So, I just ordered a long line. Before I kill him.

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

The last week or so, Jasper has been a little...tardy with his recall. Fine, adolescence etc etc. Except today, he not only refused to come back (and swam in circles in the middle of a lake so I physically couldn't retrieve him), but he also took himself home when I tried walking off so that he'd follow me. Except he didn't. He took an alternate route back to my house. Luckily, no major roads crossed or any harm done. But it scared the absolute shit out of me. He is not food motivated when we're out and about, at all, and has always danced just out of reach when it comes to lead attaching time, but this is something else. He usually gives in with a bit of coaxing. It seems that now, though, he just won't come back. He kept dashing past me at great speed like a bull at a bullfighter, but I couldn't grab him. The builders cheered when I came around the corner and the devil dog pup was sunbathing on the front door step. Bloody, buggering hell

[iseenodust]

Does he like retrieving toys? DH often had a nice deep paddle to get our dog back. You know those tennis ball type chucker things? We got one by the same people where you flung a floating donut and that was enough fun to ensure we had his attention.

[Loveleopardprint]

My trainer told me to keep a lead on the dog so that if he/she runs past you can put your foot on the lead to stop them. Don't know if that is viable for you?

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

Thing is, we walk through woods/ponds etc so leaving a line on him would probably lead to me untying knots and rescuing a howling spaniel regualrly. When the long line arrives, I'll take him to a field and we will endlessly practice recall until he no longer stands there with his head cocked when I call weighing up his sodding options

[TheGOLDCunnyFunt]

If you left a lead trailing wouldn't it get wrapped around their legs? Doesn't sound very safe, for the dogs legs and for their neck! Ouch!

[Floralnomad]

Our trainer (police dog handler) also advises leaving a lead attached at first but only in an open field. Our patterdale has a very selective recall and so I am now very selective about where he is off lead - local field ,beaches but nowhere with a lake or any wildlife. This is quite restricting as we live near a lovely nature reserve but it's too much stress and also not fair on the local wildlife as he does chase to kill! Fortunately he is obsessed about balls and that helps as long as I have more than one with me to barter with. We tried recall training with a long lead but he never came back - I think he has selective hearing as well.

[pimmsgalore]

Chickens do you have any friends who have dogs with good recall? When pimmsdog was going through his not coming back stage we walked with our friends dog and when I blew the whistle friends dog would come back so pimmsdog would follow. After a week the recall was back to how it had been, although I never leave home without a pocket full of sausage for the odd occasion when he decides the forest is more interesting than me

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

No, sadly :( My friends have all seen Jasper and have decided to not get a dog. Maybe ever.

[imnotmymum]

Oh he a Springer say no more!! We have a long lead for where you cannot leta dog off lead and it is fine. However would agree with the toy thing ours is obsessed with his ball/stick so we keep him focused. We do. rather than recall (which he can be a little inconsistent he is 2 yesr old), say wait and go to him he will sit and wait.Worth a try. Good luck !

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

He is ball obsessed, but I stopped taking it out as he started to get arsey with other dogs if they interrupted his game. I might have to see if I can find another toy that he loves but without quite the same obsession

[iseenodust]

We have also used a kong ball on a rope. Just didn't throw it if wanted to distract him from another dog. Lab wants toy so I let him mouth it and we end up walking along as if on a v short lead to his mouth but no actual lead on.

[Lougle]

Well Patch is 9 months and is recalling beautifully then sitting for his lead.

However, when DD3 decided to strip this morning at the river, then proceeded to do an emergency poo, Patch rolled in it, then tried to eat it.

Swap?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I use retrieve for recall in Devil Dog when is alone (other times he follows the pack, so I'll call the dog with the best reacll and all 6 come running )

Sometimes it works a little too well. His ball rolled into some shrubbery yesterday when he re-emerged he'd retrieved his, a sulking child, a staffy and two jack rusells

I gave up on recall for the rest of that walk, even balls cannot contend with excitement of having two of his own kind to get into trouble with. The staffy was more interested in the child she had retrieved for me (one of mine who'd be sulking in the bush because I wouldn't let her eat all of the dog's treats )

[sunflowerseeds]

A long line was no use for teaching my dog recall, she comes back if within 40ft but ignores me if she's an inch farther off. Also, it's very heavy when wet.

[TheGOLDCunnyFunt]

D0oin I would just love to be a fly on the wall on your dog walks, they always sound so eventful :o

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Yup. Normally caused by Devil Dog. Tonight it was Devil Dog vs sea defenses.

He saw something dart across the field and into the sea wall (made up of lots of large boulders) and off he went, scaling down the sea wall to investigate

Fortunately he did not get stuck or fall off. Although he didn't recall or retrieve what he'd chased either.

[belindarose]

Could you use the ball at the end of a walk, chickens? My springer is stick obsessed and I just need to have one in my hand for him to lie down, wagging hopefully. Then I can easily catch him after a couple of throws.

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

I actually used the stick trick after our walk this morning, belinda. He gave me such a reproachful look when I snicked the lead on and then spat the stick out in disgust. I care not, hound.

[pinkbraces]

I used a long line for ages, and I still do sometimes if her recall starts to disappear. It can get caught up in trees etc but I used to lose a life each time she didnt come back.

Better of two evils I think.

[Blistory]

I sit.

I know it's the wrong way around but it obviously blows her mind to see me suddenly on the ground that she races back to clamber all over me. It only works with actual bum on the floor - she can see straight through kneeling.

Sometimes wonder what it looks like to everyone passing when I suddenly drop to my arse in a puddle in the middle of the road. Strictly reserved for emergencies but works without fail.

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

I bloody love that, Blistory. Kudos.

[panicnotanymore]

One of my dogs always come back when called. The other looks around for reasons why I might be calling him back, and makes a decision based on that. Dogs, walkers, wildlife, interesting stuff = gives me a doggie two fingers and legs it; nothing interesting what-so-ever = saunters back slowly at own pace, stopping regularly to pee on stuff. They have had the same training.

My conclusion, dogs have different personalities, some are happy to do as they are asked, others don't give a wots-it, and bribery only works if there is nothing better on offer. My approach is to let good dog off his lead at every opportunity, and keep PITA dog on-lead everywhere except my own fenced field where he cannot run off and annoy anyone else.

Disclaimer: I do not give up easily. PITA dog has worked with every trainer in the district, including the gold standard APDT one, has been trained with a long line, high value treats, verbal praise, all the recommended. He is still a PITA and has not improved

[SuperSlattern]

Chickens you have my sympathy. I have a nutcase springer too.

Hopefully it's just a phase and he will grow out of it. Sam went through a similar phase of being a shit not listening at that age. He is three now and has calmed down a bit. When he was really bad we did the walk off method. We chose somewhere he would be ok and walked off and hid. It was the only way to restore the balance.

Also the sit down trick works too with Sam, I'd forgotten about that one. If I sit down he runs over to me wondering what's going on

[Olympicrock]

I have never been on this board before but it is making me feel sooooo much better about my labradoodle with an awful recall!!

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

[silverangel]

Blistory, that's brilliant:)