i think I have made a hash of recall training. Did the garden bit and initially that was great with Red now 19 weeks. Then she started ignoring me but I have got that more on track this week. Also started the work indoors but that proves more difficult as I can't give her any high reward treat because of her digestion problems. Today I kept her off lead in the countryside and she did come back when I called and I was using the whistle as she started to run to me. However, she did ignore me a few times and she then got a bit more adventurous and wandered off the track. I am afraid I used the whistle and she just ignored it. I had to go and get her. Should I be using a long lead out on these walks? Feel quite down hearted as I have been working on recall for weeks and don't seem to be getting anywhere. I am following Pippa's book.
Aw I don't really have much to suggest as Axel has always been great with recall. But sometimes he gets super excited by a new environment, so I always turn on a dime without a word (Axel looks at me a lot though) and then head the other direction. Once he has noticed that I am leaving him he books it for me. Then the rest of the walk he stays closer to me while still sniffing about. Usually he runs ten feet ahead and then runs back to me... repeat for an hour haha.
Try giving lots of little treats one after the other as a high value reward. Whistle as she's running towards you for a while yet - then only whistle when you know she's very likely to come back, for quite a few weeks. Don't whistle if you are unsure - go and get her. Do a lot of hiding so she can't predict where you'll be. I find this is the key.
Thank you Boogie - will definitely not be using the whistle again if she isn't running towards me - as soon as I did it when she wasn't coming I was so angry with myself. I will 'up' the little treats I use (part of her I/d diet). The hiding bit is hard as we are in the fens and walk along the side of a dyke with no trees! I know Recall is to be covered in the next bit of training we do so hope that helps too.
Unfortunately, Red doesn't look at me or DH much, she finds the environment too interesting. I have even tried jumping up and down with a furry toy in my hand (what a sight!). I would love her to be more focussed on us.
We have all been there at one time or another so don't feel disheartened. Definitely don't use your recall whistle if you are worried she won't come back. As Red has digestive issues could you use a ball as a reward instead, a ball can be just as rewarding as food to some dogs? Hiding is a great way to keep pups looking at you. Also, maybe you moved on to the next exercise in Total Recall too quickly before you had properly nailed it, go back a few steps to your garden and make it easier for Red so that she understands what you want. There's no hurry so keep going. xx
Thank you. No unfortunately she is not interested in a ball. I have tried a furry toy in the garden - bit hit and miss. Perhaps I am trying to hurry. Will definitely keep going as this is the most important thing.
Bruce wasn't food orientated at all, so I got a rabbit skin toy which we kept for recall. I never let him have it, just play with it with me and carry it a bit when he went back on lead. He came to me because he had lost all recall and was marked down for withdrawal. The rabbit skin toy and Total Recall worked wonders - he's in Advanced training now https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/14m/Tug-...id=1492973212&sr=8-4&keywords=Rabbit+skin+toy ...
You need to play with your dog and work on your dog being motivated to stay engaged with you. Food can be a great motivator and for some dogs it overwhelms everything else and even for most dogs it works if used correctly - how are you using it? Loss of the owner can also be a motivator for some dogs - but not mine, really. For my older dog, Charlie, neither food nor loss of me cuts it. He is a confident dog, very distracted by his environment. So I built up games. And I built them, and built them. This means you find a way to get your dog excited about being with you. You have to work at this. It's not like you can think 'oh I'll be exciting'. It doesn't work like that. You have to get your dog interested in games, then play them and stop when the dog wants more. And repeat, and repeat....until the game with you is priceless for the dog. It's easier with some dogs than others. Charlie is a challenge because he is massively motivated by 'things' so I slightly struggle to make sure the value is 'things with mum' rather than 'things with any random stranger'.
Thank you Boogie - I have ordered it and will only let her have it when she is back on lead. Well done with Bruce - you are so clever
Yes Julie I know I need to get her to focus on me and I am struggling with that and games. I can only reward with Hills I/d kibble as treats as Red has digestive problems. It motivates her on onlead walks but not off lead - she is more interested in sniffing in the grass. She doesn't seem to be bothered about checking out where we are either.
Another tip is to make sure recall doesn't end in going back on lead. I never recall Mollie to put her back on lead. I choose a time near the end of the walk, when she's sniffing and pottering, then pop her on the lead followed by lots of treats. Recall, to her, means treats then more play. The lead doesn't come into it. Then, in an emergency the recall can be used in earnest. ..
@Atemas, it must be really tricky for you motivate her with food with her history of horrid diarrhoea, but can she have anything else' like little bits of warm sausage? Just the smell of it might make her want to come to you, would a little tiny bit hurt her? I think you could still do the about turn walk, even in a flat place, I do it with Cassie in open field and she does come after me. I only started hiding once she was older and got more confident. I find it works best if I walk determinedly in whatever direction and then abruptly change direction. You feel slightly daft striding off and then striding back where you've come from but hey if it works .... And it does work. My recall is far from perfect, my issue is that sometimes she'll almost come back to me and then potter round --- in part due I think that it's always me that takes her for walk, so always me that puts on the lead.
You could always try popping her back on lead walking a few steps and removing the lead and tell her to "go play" this signals to the dog that the lead doesn't always mean the end of play. We do this with Charlie and it works well for a rescue dog that had zero recall until we trained our butts and his off x
@charlie, was this for me? Yes, I will try that. I put her on lead at random times in a walk, but usually for longer than you suggest perhaps a short time would be more effective. @Atemas, sorry if I'm hijacking your thread.
It does not have to be about food. You can train a dog with no food whatsoever - Charlie takes food, but it's not reinforcing for him. He doesn't change his behaviour because of food. What games have you tried to develop? How have you done this and how much time have you spent doing it? Can you share a video of your efforts to get some feedback if it isn't working?
I've increased the value of the "find it" game for Coco (bits of food/kibble - started on the front room rug and gradually increased it to grass, walls, wall cracks, trees, holes). It really does help him to stay engaged. On an off lead walk in the wood, I do "find it" and I also have a ball chucker (hopeless at throwing). He loved this too. he knows the points on the walk we use it and seems to look forward to it, bouncing about, waiting for me to throw, and I have found he has not run off into the trees for a good while. He'll still get stuck in with a sniff, which I daren't call him from yet, but I'm becoming more and more fun for him. A "find it!" will bring him over to me if I think he's going to stray.
Every day play 'find it' and 'touch'. Usually I do this at the end of an on lead walk when we get to our driveway, which we generally do twice a day. I also do this in the garden most days. I do the 'touch' game (indoors too) a lot as she is good at it. Red is not motivated by toys despite me daily trying to get her more interested. I am very open to suggestions to engage her and get more focus on both of us. I haven't done any videoing as yet.
