnertime' if you see what I mean?

with the toy thing, dont just restrict access then think because he hasnt seen it for a while that because you pull it out in the park he'll think its great....won't happen.

Thats where the part where you play with it and put it away etc thing comes in

Can you not walk with a friend, then call their dog and when their dog comes to you give them a treat and a real fuss, he might copy then- worth a try.

Or what I do with Jasper,(his recall wasn,t great even now only 9 out of 10).I always walk the first 10 mins on a lead, thats when he is most energetic.Then I let him off.His lead walking is brilliant lots of practice.

The 1 out of 10 is normally chasing bunnies or finding a scent of poo to roll in. If he is doing either of those I don,t even bother to call cause I know he will ignore, but he watches me walk off then catches up with me.

also, open a portion bag of his food, call him when there are no dogs and give ONE piece of kibble, then when he comes back when dogs are there give the rest of the portion - up the ante so to speak, without going into 'ultra-tasty' rewards, just his food but more for longer...? worth a try?

I dont want to repeat myself, But have i ever told you about "key"/"emergancy" words for attention to use before saying his name in times when you think he "might ignore"?

*dont PM me, im keeping it blocked

If all else fails. Can you ONLY feed him in the park? So he gets his daily rations for recalling?

Thanks guys, I see what you are saying.

DOBERMANN - good points, thanks, I'll incorporate those. Usually he is so hungry in the morning that I just assumed (wrongly) he would recall really fast as he hadn't eaten since the previous afternoon. Boy was I wrong!

Thanks everyone for your answers. I am going to follow all the suggestions!