Puppy with poor recall, can I have your advice and reassurance please?

[Hayliebells]

I don't know if I'm stressing out unnecessarily, but I'm really concerned about our puppy's recall. He really isn't very consistent at all, when he gets excited (usually when playing with another dog), he just will not come back when called. He just runs around like a lunatic ignoring us. He's an 8 month old Labrador, and we've done all the recommended puppy training/training classes. This isn't my first rodeo, I've had a Lab before, but unless I've blocked it out, I don't remember my previous Lab being that difficult to train! He loves to run free, I just can't imagine keeping him on a long lead, it's unfair on a dog like him imo. Does anyone have any advice on a plan of action? Or words of reassurance that he'll get better as he gets older? We do try and train off the lead in quiet places where there aren't many people about, sometimes he's quite good, sometimes he's terrible! And he's so bouncy! He jumps up, usually when playing with another dog, and he starts jumping around the owner. He doesn't actually make contact, just bounces around them, whilst ignoring my commands to come back. Everyone he's done it to has assured me it's fine, what with them being dog owners too, but I don't think it is, and it's mortifying! Should we be keeping him on the long lead at all times? We try to train off lead sometimes, in the belief he has to learn eventually, but is that the wrong thing to do? Our dog walker says his recall is good, but maybe he's just following what the other dogs do. I keep seeing adverts for Absolute Dogs Sexier than a Kitten course, is that worth purchasing? Is it likely to have ideas that we haven't yet tried? Should we go back to training classes? We got a Lab because I love them, I've had one before and I thought they were easy to train. Have we likely been doing something wrong? Are there any common mistakes that people make, that we might be making? I really feel like I need a plan of action, I dream of long country walks with a bounding, wet, muddy dog. I see other dogs running through the woods so happy, and I'm quite sad for him that ours is still on a lead, he has so much energy. He's a lovely dog really, so good natured and gentle, with people and other dogs. I just want him to be able to run free!

How do you get them back quickly if they’re on a long line? I’ve really struggled to pull him in in time if he’s in flight mode.

This was his w my original long line (almost) snapped!

*how my

We used a horse lead for a bit just for normal walks etc as if we stopped for a bit ours would chew through his lead!

he also never cared about balls until suddenly he REALLY cared about balls… 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

we also had a trainer who picked up that our dog would check we weren’t too far away and so told us to run away / walk off at an angle and call him as he won’t want to lose us. Still now if we are heading in the same direction I can tell he’s sometimes thinking… nah I won’t bother

biothane long leads are meant to be good - the rounded ones.

He will get better but you've got to be really firm and consistent now. If he doesn't come back go and get him. And if he's unreliable he goes on a long line.

My 8 month old golden retriever is similarly bad. I have another golden who is very good, and when we are on clear sections on the fields where I can see there is nobody around and we are very far from roads I let him off because, whilst I know he likely won't come if I call him, if I call her, she will come, and he will follow her. I don't set him up to fail, so when we are nearing a corner or a road he goes on lead even when she stays off. So he gets chances to demonstrate recall in the safest places we have. But there is no way I'd let him off to fart around and be a little git ignoring me, that's not how it works! I also make sure all the good stuff happens near me eg. He comes near me and I drop treats on the floor, and we play 'find it' games with treats. Don't let the fun stuff happen in the distance away from you, else that's where he will continue to venture.

I also don't let mine go and say hi to other dogs most of the time. They do it when I say it's not a right to say hello. The puppy is really good at ignoring other dogs when we do road walks as a result, even when other dogs have a go from across the road.

What @Shannith said, there's no short cuts , I've still got a handful of treats in every pocket and she's three, but recall is a non negotiable for me so we still train every walk.
Our nightmare is other dogs who are just being friendly but are in reality not under control jumping all over me and my dog as we try to walk away, and it's led to my dog being reactive under those circumstances.
Give it your all and be zipping back to you by the summer and you'll be feeling very proud.

Use a whistle even to call them in from the garden rewarding with a treat. Did this for our terrier who has excellent whistle recall.

But a lunge lone - used to lunge horses. They will not snap - I also use them when I've got half a ton of horse at the end and I can assure you they will not break!

Excellent thank you @Shannith
Will invest.
And then (and forgive me for asking really bloody stupid questions but I haven't seen anyone locally doing this so trying to figure it out)... do you have him on the long line but recall when you want him back rather than 'wind him in'??
Also, I assume you have hold of the end of the long line, not just trailing it behind as a useful remote grab handle??

I can only apologise for my intense stupidity here but I really want to get it right.

I haven't used the sexier than a squirrel app I see advertised everywhere but I think the gist is if you play with your dog so you are no 1 Mr Fun Guy they won't nob off after squirrels. On that note my only contribution is when you are ready to take the lead off go to woods and play ' Find me'. Our dog loves this game and it can be played even if you forget a ball or tug toy - just let her zoom off, hide behind a tree and shout find me. for her it is also sexier than a squirrel, if I see a nervous dog coming and want to know 100% I will have her on lead again when it goes past I shout find me and disappear. The only problem is our kids can no longer play hide and seek as she will find them.

