Recall training for an adult dog - horrible park incident

[Quickdraw23]

Hi there,

has anyone any advice for revising recall training for a 5 year old dog.

my dog is normally very reliable with recall but I’ve had an incident in the park today that has really shaken me.

i was walking my spaniel around the same playing fields that we go on most days with DS (11 months) in the pram. My dog came back every time I called her until we reached the last bit of the walk when we met a man with two dogs, one on the lead one off the lead.

My dog bounded towards them to sniff and I called her because I saw his dog was on the lead, but she didn’t come which is really out of character, she struck a playful stance in front of the dog on the lead. He began swearing at me, calling me a fucking idiot and telling me to get her back on the lead.

I was calling her, but she thought it was a game and was dancing around trying to entice his dogs to play. He kept swearing at me, then began walking his dog towards her intentionally and encouraging it to attack, so she thought even more it was a game. I shouted at him to stop it and that he was winding her up and to walk away and he kept screaming that I’m a fucking idiot and shouldn’t have my dog off the lead. I was calling her all the time but she was so excited. He was then walking towards her trying to kick her and I was shouting at him to stop it and he kept swearing at me.

I was trying to get my dog back on the lead and keep checking back on DS who was parked in the pram about 6m away from where this is was happening. It was horrendous. the whole thing probably lasted about two minutes and he was verbally abusing me throughout. I kept saying to him “I’m trying to get her back on” and she kept dancing around because she thought it was all a game. He just kept swearing at me calling me a fucking idiot.

I told him to go away and that I would not be talking to him in front of my baby. It’s the only thing I could think to say. I was scared. A woman nearby actually told him he needed to walk his dogs away and he just kept moving towards my dog and shouting and swearing at me.

Ive walked my dog there for over three years and never had anything like this happen before. We did lots of recall training. I know she should have come back when I called her, and if a dog on a lead snapped or bit her because she hadn’t come away I would blame my dog not the dog on the lead, but it’s so out of character for her not to come back.

I’m ordering a retractable lead right now, I don’t feel safe walking her off the lead again, but does anyone have any advice on recall drills or training I can do? Is it just back to basics?

Please be gentle with me, I know my dog was in the wrong for not coming back, but I’m so upset. I’m scared of bumping into him on that park again even if she is on the lead 😞

That guy sounds like a psychopath. I would be more worried about encountering him than anything else you mentioned.

That said, I only walk my dogs on retractable leads because I don't trust the training of other dogs and I don't trust people.

Best idea OP I’m so sorry this happened to you.

Mine is “he’s fine but I’m not now get your fucking dog back”. If it’s not or it doesn’t answer to my “stop” I kick it in the chest. It sounds horrible but I’m not letting my dog take any chances. I’ve had enough times where I’m flailing around like an idiot to separate them while their owner watches on “oh Rex what are you doing?” Rex is being a dog so I just sort it.

What a horrible thing to have happened. The aggressive man sounds awful. No need for him to swear at you like that and he certainly didn’t need to deliberately walk towards your dog and try to kick your dog. I dread to think how he treats his own dogs behind closed doors.
Try to put this behind you. Refresh recall training. Maybe squeaky toy or tasty treats might help to distract your dog and focus on you?
Sometimes I think dog walkers should wear body cams as this could be a deterrent and provides evidence should you need it.

Being ok with a dog they know/live with doesn’t mean they’re ok with other dogs.

One of mine I can leave off round other dogs, he’s got good recall and good social skills, if a dog is showing its not comfortable he wouldn’t approach it anyway and if I recall him he’ll come - the other is quite frankly a git, so it’s easier for me to have the ok one off and two hands to deal with the git dog.

Totally disagree, used correctly, they are not cruel at all, a vibrate breaks the dogs focus and allows training to kick in.

Your attitude is why there are so many incidents involving dogs, some breeds have v high prey drives (Gun Dogs/HRPs) and unless used as intended and not as a pet, can be very wilful.

You re against e-collars but down play the very real issues with a dog bounding up to other dogs, out of control.

In my friends case, they went to 2 different specific gun dog trainers, had long training courses, both advised an e-collar.

As i said, the dog is now far happier, can roam off lead, lay down scent trails, play games (where safe to do) happy to come back, none of this disappearing for 10 or 15mins, coming back tail between legs, knowing he shd have come back earlier.

Fwiw i was against them getting the collar but having seen the positive outcomes, i ve changed my mind.

@OctaviaC74 all dogs fluke on their recall. It’s just a fact of life. PP gave an example above of a working police dog that did. They’re independent beings with their own minds.

This man CAUSED the issue. I’ve seen it happen a million times - stupid person riles up the dog then blames the dog and owner. It’s on him, not OP or her dog.

I maintain: I know people with the breeds you’ve mentioned who have their dogs off the lead, no recall issues, and no shock collar. It’s called competent ownership. Give me a million owners like OP over one like your friends any day. Using two trainers who both suggestion e-collars suggest something about those trainers methods and your friends skills, not the dog or the validity of e-collars.

And more importantly, not all gun dog trainers are capable nor competent enough to train particular gun dogs. I wouldn’t want someone who mostly does spaniels coming near my Goldens. Different breeds require different methods. So saying they used a gun dog trainer is meaningless unless that person had years of not decades of experience with their dogs breed. It’s like me saying that as a Goldie owner I could train a Spaniel the same way (shocker, I can’t).

