How to train recall when food isn’t as fun as squirrels!

[Cherrypie32]

My dog is obsessed with squirrels and probably other small woodland creatures. It’s the worst time of year as they are everywhere on our country park walk, but it’s getting dangerous because he runs off at high speed and there are cars about plus he’s well out of eye and ear shot so he’s taking longer and longer to find us or come back. He needs to run so lead walking is not an option but it’s making me dread walking him. It doesn’t help that he’s not at all food oriented. Any training ideas would be much appreciated.

This is a quite a good article, might be worth a look
dogsdigdirt.com/calming-a-high-prey-drive-in-dogs/

Basically, you need to keep him on a lead until you can break the habit and reign in his prey drive. Every time he chases he's self-reinforcing that behaviour.
In the meantime, a long line connected to a harness or exercising in a fenced in area might help.

Is he more interested in toys than treats? What food are you using?

He loves his ball but I don’t use it the whole walk and obviously it’s razzing him up too so not ideal. There’s no way currently he’d stay with me for ham or sausage or anything high value. He’s a collie cross.

Can you find an enclosed area for dog walking to train him in? Some places you can hire for the hour or so.

I probably could. I am lucky to be able to walk on the beach too and his recall there were a fine so I still don’t know what I’m teaching in a field with no distractions because as soon as he saw one he’d be off!

We have an emergency squeaky tennis ball which is my dog’s highest ever value thing but we only use it for emergency recall

If your dog is ok in the beach, go there for off-lead runs and stick to the lead in the woods. Can you do something like canicross with him so that he’s still able to run even if he’s not offlead?

You need to work on desensitising him to squirrels or anything else he's chasing. That work needs to be done on a lead and at a distance where he's aware of their presence but can still refocus on you. Slowly moving closer or using a longer lead to give him more freedom. Working very very slowly. Every time he ignores you, you need to take a few steps away and try again moving much slower. It will take weeks if not months.

Working with a positive behaviourist or trainer who's done similar work in desensitisation would be great if you can afford it.

In the meantime, safe fields or beach for exercise.

Getting him to recall off squirrels is the pinnacle of recall for your dog. So you need to work on recall and engagement with you in easier situations to start with. If you can I would forget about the recall for a while and concentrate on other training things he can achieve and will directly help with recall. Having dogs should always be fun and sometimes the frustration can get in the way of that

General games will really help with this and can be added to your recall toolbox.

I would start with a hand touch. Show your palm to the dog and click and treat as he moves towards it. Over a short time you can add the word touch and you can put you hand in the air or near the floor and the dog will come into you to touch your hand. Dogs love this and it can be used as a fun way to recall over a long distance.

Teach a middle or peeka boo. Teach your dog to sit between your legs. This again is a fantastic game for a recall. Calling your dog from a distance and into this position is fun and can be rewarded with a tennis ball chase from the middle position.

Teaching a stop is great fun for most dogs. I do this by having the dog facing me and then put my hand in the air with food in it and throwing the food behind the dog - the dog learns that good things happen behind it so will stop quickly.

There are many more - if he is a collie cross will he play with a tuggy? This can be great fun. Introduce a few ground rules - he can only take the tuggy with a get it command and yo need a good release or stop playing tuggy command - do this by saying "thank you " and putting a treat near his nose.

If he gets on with the tuggy you can progress to a flirt pole and this is amazing for teaching impulse control around squirrels etc. Basically it is a furry tuggy on the end of a long lunge or whip line. You can use your get it command and the dog is released onto the flirt pole. You will build up to teasing the flirt pole and having the furry tug move but your dog will only release onto it with your release command. This is great fun for your dog and you and will make recalling from the squirrels easy.

It would be good during this time to prevent as much squirrel chasing as possible so agree beach walks would be good - the more the dogs get to practice the chasing the better they get at it!

All these are different from a traditional recall but will add fun and enjoyment to the same response. If done enough your dog will be listening out for you and will it will be more instinctive to react immediately to you as this means the fun will start not like before when recall meant the fun thing (chasing the squirrel) had to stop.

Thankyou for your very detailed replies and taking the time to write so thoroughly. You have given me a lot of good for thought. I do need to spend more time on our bond and training and these ideas and techniques are great.

My terrier is ball obsessed and also has a very high prey drive . I only let him have a ball on a walk so they maintain there high value and I’ve taught him a solid wait and down , so if he goes to chase something I shout down and he does , it’s easier than trying to get him to come back , which he won’t . I use wait a lot just in every day walks so he never goes too far away . The only thing ‘down’ doesn’t work for is cats , but nothing works for them as they would be his ultimate prize . I also try to walk him places where there are less likely to be distractions.