[Miss K]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on how to get my dog to come back to me when I call her!

She is really good in every way, she is an 18 month old staff and I have had her since she was 6 weeks old.

She has been well socialised and can do all sorts of tricks and never even chewed anything as a pup (except her toys) she's great with people, kids, animals but....if she see's another dog however far away and she is off lead she will run to it and totally ignores me calling her.

She will occasionally run to people in the same way (which I know can be quite frightening) but she will come back to me but then only when she's had a sniff!

Usually its not a real problem as she plays with most of the dogs at the park and they know her, but today I took her on a different field and as soon as she saw the dog she bolted for it and would not come back until I got really close and she realised I was calling her but then she saw a woman was also walking across the field so she decided to 'bomb' towards her then. I know the woman was scared (I would have been too if I didnt know the dog) she did came straight back to me though once she realised the woman didnt want to fuss her, she doesnt jump up at people she just tries to get a stroke but its the way she runs at them

I really need her to stop doing this as I am getting to the point where I dont want to let her off, I know she only wants to play/get a stroke but other people dont know this.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Elizabeth13]

I'd get a trainer to work with you both.

[diamond123]

i would start totally from scratch with her recall training, first callling her to you while on the lead and treating her (a really smelly food reward like cheese) then maybe getting her on a long training line and repeating the exercise. start in a quiet area and build up to higher "trigger" situations ie start on a quiet playing field and build up to the park.

it may be that you have to keep her on lead for a while until you have built up a bit more control? even though she is a friendly girl she may approach an aggressive dog and be attacked and as you rightly say some people and children are frightened of dogs. also what if she ran into a road or something to get to another dog

i have a dog with iffy recall so i invested in a giant breed flexi lead (she is a staffy cross so probably strong like your girl) and find this is best to give her some freedom until i can see all around me and i have to just be selective where i can let her off lead.

good luck with her

[Miss K]

Originally Posted by diamond123

i would start totally from scratch with her recall training, first callling her to you while on the lead and treating her (a really smelly food reward like cheese) then maybe getting her on a long training line and repeating the exercise. start in a quiet area and build up to higher "trigger" situations ie start on a quiet playing field and build up to the park.

it may be that you have to keep her on lead for a while until you have built up a bit more control? even though she is a friendly girl she may approach an aggressive dog and be attacked and as you rightly say some people and children are frightened of dogs. also what if she ran into a road or something to get to another dog

i have a dog with iffy recall so i invested in a giant breed flexi lead (she is a staffy cross so probably strong like your girl) and find this is best to give her some freedom until i can see all around me and i have to just be selective where i can let her off lead.

good luck with her

thanks, I will try that, she has already been bit once and warned off a few times (by little ankle biters ) luckily she will not go back at them she is so good natured which is good.

I thought the novelty might wear off as she got older and met lots of other dogs but it hasn't...

[diamond123]

yeah i would try and nip it in the bud now while she is still young and let her know what is expected of her. little tinker im sure she will pick it up quickly though. is she food motivated? i find to keep my dog interested i have to keep changing what i use sometimes i use cheese, sometimes sausage or chicken and i think i am going to try some dried liver now too for variety

[Miss K]

Originally Posted by diamond123

yeah i would try and nip it in the bud now while she is still young and let her know what is expected of her. little tinker im sure she will pick it up quickly though. is she food motivated? i find to keep my dog interested i have to keep changing what i use sometimes i use cheese, sometimes sausage or chicken and i think i am going to try some dried liver now too for variety

yes she will do anything for a carrot actually

It's strange because if we go in the woods with some other dogs that I walk she is so well behaved and comes back to me then, but if its a strange dog miles away she just won't listen to me.

[diamond123]

you find that with most dogs they wont stray far if they are off lead amongst other dogs so thats normal really.

i also find that walking in the opposite direction whilst calling them gets a quicker reaction, although its prob not best to give her the opportunity to run to other dogs hwilst you are trying to shape this new behaviour as it is obv rewarding to her hence why she keeps repeating it and the behaviour becomes more and more ingrained

[biotechpete]

There's a good page on teaching recall here: http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discu...?topic=69512.0

[Miss K]

Originally Posted by biotechpete

There's a good page on teaching recall here: http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discu...?topic=69512.0

Thank you, that looks really good.