If you have a dog you can’t train or control to the degree you need an e-collar, that’s on you as an owner. My dogs are impeccably trained - flying down at 50meters the works - but give me a GSD and I wouldn’t have a clue what to do. And that’s the point. It’s never bad or untrainable dogs, it’s bad owners.

Get a dog that matches your ability as an owner, not a dog that you think you deserve.

We also carry lemon juice in our dog walking bag should we need to squirt it in another dogs eyes… because pepper spray is illegal 😂 the frequency we are crowded by an unwelcome and out of control dog is truly unacceptable.

‘Excellent dog owner’
Absolutely not!
You were at fault.
His dogs were under control, yours was not.
You need to keep your own dog on a lead and under control.

She knows that! She’s said that 100 times. She’s a good owner because she’s making the change.

Glad you are seeing your way through. The posters who are saying you were the problem are minimising his absolutely unacceptable abuse-course it was because you are a woman. The twat.
I have dogs, have had loads of rescues and plenty no good with other dogs and you change where you walk and if in a park march away from the happy to play dogs. You don’t surge towards them. You don’t get irate with people trying to get their dog but might do with the ones who don’t try. Loving your dog and her lack of reading the room- everyone with a dog knows that sometimes they do something unpredictable.
Just get back to training - it’s not a big issue. Your problem was the twat - this situation isn’t perfect but is managed every day perfectly happily in my busy local park. as above the right training is continuous so my spaniel gets in a park and waits for his ball because he is ball trained. He can’t even see other dogs if his ball is out. this has been built up on every park walk. On quieter walks he is off sniffing and exploring and the ball only appears if needed as a recall aid. It’s lifestyle not training.

I’ve repeatedly said I was at fault and that I’m going to keep her on the lead and that I’m going to extensively revise training.

I don’t know what you think you’re adding here apart from getting some personal enjoyment out of turning the screw. Hope you feel better for it.

Agree with this - I've done this when ChenDog has ignored my recall and it's worked a treat. I used to keep a loud squeaky ball with me and he would follow me and the noise as I ran in tge opposite direction calling him. I've seen others do the same with good results.

Buy a bungee attachment to fit to the end of the retractable lead, its less stress on the neck when it comes to a sudden stop at the end of the lead.

Bungee attachment

Don’t allow people to get you even harder on yourself OP!
Your dog made a mistake. That’s because she is a sentient being not a robot. You’ve also got a bit complacent but again, you aren’t a robot and are not infallible You’ve got strategies for the future to make sure it doesn’t happen again and sound determined to make sure it wont

Muppets stating the bloody obvious are just doing it for the thrill of giving you a good kicking now - best to ignore them

what id be doing going forwards (dog trainer)
short lead when with your child - long line + pram = accident
train with long line. Off lead only in quiet places and back on lead when temptation may strike - all of which you’ve said you’ll be doing anyway!

This is the best advice on the thread.

Just be careful with the retractable lead lovely, if you’re walking with the baby in the pram. If doggy gets distracted and bolts while you’re pushing then you might end up going with it and the pram toppling over if you don’t have time to react and let go.

When mine were little, I had a bungee lead attached to my waist while out with dog and pram in tow. They’re safer and really handy.

I agree to keep dog on lead, but that man was an arsehole. I’ve got a pup I’m training and it does grate me when off lead dogs come up up us, but I just walk away calmly and neutrally. Anything else and it will make my own dog more reactive.

Just move in shit happens you’ve learnt your lesson
but stop trying to villainise the man to minimise your role in this
own it and move on
you’ve got some good guidance in some of the replies and you are obviously open to implementing them

Sorry this happened to you OP. No dog is 100% trustworthy (despite what some PP think) and sometimes these things catch us out. I agree your dog was reacting to the man in question, and I also agree he wouldn’t have acted this way if you were a man. What an arsehole.
I’d stick with the longline/quiet walks for a while as you rebuild your confidence and a bit of practice with ddog.
Dont worry about it any more, everyone is fine!

The man sound like an utter tosser for exacerbating the situation. And abusing you. What a cock.

You’re doing your best. Getting lead etc. Don’t beat yourself up.

The man was abusing her. He is a villain and an utter knob.

😂 the hyperbole

Tell me youve no direct experience of e collars without telling me..

Enjoy your GR hill.

Take no notice of us down in the real world

@21ZIGGY I spend a lot of time dealing with dogs abused by their owners for various reasons, including e-collars. Admittedly they are less rare for my breed (possibly a mark of the sorts of people who buy GR - and their ability to handle their dog...), but sadly still an issue.

Feel free to add something of value to this thread though with your vast experience and knowledge. We're all ears. 😊

https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-use-handheld-remote-controlled-training-devices-e-collars-dog-training-scottish-animal-welfare-commission/pages/7/ - an interesting article for those who want to read a bit more.

I think it’s about both. It can be annoying when an off lead dog isn’t under control and is bothering my reactive on lead dog. But if the person is doing their best, I don’t need to be a dick and encourage my dog to attack, how can that ever be justified?

OP has learned that her dog doesn’t haven’t perfect recall, and we’ve all learned that man is a pointlessly aggressive prick.