Recall has disappeared!!

[monkeywithacowface]

Previously excellent recall but now adolescence has really hit (9 months) and it has literally disappeared. I've tried changing his treats baked liver/cheese etc and my previously greedy, highly food motivated pup takes one look at the treat and runs off or just ignores me completely.

What's the best way to get it back as he loves to be off lead and play with other dogs but if I can't call him back to stop him approaching on lead dogs and can't get him back on the lead (took 45 minutes today) then I feel I can't risk it.

Just to add to the stress my previously placid chap appears to be becoming reactive on the lead. Sometimes it's a frustrated greeting when he wants to play but other (especially with bigger dogs) it's bolshy and a bit more aggressive looking. So lead walking isn't much fun either.

What has happened to my easy going pup? Will normal service resume??!!

[Elphame]

Join the club. We are 8 months old. He used to be brilliant, now I can't trust him at all.

I'm using a long line and hoping he grows out of it as he matures. He'll recall on the line if there are no distractions and I have treats but otherwise he takes no notice whatsoever...

[BiteyShark]

Mine started to lose recall from around 6 months of age when he hit teenage mode. Ages 8-9 months was the worst period but slowly he started to get better around 10 months and by 1 year we had regained it.

I spent most walks feeling miserable and knowing he was going to ignore me. I tried many techniques with the best being the one where I was in an open space away from other distractions and I simply walked in the direction opposite to him so every time he ran past I turned in the opposite direction. Whilst looking like a fool and although it didn't cure his recall he did start to pay attention to where I was because he didn't know where I was going rather than the other way round. The worst thing I found was simply standing and shouting him to come back because he knew where I was and therefore didn't 'need' to come back. I avoided areas with dogs when his recall was bad and ended up walking really early in the morning.

Another thing that helped, other than maturity, was finding something more interesting to him. On walks I think he was bored so he made his own fun hunting or running off to other things like dogs and people. I stopped doing the traditional walk and started trying to make myself more fun, so playing ball with him and hunting for hidden balls rather than simply walking (I have a spaniel so chasing and finding balls helped take his mind of hunting other things).

Keep at it because it does get better.

[Wolfiefan]

Can you use a longline for now?
I'm working through the total recall book at the moment. It's great.

[pigsDOfly]

Yes, long line worked for my little rebel when she hit adolescence, and I kept her on it for many months. If you tie knots along the line it helps when you need to stamp on it.

Oh what fun we had! She knew all the tricks to wind me up, but mostly she would recall perfectly and my heart would rise in my breast, only to fall into my stomach as she stayed just out of grabbing distance. I swear to god I could hear her yelling nah, nah, nah as she ran off again to the other side of the park.

The do get through it though.

[Elphame]

I'm not even dropping the line at the moment - he gets the scent of a dog and he's gone!

[LilCamper]

Long line and harness.

[Bourgainvillia]

Try using a ball if he likes to play fetch, works a treat with mine, especially when he gets a treat too!

[FairfaxAikman]

I second a longline.

Also, slightly off the wall suggestion but maybe try flyball?
It's essentially one big recall game.
I have been taking my girl for years but about a year ago started taking DFs dog too. He had horrible recall due to old- school training methods so I was undoing a lot of problems as well as building his recall.
He's not perfect (still goes deaf if he needs to crap) but he's gone from 10% to about 80% reliable.

[FoxesAreFabulous]

Hi monkey you are not alone! Our furry little sod will be 2 in May and his recall went seriously AWOL from about 8-9 months - it's definitely the teenage phase and they really know how to wind you up! As soon as our boy spotted a dog he liked the look of - male or female - he was off across the park at top speed and completely deaf to anyone calling him back. He never actually ran away from us and disappeared but just wouldn't come back and it was highly embarrassing pursuing him across parks. We learnt to keep a very keen eye out for dogs on lead so we could get his lead on before he made a run for the other dog. What worked well for us was making sure we always had a squeaky tennis ball with us as he would do almost anything for a ball and when he heard the squeak, 9 times out of 10 he'd dash back to us.
They do grow out of this phase and our boy now has much better recall - not perfect yet but he is much more responsive. We also found that his recall improved after he was neutered -this may or may not be something you intend to do and in fact, we held off for as long as possible but he was becoming a problem for our dog sitters with some of the other dogs so we had him done at just turned 18 months and that does seem to have calmed the urge to determinedly pursue certain dogs across the local parks . As you'll probably know, it's better for them to reach maturity before being neutered so not an option for yours quite yet but something else to throw into the mix!

