Walking/recall/chewing help

I have a 15 month old border terrier x beagle dog. I got him from a rehoming ad when he was 6 months old. HE came with a 'pink' lead, 'princess' bowl and an empty crate cause he destroyed his bed. His owners had him from a pup being told he was a chihuahua x KC spaniel. When we viewed him he was hyperactive and out of control, chewing sleeves and jumping around all the furniture. His owners admitted they didn't have time for him and when I asked what his routine was, was advised he was in his crate from 11pm to 'about 11am' the next day. I presumed that most of his energy and behaviour was down to too little exercise.
9 months down the line we have ironed out the sleeve chewing, calmed down the jumping about and he is very good on the toilet side of things. He is walked for 2 hours every day. On the lead he is a nightmare, even with a canny/halti on, constantly pulling. I can't not let him off his lead as he has so much energy, he has to be able to run it off. I did walk him for 10 miles on the lead (in 2hrs), took it off and he charged round the field like he'd just walked out the door. He chews and destroys all his toys that can be pulled apart! He has destroyed numerous shoes etc that I have foolishly left out, but doesn't do it all the time. His worst trait is not returning properly when called & stealing other dogs balls whilst we're out, then ripping them to bits whilst running around goading me and the other dog & its owner with it. He is very frustrating and does this regularly. He will not come for treats. Just comes close then runs off, into a road or whatever other danger is near. For most walks I take a ball out with us, keep him focussed and put his lead on before the end of the walk, but inevitably there are times when it doesn't go to plan. Please help. I have no real control & he is going to end up dead or causing an accident. I got him neutered, chipped and he is on Burns complete food. His treats are raw carrots. He is 70% better than he was when I got him, but this 30% of bad can feel like 100% when he is naughty!!

Sounds like he is a naughty boy! BY that I mean that he has never had any boundaries set, nor any socialisation before he came to you.

Sounds like you need to go 'back to basics' with his training. If possible, you should try and find a local training group and go. Although some of the stuff might be a bit basic, you and your dog will have the opportunity to learn recall techniques etc.

For now, if you are worried about him being off lead, keep him on! Invest in a long-line, so he can have some freedom, but you still have control over him. Don't let him approach dogs with toys! Could you use a super-special-sqeaky-toy for recall - one that he only has access to for supervised play with you when he recalls correctly??

Could you try a different treat for those times when nothing else will do? Carrots are nice but I know my dog wouldn't come back for it if there was something more interesting going on - some nice smelly treat like cheese or liver and he'll drop anything he's doing and do anything I say!

Yep i agree you will need something a bit tastier than carrots to tempt him! Have you thought about getting a trainer/behaviourist to help you?
Sounds like you are on the right track but he obviously has some way to go. I would keep him on a long line or even a short lead till you can get a better recall. wear him out by playing ball in the garden.
Sometimes an overstimulated dog tho will be harder to settle and "appear" to have a lot of energy. I would get him used to having a walk then having soome quiet time by either crating or if he will lay down quietly in his bed for a bit.

Sorry, I did start off by using real good treats, markies, chocdrops, cheese etc, even his dried complete food, but when he is in his playfull 'zone' he knows it's a trick to get him back so won't come close enough to be grabbed even with treats that work every other time. He is a very clever lad!!
The reason I give him carrots is more as chews in the house, because I didn't want anything else to contribute to his hyperactivity. Sorry if I gave you the impression I was waving carrots at him outside!!
He literally bounces, jumps and dives around like a small puppy and thinks it's a real good game to not come back. He completely ignores my commands and yet 10 mins beforehand he can have been coming alongside me and leaving playing with another dog when I call him.
I really get to the end of my tether with him. He has chewed/ripped a hole in the middle of my hall carpet, ripped his bed apart and continues to chew/rip apart every piece of bedding (old sheets, I add) I give him.
This morning I walked him along the beach and he ran around the sand dunes with my other dog for over 2 hrs. Then wouldn't get into his bed in the car, despite me offering a pigs ear chew/his ball. He then ran around the car park and onto the lane. After half an hour of being 'tutted at' by others (no help offered!) I could have cried and just left him.
Other than his 'moments', he is so loveable and settled it's a shame it's spoilt by this.

