Total Recall thread!

[Aked]

Anyone want to join me?

I am waiting for my whistle to arrive (hopefully tomorrow) and will then be commencing training. I am determined for this to work! I need to get some jackpot treats in, and then have another read of the conditioning part before I embark on our recall journey.

Some support from others in the same situation might give us all even more motivation:)

We did supremely well with that book until the point where you have to use the whistle to call them for their meals. As soon as he arrived for anything other than hot roast chicken the whistle lost all its power in one fell swoop

I don't know what to pull out of my pocket for a dog who adores people and dogs more than food or toys!

Pouches of wet cat food. Keep at it, my over friendly and exuberant lab recalled from 2 deer running across his path yesterday and an equally friendly Golden Retriever today. I will still work on his recall every single day. Recall training never ends

A tube of primula cheese is your friend and keep it simple.

Practice in your garden and around the house, 3 pips needs to mean return to me immediately no matter what you're chasing, rolling in, sniffing, chewing, carrying, spotted on the horizon.

You have to be the most interesting person in the world ever and don't leave garden until you are certain you are.

Has anyone got any tips on what to use when you dog isn't motivated by food or squeaky toys...i've done it all...the primula, liver, livercake, cooked sausage, chicken, hotdogs, squeaky balls...you name it. He is just not bothered.

So far, having had no whistle, I've been working on making myself fun! Yesterday I kept the longline on, and played with her all the way round, interspersed with some heel work and just relaxed walking on the lead. It was tiring! I lost her once to three lurchers, but didn't keep calling, just went over and eventually stepped on the lead to stop her, then called her from there rather than just reel her in!

Once she ran after a squirrel - worrying when she has the lead trailing and disappears into the wood. Not sure what to do about that because the woods are our everyday walk, and she is quick. I realise she is self rewarding here, longer lead perhaps to give me more time to get it? I'm not supposed to hold it am I? I think mine is probably 10ft.

I am so determined to do this. She's a bright little thing, and food orientated, so hope this works in my favour.

fan no ideas from me I'm afraid!

Would he chase you fan? Chase a ball to keep him occupied even before he goes off to another dog?

Lil did you follow the Total Recall plan? Or is it all your own doing? :)

Not remotely interested in balls when he is out, the only prize he cares about is doggy playtime. Doesn't care where I am either, even doing the mad excited bouncing and squealing routine.

He is way too friendly and confident and is obviously spoilt to the extent that he is safe and secure in the knowledge I will rescue him in the end. It is a shame really as it means he is very limited for off lead opportunities. He is totally trustworthy without distraction but is dog obsessed. I need a puppy to whip out for training.

I wish I had a greedy dog but he is very good at self regulatong his food intake and always has been, whatever he is fed. This also means he is fit, lithe and fast

Ah well, fox shit it is then!

I feared as much...damn terrierists and their independant streak

As long as he doesn't expect me to roll in it...

Well you are supposed to be fun... I think you need to make some sacrifices here.

Gah!

What are you aiming for in terms of recall?

Sounds a strange question but are you aiming for immediate returns the first time you call? Is less than this not good recall?

I'm wondering whether I need to up my training efforts rather than relax as I have done recently. Half the time, my 6 month old comes back the first time I call. The other 50% of the time, he keeps going and I have to call 3 or 4 times. But he does always come back eventually and is never out my sight.

If my treats are too yummy he leaps around me and won't run off at all but that is mighty annoying when you want to walk, not be leapt on by a muddy dog!

Bit of both....I have the book and a bit of knowledge on the subject :)

Yes, immediate return when I whistle.

Mine was also good at 6 months, I was very proud of her recall. As she has got older (she is 9 months now), her confidence has grown and so has her distance from me! She loves a good chase, and can see a squirrel from a mile away.

Because she was very good, I relaxed a bit with her. Now she will shoot as soon as I let her off the lead, will disappear (for growing periods of time) for a good few minutes at least. Then she appears again, can clearly hear me, yet totally ignores me until she is ready. So, so frustrating! She is a very friendly pup, wants to greet everyone, play with every dog, and won't come back to me during times she is busy doing this.

Her recall has definitely hit the slippery slope in the past month or so. I'd advise to up your training to avoid being in such a situation, particularly if you are calling three or four times until he comes back. By doing this, you are effectively training him that he needn't return until you have called him three or four times... at least! (I've learnt all this too late, clearly!)

