Terrible Recall - Help please!!! Fenton Moments!

[J RALPH]

Hi All

looking for some advice again.

Scooby is just over 6 months now and most of our training is going well but his recall is non existent now. We have just come back from a walk over some fields and my husband just had a "FENTON, JESUS CHRIST" moment as Scooby followed some other man and dog off the fields and into the street. (not helped by the ignorant man who could see we were trying to catch him but carried on walking onto the street anyway!).

We have tried high value treats, toys, running in the other direction, shouting, whistles etc etc but when he sees a dog hes off. Today he actually looked at us with treats in our hands then at the dog then back at us and then just ran. He was obvioulsy weighing up the options and the dog was the better choice.

When we took him to puppy class they advised loosing him when he was young so that he got used to it but hes just getting worse and worse.

Obviously I dont want to keep him on the lead as its not fair on him to have no off lead exercise but when theres only me walking him during the day I cant chase after him as Ive got my 3 year old son with me too.

We did try a long line but found that when he saw a dog he was lurching off and then nearly yanking us over and choking himself at the end of the line.

Any advise greatly appreciated!

p.s. wished Id have recorded my husband charging across the field, Scoooooooooooooooooobbbbbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! lol

[Didi38]

Scooby is so cute he looks like my Charlie!
We had this the other day, Charlie is 18 weeks and when off lead is usually fine, however he saw another dog and a boy with a ball, he was gone, we called him, shouted, used his whistle (which he always come to) and nope, he was having none of it. The family did exactly what that man did, kept on walking and walking, my hubby had to chase them and catch them up. I was annoyed that Charlie had ignored us but more annoyed with these idiotic people who can see he is a pup and is probably in the process of being trained (if that ever happens )

[julieju]

It's really difficult when the other dog owner does that, isn't it? Our little bundles will keep going as long as the other dog does the same!

Sorry no useful advice I'm afraid, only that our puppy trainer was always insistent upon continuing along your own path when they won't come back (on the basis that your puppy needs you more than you need him... ) and if you confidently stride off they will come back. Hard to do though but it works with Aero, I brace myself and keep going... he always comes back in the end.

But I see from your post that you already do this... (and obviously running into the street brings in other dangerous hazards). Hope you find a solution, sorry to be no help .

xx

[Bid]

Beamish has started doing this recently . What I am doing is first of all keeping him within a distance I am comfortable with - probably about 30 feet. As soon as he goes too far I tell him to wait and most of the time he does. Since I am constantly calling him, he has started looking back at me to see if I am going to call him, and as soon as he does I tell him "Yay! Good Beamie!" in my excited pleased voice - usually he comes trotting up at that, and I either give him a treat or a little game with Poppy's ball-on-a- rope. THis is working so far, and my plan is to keep doing it all the time, and especially when I see someone coming, so eventually (in my dreams) he will turn to me when he sees someone, rather than run off - that's the plan anyway, and I know it can be done because I walk with a dog who does that!

[Clairejen]

That sounds like typical doodle behaviour! Leon was terrible as a youngster, any dog or person he saw he was off to say hello. I've found that using a wait command before they get into their stride is the best approach for us.

[Bid]

One thing that comes as a surprise to many new dog owners, is that walking your dog isn't the peaceful stroll in the countryside you envisaged - not for about 3 years anyway! For half the time you are making a right racket - recalling your dog in a high pitched excited squeaky voice, hiding in the bushes yelling "Find!", lobbing missiles around the place with enthusiastic "fetch it"s whilst constantly bobbing up and down scanning the horizen for doodle traps. For the other half of the time you are either cursing your absent doodle, fighting back the tears of frustration, dashing around in a mad panic desperately hoping for a glimpse of a doodle backside somewhere in the distance, or - that most futile of exercises - resorting to trusting your doodles better nature and pleading for a smidgen of co-operation (or is it just me )

[shellsie]

No advice as I'm at this stage myself. Must admit did have a chuckle about your hubby though hahaha. Fenton is funny as anything xx

[clare1901]

Oh Bid that did make me laugh...it's so true! Raffa is a nightmare at the moment if he sees another dog he's off and won't come back for anything. I swear it doesn't help that there is another doodle who walks the same walk and she is an angel, Raffa is just tearing around like a lunatic with me jumping around, running the other direction ect ect!!!