Recall needs building up. So nail it in the house. Then garden. Then quiet place, working up to busier and busier places. Use a long line until it’s solid as the more they ignore the more they’ll ignore. Plus it’s not fun for others to be bounced on. A lab wouldn’t leave our pup alone yesterday and I had to ask the owner to put it on a lead so we could leave. Shit happens but that’s what leads are for.

I use cooked liver for recall. Cheap and very effective.

How is your bond otherwise? Recall issues can sometimes be a symptom of other issues like being left alone too long for their age or just general lack of bond. But fine it’s just because they are young. I’ve got a terrier and had a terrier cross and haven’t ever had recall issues (yes you can train a terrier) but it’s something we’ve heavily reinforced and managed from very early.

Ideally your dog needs to be checking in. So if they come back or even look at you THEN call them - make it think it’s their idea to train you to give them treats 😉 Can you tell I train terriers? 😂 A call back when playing or chasing needs to be emergency only.

My now 2 year old dog was a nightmare - lost his recall at the teen stage and caused all kinds of stress. I have an older dog too who's not esp food motivated but this one is. I bought the Sexier Than a Squirrel course and it did work for him. In his case I just use dry food as he doesn't care about high value treats. It was a series of fun games in the house and then building up on walks.

I've bought the Sexier than a Squirrel course, they seem to have a sale on, so it was only £16.20. He's not left on his own for long at all, on with one day a week that one of us isn't at home all day with him, he's at doggy daycare. I like the sound of the Sexier than a Squirrel games though, that can only improve our bond, so as it's not expensive I think it's worth a shot.

Following this thread with interest! Some really good advice on here, thanks all.
OP, I really like the sound of the sexier than a squirrel course - how did you get it for £16?? I can just see £35 on their website?!

Sexier than a squirrel 😂 I sound a right idiot out walking as I call and shriek with excitement to encourage the perfect recall - producing random bits of fluff from my pocket along with smelly bits of food while scouring the horizon for potential distractions 🙄

I was being a donut. I’m signed up now! Excited to have a plan.

Where are you getting the sexier than a squirrel course? The only one I can see is a weekly podcast?

Yes - recall all the time when the lead is loose. Not when he's tugging at the end of it. The whole point is that it's loose but there for safety and a reminder.

I tend to feel on and let out as I go. It takes a bit of getting used to but now it just happens.

When I need to get closer I walk towards and reel in. The pony is that the lead stays loose so it's essentially off lead but with control if you need it.

What ever length of lead they are - this can be quite short, if you recall and get no response - a sharp tug to get their attention - reward the attention (and or recall) with a yes and recall to you.

They soon get the idea that if they ignore you they have to come anyway - make sure you reward them coming even if it's taken a few goes to get them to come.

Never tell a dog off for coming to you - even if you are frustrated and they ignore you. As soon as they do it's all yes, treat, good boy.

And a long line is great for rewarding checking in. Every time they look at you YES and treat thrown around your feet/in the air.

This soon encourages check ins - especially labs! I've had to teach one "go free" to get her to bugger off!

Yes our terrier is constantly checking in as snacks 😂 But that’s great at the moment. I do the same. If she looks at us then a great Yessssss! And treat at our feet.

Didn't have 'Sexier than a squirrel' when I was training my dog but I certainly remember also playing silly games, running around and leaping about like a loon in the park in an effort to get her to find me more interesting than anything else.

I assume I must have been 'sexier' than any squirrel in the end as her recall has been very reliable for the last eleven years.

I completely agree with this by our job is to set the dog up to succeed.

Every time they look at you - recall and reward. And I mean every time. Recall them at other times too but this way they are much less likely to ignore you and they get to learn that checking and coming back means all the good things. A long line stops then getting away with ignoring you.

Bit like the speed limit - the end of the long line is a limit not a target.

I use it for reactive dogs. Most digs are way more reactive at the end of a short leash - they can't use their body language to communicate with the other dog. So I'll give enough lead that they can sort themselves out but short enough that I can have control of needs be. The trick is to keep on walking with purpose and confidence. ActuAlly there are lots of other things to do but that helps.

A big thank you to all the brilliant responsible owners on this thread. Recall is the single most important thing you can teach your dog.

That and putting your dog on a lead if you see another one on a lead. Nothing makes me despair more than yet another out of control dog bounding up with an ineffective owner either plaintively calling fluffy's name or even worse say don't worry he's friendly.

If mines in a lead he's possibly not.

I'm using total recall. Following for interest

@SirChenjins I'd seen it advertised in Facebook, but today I just googled "Absolute Dogs Sexier than a Squirrel" and I got their website. It was advertised as £27 until I went to order, then it changed to £16.20.