Whippet Puppy losing recall

[CabanaBayLife]

Hi guys,

I have a 5 months old Whippet boy not neutered, who has always had excellent recall. However recently when chasing a ball he runs around me in circles instead of is fetch and drop that he did previously it’s like he chooses to ignore me any advise would be grateful appreciated.

Also when we sit down to eat he attempts to steal the food until we put him another room but then he barks and cries is this normal for a whippet??

He is the little cutie.

[missbattenburg]

The teenage years

Lots of puppies go through a period between about 6-12 months in which they sexually mature and seem to forget all their training and become little terrorists. No advice except to stay patient and consistent and trust he will come through on the other side when his training should come back t him and normal behaviour will resume.

[fourpawswhite]

Ah, puppy regression. Usually six to seven months, starting now I would say. Bit like terrible twos. They lure you into a sense of smugness and peace where you think you have finally cracked it, then they go right back to earlier than the beginning.

So, back to basics really. Correct bad behaviour, positive reward training, find the soft spot, sausages for mine and start again.

[CabanaBayLife]

Thank you missbattenberg I have been dreading the teenage years and assumed it was this but thought I would check.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

Yep, totally normal for their behaviour to deteriorate somewhat as become adolescents.

I'd highly recommend the book Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson for recall related issues. It's also a good idea, particularly with a breed prone to having a high prey drive, to do plenty of impulse control work. Flirt poles are brilliant for both working on impulse control and also giving them an appropriate outlet for their prey drive.

With regards to the food stealing (which is totally normal for a whippet ), mat training can be really helpful for this. It's much easier to teach them an alternative behaviour you do want them to perform (such as sitting on their mat/bed whilst you're eating) rather than focusing purely on stopping the behaviour you don't want. This book (which is available free on Kindle) is a good one for getting started with mat training.

[BiteyShark]

My dogs recall was great up to about 6 months of age when it disappeared due to selective deafness. Around the 9-10 month of age he started to behave again so stick with it

[stayathomegardener]

Exactly the same with our whippet, so easy to train and responsive initially.
Lost all recall at the same age as yours.
He will be two this summer and is still showing no signs of improvement.
It's not just a prey drive thing, he totally ignores his name, even turns his head the other way.
He will now only respond reliably to the word biscuits! And can only be let off in secure fields.

[monkeywithacowface]

My 6 month old lurcher pup has had sketchy recall for the last couple of weeks. Fine with no other distractions but hopeless when playing with other dogs or when he spots a crisp packet in the distance

[bluetongue]

Cute whippet baby My whippet boy is also a teenager and unless I have treats pretends that he forgotten all his training.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

My whippet boy is also a teenager and unless I have treats pretends that he forgotten all his training.

Mine are all grownups and are like that, I never walk them without a copious supply of treats. Desirability of the treats has a noticeable impact as well, they'll recall reasonably well for cheese but like lightning for black pudding/leftover burger

[bluetongue]

Too funny Cornflake I’ve had a few embarrassing moments when Bluepuppy won’t sit when needed. He just sits there and looks every other direction than me while I’m going sit SIT SIIIT! Then I have to explain he has done (and passed) training classes. Really he has!