I lost my puppy (for 10mins but still) Help!

[lisad123isgoingcrazy]

Our doddle is lovely and very well behaved in the house and on a walk if we are alone! As soon as we get near another dog he wants t play.
This happened the other day in the woods and other dog owner carried on wlaking so i had to physically run after him and took ages to find him
I understand he is a puppy, and he was doing well with the "leave " command, but it goes out the window if there is a dog around (previous to this he would leave a dog if far enough away)

Anyone got some good advice? Would love to train with another dog but not easy to find someone. :(

Packet of food treats in your pocket that you can rattle?

Has he got your phone number on a tag on his collar? My dog went missing for 2 hours on a walk once, was awful. We had to leave in the end and go back to the car and drive about looking for her as it was obvious she'd gone some distance. Found her about 3 miles away in the end.

we always have treats as he is still a puppy and his very food led. Yes he has my mobile number on his collar and his chipped

My younger Shep was very much like this. The trick, they say (and certainly it has worked for me) is to make you far more appealing and interesting than anything else in the world.

So, what's pooch's weak spot? Treats? A ball? A tug toy?

Whatever it is, take it with you on walks every time - but practice lots in the garden first. If the object of his adoration is treats, make him liver cake and carry that... it smells awful but dogs find it irresistable.

Starting in the garden, get pooch to sit and reward with a treat with loads of fuss too. Ask the DC or DH to pass by - alone, with a ball, making a noice, with if you can borrow one, a pal's easy going dog as stooge, any of these, starting off with the less exciting and distracting options and working up to the really interesting ones. Every time he focuses on you (and treat/ball/toy/whatever he adores most) and not anything else, reward with lots of fuss.
The object of the exercise is to get pooch's attention totally on you, even if he looks around at that really interesting other dog/toy/whatever, for you to be able to immediately re-capture his attention.

It DOES take time and an almighty amount of patience. I found that my GSD was better doing this off lead than on and that he feels less threatened off lead. The terrier who passed by on his own lead yesterday, making an almighty racket and lunging towards Chester would have had my boy pulling at the lead to nose, possibly tell him off and play with, so I kept him off lead and focused on me and a stick (shouldn't play stick really, it can be dangerous, but it did the trick!). To his credit Chester sat watching the stick and me, once looked at and put a paw in the direction of the terrier but was called back into focus immediately with a sharp NO from me and a lot of stick waving, look Chester, what have I got, mad enthusiasm from me.

(Terrier's owner now thinks that I'm a nutter but that I do have a very well behaved German Shepherd!!!).

You have to be consistant and to repeat this approach daily, but it DOES work.

i'm not a dog expert, but i've found with my dog that if i chase after her it makes it worse - i think she thinks that as i'm following her i'm giving my seal of approval. so if i walk slowly in the opposite direction she's more likely to follow me. Also, i don't call her continuously as i think she finds this reasurring - ie no need to panic as i can hear dreaming is still around.

i try and walk her in places where there are no roads - obviously.

Oh! And the other bit of advice is to establish the recall command "here" rather than "Rover/Fido/whatever". That way there is no ambiguity in his mind as to what you are saying.

Otherwise, you, like me, probably use his name for a million different reasons... to let him know his dinner is ready, when telling DH that Fido chewed your shoes, when sighing in exasperation because he pushed the door open and made you cold...

If you use it to get him to come to you as well, he may quite possible just not connect the call and the need for urgent, appropriate response.

I also walk in the opposite direction and it works with mine if she's stubbornly ignoring me. I go out of sight (I can see her but don't think she can see me) and stop calling her so she know I've 'gone' and quickly catches up. My other dog responds very well to the whistle and comes bombing back for a treat.

Just practise the recall constantly on walks even when you don't need to.

thanks, we use "come" as a command. We were in the woods, so couldnt get sight of him. Think we will go back to basics with practice with the kids (we did this at start). Will also ask friend with dog to help (if i can find one)

I'd get a whistle too lisa, and teach recall with both 'come' and a whistle. Teach them separately though, but both with the same maximum rewards +++ and super fun when the dog comes back.

The sound of a whistle carries much further than my screechy voice, and carries no emotion in it, so even if you are frustrated to volcanic eruption levels the whistle won't convey that to your dog.