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The doghouse

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Original poster

Advice please!

29 replies

Gigia · 05/10/2022 09:59

I have a 6 month old lab who has been pretty easy to train. She is a great girl, good on and off lead, has had great recall etc. However a couple of weeks ago whilst getting her on the lead she grabbed a water bottle out of my hand and ran with it. Unfortunately and stupidly I chased her. This is now a great game. Every time I recall her she comes just close enough to be out of reach and then runs around. Any advice? I've tried ignoring her, walking on, treats, putting her on the lead and then letting her off again but she hasn't got bored of this game yet! Pic attached.

Advice please!
OP posts:
Grayhairscoming · 05/10/2022 10:08

Sorry no advice, but wanted to say your dog is beautiful.

Floralnomad · 05/10/2022 10:26

I’d put a trailing line on her for a few weeks so you can stand on it just to break the habit .

WhenDovesFly · 05/10/2022 10:30

Agree with the trailing line. Also, lots of praise all the time she's approaching you but completely ignore her when she runs off. Maybe offer a treat in your hand (smellier the better) when she's approaching, to encourage her to come back to you. Obviously, heaps of praise if she does come to you. Hopefully she'll eventually get bored if she's getting zero attention when she runs off. Dogs thrive on the attention.

She certainly is beautiful OP.

Imtoooldforallthis · 05/10/2022 10:31

Agree with the long line, also try a different treat, have you tried hot dogs or pepperame?

FiveShelties · 05/10/2022 10:38

She is just gorgeous. I would put her on a long line also.

(Who is the guy with the scarf in your photo?)😁

Original poster
Gigia · 05/10/2022 10:45

Haha that's a reindeer that's too big to fit in the loft so he has to live in the garden!! Thanks everyone, I will try a long line and also higher value treats. I thought she would quickly get bored of it but no such luck!

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FiveShelties · 05/10/2022 10:52

Gigia · 05/10/2022 10:45

Haha that's a reindeer that's too big to fit in the loft so he has to live in the garden!! Thanks everyone, I will try a long line and also higher value treats. I thought she would quickly get bored of it but no such luck!

Haha - he looks very happy😂

Original poster
Gigia · 05/10/2022 11:02

@FiveShelties he is! He also has a mate who you can't see in the picture 😂

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AutumnDragon · 05/10/2022 11:07

She stole something and ran away and you "played" with her.

Perhaps the treats aren't the best incentive. Could you take a toy instead, high value, only used for the walk. She comes back to you, sits and you throw it for her. You might need two toys, she only gets the second one thrown when she's given you the first one back. We've used this technique in the past with a ball obsessed dog and it worked.

SarahSissions · 05/10/2022 11:08

If she loves chasing games change the dynamics- get her to chase you. Use a toy like a tug e nuff or food and when you do a recall start running in the opposite direction. Double back- make her get to you. You start the game not her

Original poster
Gigia · 05/10/2022 11:30

Yes I realise I made a mistake by turning it into a game, it was a moment of madness. She does love her ball so will try that.

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EdithStourton · 05/10/2022 12:27

Something else you can try is to just sit or crouch right down in the ground and not make eye contact. And the reward massively when she comes in.

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 05/10/2022 12:34

Turn around and walk in the opposite direction. She’ll soon come running!

Floralnomad · 05/10/2022 12:37

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 05/10/2022 12:34

Turn around and walk in the opposite direction. She’ll soon come running!

This really doesn’t work with all dogs , mine will happily just let me walk away but he is a Patterdale x so that may be the independent terrier in him .

forumsempronii · 05/10/2022 12:53

Change your recall cue and start again.
So say "here" (for example) and feed your dog.
Do this when she is close to you indoors and not distracted.
Do this a lot every day lots and lots of times.
Then say it when she is further away from you and she will come to you for the treat
Gradually move to more distracting environments and out and about.

vivainsomnia · 05/10/2022 13:58

Mine did exactly the same around that age. On some occasions, it took more than 20mns before I could finally grab her.

I let her know I was upset about it and that her actions were naughty. It passed on its own after a couple of months.

Pumpkinpatchlookinggood · 05/10/2022 14:02

Yabu to have anything negative to say about that gorgeous ddog op!!

ThisisMax · 05/10/2022 14:13

Use a toy specially for this. A tug is good or ball on rope. Take toy out in house and play intensely but briefly, do again a few short times a day, as you do you are priming her to really want this, then do short recalls in house ending in toy play but you control toy and the play- dog never gets to take away. Once you use outside she will return for game and you get a sit and put back on lead. She can then carry toy in as reward. Make sure not all recalls end in lead on. One in ten should be lead on my trainer says.

Difficultdora · 06/10/2022 17:09

Your dog is gorgeous! One idea is to teach a hand touch preferably with a clicker in the house and then use that when you recall. Ask her to touch your hand and reward without putting on lead and let her go off again. I use hand touch so much with my dogs and if they will follow your hand because you have reinforced it so much it’s so useful.

Original poster
Gigia · 07/10/2022 08:00

Thanks for all the advice, I'm taking it all on board. @Difficultdora she is clicker trained so I will definitely try the hand touch training.

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LondonWolf · 07/10/2022 08:00

Floralnomad · 05/10/2022 10:26

I’d put a trailing line on her for a few weeks so you can stand on it just to break the habit .

This.

Subbaxeo · 07/10/2022 08:03

I used to have a greyhound like this and found if I started running in the opposite direction, he would chase and catch ME! Your dog is so beautiful-I have heard those red fox labs can be, err, characters!

Original poster
Gigia · 07/10/2022 09:08

@Subbaxeo I did try that but she still managed to stay just far enough away from me! Haha yeah I think they can be, I've had lots of other dogs but never a fox red lab and she is actually great. She's really good in the house, easy to train etc it is just this one issue.

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Original poster
Gigia · 07/10/2022 15:16

So I used a training line today much to her disgust 😂made my life alot easier though. I am practising the hand touch at home too.

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Original poster
Gigia · 07/10/2022 15:16

*trailing line

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