[ZandathePanda]

Wait 9 months and magically it will reappear.
You have my sympathies.
In the meantime get a ball thrower and ball and see if that helps.
The most important thing is try to make yourself the most 'exciting' to come back too. This can be very embarrassing.

[pigsDOfly]

Oh yes, Zanda the embarrassment of leaping up and down, waving my arms above my head and yelling to my dog in a slightly manic high pitched voice, I remember it well; actually I still do it sometimes just to amuse her and she's nearly 7 years old.

I don't care anymore what people think of me. I long ago lost all dignity - at least in the park - in my efforts to achieve the end result, but she does have a fantastic recall.

[Wolfiefan]

And hiding behind trees.
And running away from your dog.
And using a daft high pitched "aren't I exciting and don't you want to come back to me" voice.
And completely OTT performance dog owner style praising when you get recall.
Oh my dignity is long gone!

[TattyCat]

I'm constantly hiding behind trees when walking the dog (forest walks, so plenty of choice). When she 'finds' me, we chase each other around the tree a bit - she loves it and gets really bouncy and happy!

[Wolfiefan]

We also play whisht. It involves me holding my arms in the air (stupid big smile is obligatory) and as she runs past I run my hands over her (sort of catch her) as I say whisht.
It's a lot more fun than it sounds!

[TattyCat]

Wolfiefan I'm going to try this!!!

[pigsDOfly]

Oh yes, something my dog likes to do when we're in the park is to sit down and wait for me to get some distance from her, the further the better. Then she'll stare at me expectantly and I have to call her so she can come bounding up to me and get a treat. This games requires no instruction on sitting and waiting from me and was devised entirely by my dog.

I imagine she's very proud of how well she's trained me in recall and treating skills.

[missbattenburg]

wolfiefan ha! I thought we were the only pair to devise stupid games.

We play "booya!" in which the springer runs away from me then turns around to look back. I raise one arm out to the side and wait while he RUNS at full pelt into my palm in a kind of nose touch that has got more and more exaggerated as we go along. I yell "booya!" as he touches my hand.

I think he now thinks of my palm like a big button that he has to give a good push and treats fall out. A good game of Booya is pretty much my go-to way to get him to recall when all else fails.

That and yelling "don't follow me" while I run off. Despite not knowing words, there is something about telling him NOT to do something that means he cannot resist doing it.

[TattyCat]

pigsDOfly I proper laughed out loud at that - it's exactly what my dog has just started doing! I'd been working on her recall and it involved treats, so she's now adapted it into exactly what yours is doing!

missbattenburg I play a similar game with mine - she walks ahead of me then turns around to look at me, at which point I know what she wants which is to be chased. Once I've done that, she comes bounding back to me as though she's back to puppyhood. Rinse and repeat!

Our walks are always sometimes exhausting!

[monkeywithacowface]

Thanks for all the responses and the tips. Good to know it's not just my dog and hopefully it is a phase.

Interesting idea about the flyball and funnily enough something I'd been thinking of looking into anyway.

I think he's just slowly training me too. We've gone from crate in the kitchen to no crate and a bean bag in the kitchen, to a bed in my room to on my bed all night

[pigsDOfly]

Love all these amazing games and antics. Does make me wonder whether those people I see walking their dogs whilst permanently on their mobiles know exactly how much dog related fun they're missing out on.

[TattyCat]

I think he's just slowly training me too. We've gone from crate in the kitchen to no crate and a bean bag in the kitchen, to a bed in my room to on my bed all night

Yep, he will be! This thread is amazing - I can identify with most of the behaviours mentioned from different posters.

Mine's a rescue and she's been with us for around 18 months now. She's also gravitated from her own bed, to the sofa, to her bed upstairs, to my bed (when DP is away during the week), to actually now getting into the bed. She pulls the covers back and snuffles down into it - sadly for her I'm going to have to stop that! I don't mind her being on the bed, but I do mind her being in it!!

Quite apart from anything else, I can't be doing with all the washing that requires - I can't leave the bedding more than a week at the best of times but the need to change more often is too much! She is lovely though and I sleep better with her next to me, even if she does kick me all night.