You have not made him hungry enough..............

I had similar problems when Jake was younger, he ignored food and couldn't give a hoot what I was doing. So, after crying in the park a few times with sheer frustration and the feeling of failure i posted on here, and it was suggested to try getting him interested in toys... and that is why now, he adores balls that ball launcher was probably the best thing i ever got, and gradually his recall got better and better. It was a fantastic distraction, and now if I am walking past dogs we don't know i just get the ball out and he happily trots past, focused on the ball.

He still isn't perfect though, and sometimes he will take off after rabbits (he generally ignores the other dogs, unless they come running close towards us). So, i have to watch where and when he goes off lead... its becoming a b***er at nights now though coz i can't let him off lead in the park coz there are rabbits everywhere! I am going to try the whistle though, and see if that will help any with the rabbits.

I've tried taking him to the park before breakfast. The recall was fab - until other dogs arrived...

I guess I could fast him for a day and then take him to the park but I can't do that every time we need to go somewhere and I want to let him off leash... unless the recall becomes such an ingrained habit that it will then work whether he's eaten or not....?

He adores playing with other dogs to such an extent that even if he hadn't eaten for a day and then we went to the park, I can't help thinking he'd still choose the dogs over food

Missing a meal, or even a days food is not exactly what I had in mind.

If you use food, and ONLY feed the dog on recalls, after 3 or 4 days he will find bogging off increasingly unattractive.

You have as yet not found any way of decreasing the likelihood of him bogging off as the consequences of bogging off have not been sufficiently severe.

But it is your choice.

Hunger is very motivating and by that I MEAN hunger, not "I am feeling a little peckish"

Have you tried going back to basics?

Ok, he knows it in the house. He DOESN'T know it in the park.

Try starting from scratch in the park, in a quiet area. Keep the long lead loose. Do what you do at class, or however you taught it at the start. Get his attention. let it wander, let him wander, then call, and reward BIG TIME when he looks in your direction. Throw food at your feet. Play a mad game etc. Get him used to recall in the park BEFORE there are any distractions around!

Ah OK, I'm with you now - not just use his first meal of the day, but ALL his meals as reward for proper recall?

I can do that!!!!

No recall = no food.

By the third day with no food, I think you may find your dog a little more interested in you than other things.

divide the days ration into 10 - 30 bags, each time he does not recall,(you can start on the line do NOT tug), put that ration aside.

REMEMBER he gets NO food EXCEPT on recalls.

Thanks SMOKEY BEAR

I think you hit the nail on the head when you noted that thus far, there has been no consequence to his failing to return when called.

Hopefully this will do the trick!

Many thanks to you - and also to all the kind folk that answered

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.

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
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