Have you done this yourself?

[biotechpete]

Originally Posted by Miss K

Thank you, that looks really good.

Have you done this yourself?

I started to but then dropped my whistle while out on a walk. IT was working pretty well and dogs certainly respond to the whistle better than a call. My dog is about 7 months now and certainly better than most with recall but by no means perfect (yet).

I found the key to teaching recall is really two things
1. Don't call your dog if you think they won't come. This just reinforces that they don't have to come when called. Hence the guide on the site advises the use of a long line as a security.
2. Always get them to sit and hold them by the collar before you reward.

This sums it up really

I would add that you should not attempt to blow the whistle unless you are 100% your dog will respond in the early days or even months so your dog never learns to ignore the sound. I would not want to be blowing the whistle twice or else the dog will learn he comes sometimes when he hears it.
This is why I use the security blanket of a long line more than other folks, because I want the conditioning to be strong. This is so the dog hears whistle and knows exactly what to do, doesn't have to think, just does because that is what happens when he hears the sound.
When training this, if you can't put your mortgage on your dog coming back then DON'T blow the whistle or you will undo the conditioning process.

[diamond123]

those are good tips from bioteche pete. a squeeky toy will sometimes work aswell insetad of calling them particularly if they are highly motivated by play/retrieving ect

[Miss K]

Yes, it seems to make sense, I am going to start today, luckily when I qualified as a teacher my grandad bought me a whistle (he thought I would need one bless him) so looks like it will come in handy.

Thanks for the help, just hope I haven't left it too late

[diamond123]

its never too late to start dog training with a healthy well socialised dog i dont think. good luck

[Miss K]

Originally Posted by diamond123

its never too late to start dog training with a healthy well socialised dog i dont think. good luck

Thank you

[Miss K]

I just fed her some ham whilst blowing the whistle and holding her collar as instructed, she thought I was mad I think, but seemed happy enough that I was giving her ham, I have a feeling this may work

[Evei]

Originally Posted by Miss K

I just fed her some ham whilst blowing the whistle and holding her collar as instructed, she thought I was mad I think, but seemed happy enough that I was giving her ham, I have a feeling this may work

With guide dogs I think they do whistle training to help teach recall, I'm sure someone mentioned it on here. Even dinner is only given with a whistle call

[Miss K]

Originally Posted by Evei

With guide dogs I think they do whistle training to help teach recall, I'm sure someone mentioned it on here. Even dinner is only given with a whistle call

It's working already, she picks things up really fast, don't know if I should have done this yet but after going through the whistle food bit a few times today, I decided to try and use the whistle from upstairs whilst she was downstairs, I knew she'd come and she did

Just have to keep it up and hopefully in a few weeks she'll come back to me instead of running after other dogs wish I had done this earlier now.

[Evei]

Originally Posted by Miss K

Just have to keep it up and hopefully in a few weeks she'll come back to me instead of running after other dogs wish I had done this earlier now.

There is some really simple and easy tricks with dog training, it's just being shown them and how to take them forward. I love coming across new ways to do things and try them out I think you would like the clicker training /shaping methods, google them, there is tons on you tube.

[Miss K]

Just want to let you know the whistle training is going really well.

I think I may have been moving a little fast as she is picking it up very quickly, but yesterday I let her off the lead whilst there were people (no dogs) on the field and she looked at them (and would have probably ran over) so I blew the whistle and she came straight to me

The big test will be when theres dogs there but I daren't try that yet, but so far 100% success!

[Evei]

Originally Posted by Miss K

Just want to let you know the whistle training is going really well.

I think I may have been moving a little fast as she is picking it up very quickly, but yesterday I let her off the lead whilst there were people (no dogs) on the field and she looked at them (and would have probably ran over) so I blew the whistle and she came straight to me

The big test will be when theres dogs there but I daren't try that yet, but so far 100% success!

Excellent It is a good idea to have a long drag lead when you do come across dogs (set up the situation if you can) then if she does not return you can make her return I think it is important not to let the dog fail at the point you are at as it sounds like it is very nearly cracked! It is really rewarding when they 'get it'