Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 5:04 pm Post subject: Getting dog to come back
I'm just looking some tips on how to train fudge to come back at say the beach. If I let her off the lead she will take off the length of the beach to try and play with other dogs and want to know what's the best way to get her to turn around and come back to me.
Any help would be great.
Esp since a runner today kicked her when the gf had her down the beach. Fudge just ran over to him and he kicked her. So wish I would have been there. Really annoyed about it.
David, how old is your girlie? Getting her to come back to you is called a 'recall' and really should be top of your list of priorities when a very young puppy to soundly teach this. They hit a certain age, and that varies from dog to dog, and their natural insecurity that draws them easily back to you when very young, gradually dimishes and they are FAR harder to teach a reliable recall to after a certain age, usually around 5 - 6 months of age.
Did you take her to puppy classes? Have you worked in the garden or elsewhere on recalls at any stage? I ask because it will give me an idea of what she knows and doesn't know (or - grin - more accurately as owners what we THINK they know and what they REALLY soundly know, which can be very very different, fustratingly...)
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Hi David,so sorry Fudge was kicked.That's disgusting.
I used treats to teach recall in conjunction with a whistle. A lot will depend on how food orientated Fudge is (normally not a problem with a lab ) I find a whistle a bit easier if it's a windy/rainy day. Pretty good for a beach! I found a nice quiet field and practised,practised,practised. Each time Lottie came back she got a nice treat (smelly cheese or liver treats are good) She soon got the hang of it and the younger they are when you start,the better.
Some people like to use a favourite sqeaky toy amongst other things. Lots of praise and a treat repeated many times. It worked for me and I use the same method for my clients dogs if their recall isn't so good as I often walk up to 6 dogs so they need to come back!
I'm sure people will tell you their experiences (some have used a long line but we were lucky enough not to need to) and that is just mine.
Hope it all works out for you and that Fudge never gets kicked again
Hi, she is 14 weeks at the min and I've had her for about 3 weeks.
She comes back great when out in the garden or even out in field on her own but soon as she is at beach she wants to run and play with anyone or anything.
I'll try giving her treats when she comes back. I find going down to beach on a rainy day better as not very busy
I had her at a puppy thing at local vets but was more socialising. My friends dad trains dogs and his next puppy classes start in jan which I intend to take fudge too
I think I would be booking some training classes now as if you wait until January, she will be an adolescent and you will have missed that really important "Mum+Dad are the most important thing in my world" stage where you can really get training off to a flying start.
Even though I knew the basics of training, I found those early classes good with my three as its great to practice when you have the distraction of other puppies around!
As Rach says above, training classes sooner rather than later *ideally* as she WILL behave without distractions, probably like an angel, but add people, the sea, other dogs etc it will all go out the window
The MOST import thing I can say to anyone with a puppy or young dog simply is, TRAIN in a real life situation. You don't pass a driving test by driving on a simulator then face the real roads, so TRAIN your puppy, out on a walk... yes at home too, but let her off, let her have a sniff, then as she lifts her head to decide 'what to do next' BE that thing....call her excitedly into you, clapping your hands and see her bowl in, then give her a tasty treat immediately, a quick fuss, then send her on her way again...
If she has spotted something and is already running in a determinned manner, FORGET calling, we might as well throw words at the wind, just get on your toes and follow her up so that when she 'arrives, you are VERY quickly on hand to retrieve her, wasting no time in standing yelling, pretending to run away etc etc, just get after her without calling, then get ten foot away and call her to you when she breaks from greeting a dog etc, then take her collar with one hand, and treat with the other, clip her lead on, leave the 'distraction' with her on the lead, get a REALLY good distance away and make yourself interesting by way of a game with a ball (in the OPPOISITE direction to the one she just bolted too - grin) and get her back focused on you. then when distractions have passed, send her on her way, but do a few more recalls ONLY when she has BEEN distracted by something, she has finished with that, and she lifts her head for the 'next thing'... otherwise she will just learn to tune you out and your voice is 'background noise' whilst she does what she REALLY wants
Good luck, but training where she walks will pay dividends... some days make it training only, not mad freerunning, or only after a decent session of training for 15 mins or so. We call them 'training walks' so its exercise, but not as she knows it
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
It's still early days, she's only a baby at 14 weeks and most puppies are keen to stick near their owners at that age.
It is never too soon to start with a whistle (use a good quality gundog whistle, they are only £3-£4) and I have found this to be a very successful way of teaching recall with Coco. I started off just giving the recall command with the whistle when I put her food down, then rattle a bit of food and whistle, then whistle and rattle food, gradually increasing the distance. Only when you have a really good response at home can you start taking it outside and only in quiet areas to start with.
The worst thing you can do is to ask your dog to come back when you know it is too distracted and is likely to refuse, it just gives them a choice and you really want her to believe that there is only one thing to do when you give the recall command.
You also have to be prepared to look silly when you have a puppy. They react really well to silly high pitched voices and big arm movements, you could try squeaky toys too. Running away from your pup or hiding behind trees/walls are also good ways of making sure she keeps an eye on you. Try to work on being the most exciting thing for your pup to be with then she will be more likely to stay with you than run away to play with other dogs. You and your girlfriend could move apart and call her from one to the other, rewarding her with a treat or play each time she comes. It might be better to work on it away from other distractions for a while and maybe avoid the beach if that is where she is tempted to run off.
Hopefully she will forget her encounter with the jogger and not have any further problems.
You need to soundly teach a verbal 'come' command first... so clap her into you using your command excitedly, and treat her on arrival at you. Many many times over set upo AND 'real life' senarios.
They don't just know what a whistle noise means, so TEACH a recall first verbally, then use the same body langauge but three very brisk pips repeatedly for recall... then fuss and treat. Start shot and easy and then work up from there.
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
My Bella is 18 months now. He recall used to be good and even arounf dogs. When she used to see dogs I'd say wait and she'd wait and then I'd grab her collar and treat her.
Now.....she sees a dog I say wait and she doesn't then bolts. What do I do????
Go back to basics? Long line? Some people don't appreciate a 30kg dogs running towards their dogs, especially the little ones
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) I find a whistle a bit easier if it's a windy/rainy day. Pretty good for a beach! I found a nice quiet field and practised,practised,practised. Each time Lottie came back she got a nice treat (smelly cheese or liver treats are good) She soon got the hang of it and the younger they are when you start,the better.
