What training is needed?

[Elouera]

Im helping MIL walk her 2 cockerpoos due to mobility issues and we often go together (in my bubble). We go to secluded, large areas where there are very few people or dogs. People we pass, are often on the other side of a very large field. If they see someone, the younger dog in particular will run to the person and bark incessently, then retreat back to us. The person is usually too far away for us to talk to or appologise to.

I can only imagine the other person must be frightened by a dog running at them and barking. The dog will come back to its name, but not always immediately. What training is needed to stop this though? Any help appreciated.

A long line.
A dog that runs to people and barks at them has no business being off leash.

@Snaplittledragon- I know. My point exactly! MIL has different ideas to my own! If I walk the dogs myself, they stay on the lead for this very reason. Ideally though, I'd like to know what training is needed to prevent the run and bark? Better recall, rewards, a whistle???

Hm, well, I suppose I’d say very high value treats and recalling and rewarding the dog when he is thinking about running but hasn’t actually run yet would be the solution imo but I imagine it would be tricky as the dog will probably notice people before you do.

It's highly irresponsible for your MIL to let the dogs off if they don't come back.

If they knocked a child over or something, they would be deemed out of control and she could get into big trouble.

The dog needs to remain on a lead or long line until it's recall improves massively.

I would consider whistle training, but if your MIL is going to refuse to keep them on at least a longline during training, it’s going to be difficult, as they will continue to reinforce the behaviour you don’t want, which will undermine training. Also a lot of the groundwork is done at home, so you’d need MIL to put the time and effort in while you aren’t around as well as on walks.

If you do want to give it a go I would recommend Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson.

In addition to whistle training, ideally, you need to teach them that staying with you and you MIL is far more fun and rewarding than running after every person/dog they see on the horizon. What do they love most, food/toys/attention? Use whichever it is or a mix of them to get them focussed on you and ignore the distraction. Again though, lots of groundwork to be done at home before they would be reliable enough to allow off on walks and if MIL is unwilling to have them on a lead/longline it’s going to be difficult.

I love this thread title - What training do I require?

Long line is control and management and is necessary but this is not training.

Training:-
1 Reward all eye contact with you or your Mum, so have treats in your pockets at all time and reward when the dog looks at you. Start this at home and then move to more distracting environments eg the garden and outside. IF you do not have this you will never ever get a good recall in distracting environements. You can buy allthe books you like do all the recall training you like but this is the first fundamental step.

Once this is sorted you can look at Look at That. So reward for turning back to you when looking at a dog again this will need to be built up and done from a long distance from the other dog gradually building up the distance between the other dog.

Basic recall games
so treat circle
name game
and playing loads of games with your dog eg tuggy etc
However the first most important step is eye contact
Good luck

Rereading thread I do not mean reward eye contact between you and your Mum ! I mean the dog either looking at you or your Mum!

I think MIL is the one that needs to be trained!

Otherwise I'll second Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson... utterly brilliant and I revisit it every couple of years when I realise we've got a little rusty round the edges... my wee tough to train dachshund responded brilliantly to her training. And it was so sweet and impressive when just 9 months old I would whistle and he would come racing across the field at speed straight to my hand....the most impressive being when we were at a memorial service for my great aunt after whom he's named, wee dog was chatting to my husband and someone wanted to meet him so when I whistled he sped across the graveyard, round various groups of people and ended up at my feet just seconds later. Felt so proud of him!!!