its hard isnt it remember he is a beaglex and will have a "willfull" streak put him on a long lead i reckon every time you try to grab him he thinks its all a game if you can take him somewhere fenced off and try your recall where he cant run off to far i understand that you want him to enjoy a good run but he has to learn that you are in control of when he can or cant run off,just try doing baby steps and calling him back on a long lead until you get his attention and can then try around other dogs dont get dispondant we are going through the same thing with our new dogs at the moment.chin up good luck

Thanks so much for the words of support Stunt Monkey. You are right, it is hard, but thanks to people on the forum identifying what breeds he is, it is easier to deal with when you see the characteristics to expect. 'Wilfull' i an excellent term to describe him. In his rehoming ad, they had him down as a 'confident' dog. How many times I have re-run that apt description in my head. Wilfull is now up on that list!! Thanks again, I will try your suggestions and also some find and fetch games to stimulate him.

Hi Nikki,

As already stated, he's a Beagle. Try, as suggested taking him to training classes. See if yo can find ne which will help hikm progress onto scent work. Or you could do this yourself in the back garden. it would give him something to think about and you could reward him with a high level treat (liver cake etc).
Also you could invest in a ball (or other toy of choice) that is ONLY ever used as a reward when in the park. This would become a high level reward that he would learn he only gets to play with if he does as he's told.

When out on walks keep him on lead for the "usual" street walking and when in the park use a long lead. 10m leads are readily availabe. Or if you prefer use an extending lead so you can coltrol more accurately how much leewasy he really has. This way you can commence formal recall taining with him. This can be whether in the park or in the back garden also.
Alternatively, use a horse lead. They're usually much longer than the dog leads and as his recall improves, you can give him that extra bit of distance as you learn to trust and respect each other.
every time he comes back to you, let him play for couple of minutes with the high level reward toy. Then take it back and either repeat the exercise or do somethign different. Either way, he'll know that y=to get the toy, he has to come back. it also makes returnign to you a positive thing.
You must always praise him whe he comes back too. If you ell him off because he hasn't returned the first time you called him, he will associate comeing back to you with being shouted at. So remember to always praise upon return.

He strikes me as the sort of dog that would find the basic obedience quite boring but if he's intelligent, he'll pick things up in no time and could prgress quite quickly onto other things.

I don't think he's old enough yet for agility or flyball, but when he is that would burn off some energy and again, give him something to learn and think about.

What mentally stimulating games do you play with him at home? Wearing him out mentally should help also to calm him down a little physically over time.

Also, are there any fields nearby? Or maybe a short car ride away? If there are and they're enclosed, maybe you could contact the landowner and see if you could hire or use their field for maybe a couple of hours a week where he could run off some of his excess energy at his own pace.

But certainly a starting point woul dbe to go back to basics and gettign him well socialised with other dogs and owner, preferbly in a lcoa training class. This way, whwen out walking people will get to know you an dspeak with you. They may have some handy tips you could use if they've had a similar problem. Of when he decides to run off again maybe they could help you get him to return.

Good luck.

Laura xx

Sounds to me like he's playing with you... You call him during the walk and he comes, but on the 'end' call, he doesn't... Maybe you're using a different voice? He is definitely smart!

Clicker training works really well with smart dogs.. Have you tried it?

Dogs can learn very quickly so if you are calling him back at the same point on the walk, i.e. a particular tree/hedge/gate etc then he has already learnt that coming back at that point means on lead and home. So on his walk call him back randomly, sometimes let him go off back to play other times put him on a lead for a minute then let him off again. Then he becomes accustomed to not knowing when he is going on the lead and that being on a lead doesn't necessarily mean end of walk.
Becky