Hello and Training Tips please!!!

[Inthepotty]

Have been lurking around the doghouse for a while, but this is my 1st post...
We recently 'acquired' a 3 month old Lab x pup, (long story!) and whilst basic training is going very well, I've a couple of Qs I'd like help with please!
Ive been letting him off lead alot with my Dads dogs (whippets, who have suprising excellent recall!!) and he's been trotting back to me fine, absolutely fine- however tonight I took him out after school run onto big empty field near my house, and he seemed to be so excited to be put that had a temp loss of hearing! Me and DS did hilarious dancing clapping routine and he did come back after he'd eventually stopped sniffing a stick. So, do I O back to long string on collar for safety grab or just persevere with smelly liver treats?? Would it be a step back to use long lead again???

Also (sorry and thanks if you're still here!!) pup seems v v attached to me! And will really jump and mouth my DS and DDs. I'm not overly worried as I know it's just play but tips on how to get him to respond to my Dh telling him "OFF!" would be great!! Listens to me every time I say it so know he understands!
Thank you!

[KatharineClifton]

Related to your post, I'd like to know why my dog obeys commands from me, but when my children do it in the correct way the commands are completely ignored. We've only had her for 3 weeks so will time help?

[Inthepotty]

See, for us our pup will 'sit' and 'down' for my 5y DS and myself, no1 else though, maybe it's just who they slend most time with, who feeds them, ect. Hopefully some1 more knowledgeable will be along soon!!!

[RedwingWinter]

The thing is, you might not be too worried about the pup jumping and mouthing at DS and DDs now, but once it's got bigger it will be a bit different. Also if it jumped on an elderly and infirm person, it might knock them over. So it's worth teaching pup not to jump. The pup is jumping for attention so even saying 'no' can be a reward for it. The best thing is to fold your arms and turn around, and ignore it. If you can teach DS and DDs to do this too, it will help. The trouble is that people usually reward a dog for jumping (even if they say 'no jumping' they usually still make a fuss) and this can mean it takes a while for pup to learn. The dog will probably initially learn not to jump on the people who cross their arms and turn away, and keep jumping on others, and it will take a while for it to generalize.

With the other commands, you can get DDs and DH to use treats too for 'sit' and 'down'. Maybe at the moment the dog recognizes the command in your voice only (rather than the word in general), and needs to learn to recognize it from other speakers too; or maybe he will only do it for treats at the moment and thinks they only come from you.

With the off-lead thing, I'm not the best person to give advice since I have a breed that is known for poor recall and so, even though I practise recall with him, he's never off-lead except in a securely fenced area. However, initially when you let the dog off lead he is probably a bit unsure of things and will keep coming back to you for reassurance; as he gets used to it he'll get braver and want to go off and do other things. I think you just have to keep working on the recall with your best treats, and be careful about where you let him off-lead until he's better at it. I don't think it's a step back to keep using the long line until you're sure he'll return. If the other dogs are well-behaved then he'll probably come back with them, but when he's on his own he doesn't have them as an example to copy.

[Inthepotty]

Thanks so much for the long and detailed reply! I didn't mean that we let him mouth us, just didn't want to come across as whinging about it IYSWIM? He'll stop once he's told, and the DCs have learnt pretty quick to just walk away and ignore. He's really getting that I ignore him when jumping up, and he will force his little bum down to the floor, I can see it's a big effort as he's just so happy to see me! I've got DH fully on board and the DCS, it's other people (usually dog owners!) who sort of make a big fuss over him. So I suppose I need to train everyone who comes over to do the arms crossed, ignore regime! Thanks again. I'm a bit of a worrier about it all- my first dog since leaving home, it's like having a newborn again!

[chickflit]

Am watching with interest my lab x pup is just a month older was absolutely brilliant at recall when he was younger but now won't come back at all for tasty treats. I walk him on the lead now but it's no fun for either of us. He's great at recall in the garden and in the house when we practice, but as soon as we go for a walk he'll do everything he can not to come back and for us not to catch him.

Although where we walk we're pretty isolated occasionally another walker will come past and he goes crazy to say hello to them - if he's not on the lead he's like a rocket streaking up to them and if he's on the lead he tries and dances on the end of it nearly hanging himself to get to them, all the time with me trying to enforce sit and wait.

I've got the DC's going up and down in front of him on their bikes because he does the same with bikes - it's slow going but I would love to be able to let him off the lead again. He needs a good run.

[Rhinestone]

OK, I can't advise much on recall either as I have a husky! But have you tried the 'jackpot' treat method? The idea is that if a dog gets the same treat in the same quantity every time, it'll get bored. It knows what the reward is and the reward is too predictable. You have to occasionally let your dog think its won the jackpot - literally give it about 15-20 of its favourite treat - steak or chicken work well!

For ever after it will be wondering if this is the time it hits that jack pot again! Mix it up so that normally you just give one or two treats but every so often you give 5 and very occasionally - the jackpot again.

With mouthing, have you tried 'yelp and shun'? Google it for a full description. If he's jumping up and mouthing it's because he wants your attention. Telling him 'off' and making eye contact is a form of attention. The idea is he learns that that behaviour = no attention whatsoever from you.

[Avantia]

I have never heard of the 'jackpot' treat but that is certainly something I am going to try - lab usually good but she has been kept in a lead for nearly four weeks and this week has had 'freedom' and has had a memory lapse

[Rhinestone]

It has actually worked on my husky - not on recall though obviously!!

[Inthepotty]

Right- jackpot treat, will give that a try. Will cook up some liver tonight, that should do it! Am also doing the 'mad, crazy woman' runbwhen we are out, so he thinks I'm someone interesting to run about with!

[RedwingWinter]

Jackpot treat is a good idea!

Inthepotty, it sounds like you're doing really well with all the training. I'm sure if you just keep at it you'll get it all sorted in time.