Should I test the Devil dog for long line-less recall?

[DooinMeCleanin]

After an 'incident' withthe harness and bike lead, I realised his recall might not be so terrible. He came back straight away, first time, despite distractions.

My Dad thinks I should take him down the doggy part of the beach and let him run, because it's all beach and sand dunes for miles, so if he doesn't come back we can just sit and wait him out, there are no roads he could run onto, plus the theory is he will follow Whippy and the others back when they recall. And he loves my Dad so he might come back when he calls him.

Or did he jsut come back because he loves running with the bike more than he loves chasing other dogs and letting him off would be a disaster? (this is my theory)

I'd honestly suggest an enclosed country footpath first, with someone to catch him at the other end of it.

Dog near the water would worry me but then I'm a heap of useless mush when it comes to things like this.

I recall letting Fish offlead for the first time ever before I brought him home, with the rescue boss at the top of the path to head him off should he bolt. He didn't thank God and I walked back through the rescue gates with him and promptly burst into tears of relief.

Likewise when I let him offlead at home for the first time, with no-one at the end of the disused railway track I walk along... I let him off with tears streaming down my face, petrified. He came back and I sobbed some more, this time tears of relief!

two of mine have great recall, one is not so great. if i call the others back the one with not so great recall will come as well just to make sure he isnt missing out on anything so it could work

i would try it if it was me. i fear roads more than water. another thing we have tried when training recall is the canal towpath. but then the one with not so great recall is wary of water so i know he wouldnt jump in

We often let him run in the gated alley and he does come back, but he dawdles back, rather than galloping back like Whippy, stopping to sniff every door he passes

He doesn't come back on the longline a lot of the time, but to be fair to him he doesn't really run on the longline either, he usually finds a tree to lay under. He chases Whippy sometimes and follows her back, she runs in circles around you normally and he'll chase and fetch balls back, but he has never been on the longline in a wide open space before.

yep dog no 2 comes back at his own pace sometimes. dogs no 1 and 3 come back just for the pleasure of listening and me praising them. dog no 2 will come straight back 100% of the time for cheese or sausage, anything less and recall will only be 90+%. considering he has had the same training as the others this does piss me off displease me sometimes

might it be best to try him on the longline in a wide open space before letting him off?

I'd let him off at the beach but leave the long line attached, then if he plays silly buggers you can always stamp on the end of the line to get him back. :)

Oh god yes, don't take the long lead off. I didn't with Fish, not for a couple of weeks after I'd first let him run free!

after saying dog no2 doesnt have great recall we went to the woods and he rushed straight back to me every time i called him. sure he did this just to prove me wrong

I'll try him at the beach on the longline. I get shouted at by my Dad a lot as I sound a lot like you DBF and very paranoid. I am prone to panic attacks when Whippy is off lead, especially if she runs into long grass as she is very small and I can't see her. I'm often heard to yell "Oh my god, where's Whippy? WHIPPY! WHIPPY! WHIPPY HERE!" only to have it pointed out that she is laying down just behind my feet wondering what the hell I am yelling at

It's my Dad's idea to let him off at the beach, he thinks I don't have enough faith in him and in myself.

He just lets his off to run for miles with the complete faith that they will come back when he calls them. Whippy is only allowed to run where I can see her. My little Staffy was hit by a car and killed off lead while I was away on holiday, ever since then I am wobbly when letting them off lead and don't like anyone else to be left in charge of them. The kennels I use is the most expensive in our area and is a farm in the arse end of no-where and I still worry about them being hit by cars, despite having used the kennels for 20+ years if you count our family dogs and there being nothing but fields, dirt roads and cows for miles around, oh yes and they only let them run off in the purpose built run.

Have you got an outdoor tennis court anywhere near you? One of those late at night might be a good place to try flying naked so to speak (it's our cunning plan for offlead greyhound whompage - but we're lucky and have one at the end of the road).

Yes we have a few, but I don't think dogs are allowed on them. They used to be allowed once they had closed for Tennis, but people not clearing up their dogs crap spoiled it for us responsible types.

As I said we have the gated alley, but there are too many things for him to sniff and he just meanders back sniffing as he goes, it's not really a proper look at how he would behave in open space iyswim?

I think I'll go for the beach with longline + large pack of recallable dogs + my Dad + stinky cheese.