What's worse is then I have to go and do it all again with Ruby...who is only 13 weeks old so maybe not quite as bad, at least I can catch her! Be along time before they get walked together

Clare,Raffa and Ruby

[Alfieandlindsey]

Bid that made me chuckle!!

Love that Fentonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn clip!!

[Pollydoodle]

One thing that comes as a surprise to many new dog owners, is that walking your dog isn't the peaceful stroll in the countryside you envisaged - not for about 3 years anyway! For half the time you are making a right racket - recalling your dog in a high pitched excited squeaky voice, hiding in the bushes yelling "Find!", lobbing missiles around the place with enthusiastic "fetch it"s whilst constantly bobbing up and down scanning the horizen for doodle traps. For the other half of the time you are either cursing your absent doodle, fighting back the tears of frustration, dashing around in a mad panic desperately hoping for a glimpse of a doodle backside somewhere in the distance, or - that most futile of exercises - resorting to trusting your doodles better nature and pleading for a smidgen of co-operation (or is it just me )

Whew - a relief - not just me then ! Perfectly put,Bid

[nicollf]

Oh I do so relate to Bid's post! Lottie is going through her second or third recall 'lapse' and walks off into the wide blue yonder following all sorts of things without a backward glance and she has stopped doing the recall exercise properly at training class in spite of having mastered it ages ago. It is sooooooooooo frustrating. The dog trainer kindly suggested that she might be a late developer and going through her 'teenage' spell, but she has already been through that twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so glad so many other doodles are the same, it makes me feel less of a failure as a dog trainer!!

xxFiona

[Jenny679]

Hi,

We are going through the same thing at the moment. Coco is 16 months old, we have just moved to a village location right next door to the pub!!

Coco was fine at first never straying to far and always checking to see where we are.

Now 1 1/2 months later will she come back, not a chance. Coco has now discovered how to stealth escape from the house and takes herself of to the pub followed by a nice stroll up the bridleway, whilst we are having kittens as to her whereabouts

I am now going to have to take her to our local dog training centre and re-train on the recall.

It is soooo nice to know that it is the doodle way and they just love to be with other peeps and dogs.

I had an encounter this morning with a man walking his Golden Retriver who is also a working Guide Dog and he said and I Quote that Coco needs to be socialised!!!! To say that I was quite cross at this statement is an understatment. Coco is the most friendliest of dogs I have ever come across she loves everybody, maybe a bit too much at times but on the whole she has not got a bad bone in her body.

Sorry about the rant but i am getting to my wits end.

Thanks for listening and good luck to us all with recall training

[mistydog]

Freddie was great at recall until he was he was about 7 months, then he went all 'Kevin. He is known in the village and has been brought back many a time. People coming through the gate are told 'if you let the dog out you go and find him!'

At 4 1/2 he doesn't get out of the field I use a horse lunge line when taking him anywhere nice and if I do let him go keep the line on and only in big open spaces. Luckily at home he has a large space to gallop around in. Our old GSP would disappear in the woods and we would keep on walking and she would turn up when ready but we always knew she would come back, not sure with Freddie!

[Liz!]

Lola did that EXACTLY - the looking at my treat, then running after the dog!

I can only say that after going to Kennel Club lessons (she did bronze, silver and gold, but failed at gold because she wouldn't leave my side when she was supposed to stay) really did cure her.

It's something to do with the fact that with someone overseeing the training, the amount of money you are spending to get it better, you listen and do exactly what they say and never deviate, week by week it gets better. We were taught, a definite STOP command, which has really worked. Also a DOWN so they lie down immediately. And a return, even if they are running away from you.

The other thing is to just get used to the amount of distance away from you that your dog considers itself out of your control. Try not to let it beyond that distance. This really works.

I am a HUGe fan of the kennel club lessons they and the wonderful trainer we had were invaluable. She changed tactics depending on the dog. They all respond to different ways of training.

[Sharan]

Rudy has just hit 9 months and i was started to get excited at his near perfect recall ... My mistake!!
He wouldn't come back for anything if there was a dog around ...
What i have started to do is to keep his attention on me from the start of the walk. So as soon as we get to the woods we play his favorite - hide and seek - and i find that sets the tone for the walk. After that, every time i call Rudy he looks for me and once i have his attention it's easier to snap him out of the mad dash to other people or dogs.
Also once he has 'found me' he gets over the top praise and treats!