Yes I don't want to be in that situation Aked!

The thing for me is I've started walking every now and then with a friend and her dog and she's so relaxed about recall. Never has treats, just expects her dog to follow her on the walk and return to her even if she can't see her dog from time to time. So she walks briskly, with dog running off and away here and there but although she rarely calls her dog back, she sort of 'knows' where her dog is and 100% of time gets the dog on lead quickly when we reach a road.

So my puppy has started following this older dog and runs off then I seem overly anxious when I'm recalling. I feel like I'm being a bit precious about my dog, always recalling & treating him and I spoil the chat on the walk as I'm so distracted, watching where my dogs going!

Sorry to hijack a bit, just a very interesting topic!

I never fear losing my dog, but I would like him not to race in at full tilt and leap up with muddy paws to each and every person or dog he spies on the horizon if my lead ninja routine lets me down. If he has seen, done the 2 second freeze/one paw raise and then bolted, NOTHING will halt him.

He is 18 months old now. Do I have the oldest errant mutt?

I hasten to add I am careful where he goes off and it happena rarely as we are all on high alert but no one relaxes.

Mine is 2

Not at all mint! Yes it is interesting, when you start to read a bit about it, you come to realise how you might be aiding bad habits totally unintentionally! It is pretty hard work this dog training malarkey.

I've started getting nervous about letting her off, and that's not how I want to feel when going out for a walk. At 7 months or so she was such a pleasure to take out, and I want to get that back. Today I will mostly be making a liver cake. Although am wondering if I shouldn't just chop it into little pieces and freeze it just as is.

I have never let dog off the lead. Well, I did once at the urging of fellow dog walkers at the local recreation ground and... He went off at 90mph and made straight for the car park. He was oblivious to any calling, bribery, and had to be captured by several people doing rugby tackles.

Dog has 100% recall at home/garden. He has 0% recall if there is an interesting dog about. He loves food, but even if I wave a piece of luncheon meat (his absolute fave) in his face at dog training he blanks me.

It reminds me of teenage behaviour: they love you really, but don't want you kissing and hugging them in front of mates-especially ones they're trying to impress.

Whistle has not arrived. D'oh.

Oh dear Lainie:( Do you want to let him off, or are you just resigned to keeping him on a lead? How old is he?

Well today I took her to a field instead of the woods, so that she didn't hang herself if she took off. (Think am going to get a harness to avoid any hanging dog scenarios.) When we got there, there was a lady with a spaniel halfway across the field in front of us. Usually she would charge straight over, but I started playing tug with her, and while we were playing let her go...... She saw the other dog, and stayed with me to play! Yeehah. Progress already. A bit further on she chased a pigeon, and then I called her, she looked and so I started running the other way... she chased. A good walk today.

Just an update, think this may become a little diary for me:) Boring for the rest of you!

Whistles finally arrived on Friday. So since Saturday I have started giving her yummy yumness along with three pips on the whistle. She already seems to get it, sitting and making eye contact with me (her idea!) until I pip pip pip and then she gets her treats. Still only doing this several times a day, and tomorrow will add in doing it at mealtimes too.

As an aside, already just changes I have made are having an effect. Playing with her whilst out walking especially, she loves to chase and play tug. Today it was raining hard and I forgot the toy so we had to use her lead - not a habit I want to introduce but needs must! Anyway, she didn't disappear once, for the first time in ages. All good things. I also feel more relaxed about needing to let her off, the book has made me realise its ok for her to be on the lead for periods during the walk, so if we get to an area where I think she is likely to bolt, I get her back on the lead. I'm far less nervous then:)

I started going to training again on Thursday as well. Spot the delinquent in the room! Barking at everyone etc. she did settle down eventually, and it did make me realise that extra help with her training is still needed.

Hope not to bore anyone, but thought it might help someone else going through the same thing in the future to have a read.

fan My yellow lab is 20 months old and she sounds just like your dog. Every time i read your posts i laugh so much and have a real feeling of solidarity. My mutt loves other dogs more than any tasty treat and that is saying something for a lab. I walk her in very quiet places or on the beach where she is allowed to play with the other dogs. I would say she is improving and if the other dog is slightly boring she will come away easily, but not before she has popped over to say hello. Never a dull moment!