Teaching your dog to stay with you

Discussion in 'Labrador Puppies' started by alschwahn, Mar 20, 2018.

  1. alschwahn

    alschwahn Registered Users

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    Aspen will follow us and stay by us at the dog park, which is the only place we trust him off leash because its fenced in. The last time I let Aspen off leash was when he was almost smushed by a car. He has reliable recall when we are out on the frozen lake. It seems to be that he is reliable if there aren't "better" things around such as places to sniff, other dogs to chase after, etc. I would really like to be able to trust Aspen to stay near us as he is nearing 1 year and we spend a lot of time outdoors. I would love for him to just be able to be outside with us and not have to worry about him running off. Any tips on training your pup to stay with you/reinforcing recall?
     
  2. Emily_BabbelHund

    Emily_BabbelHund Longest on the Forum without an actual dog

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    "Total Recall" gets recommended around here a lot, have you given that a read? Also @Hollysdad (if I'm not mistaken) was telling about a hiding game he played with her that really got her to focus on him and not wander off that sounded brilliant. Maybe he can share that? :)

    The thing I've found most helpful with fosters is to get them to come to me very frequently during a walk, touch their collar (or even clip the leash to the collar/harness), treat and then unclip and let them go again. It really gets them used to the idea that coming back to me is (1) not the end of playtime but just part of it and (2) means yummy treats. Also I don't assign/use the word "Come" for a very long time until they really are reliable every single time. So instead it's just lots of 'excited voice' and something silly like "puppy, puppy, puppy!" to attract their attention.

    I also think some dogs are just a lot more challenging when it comes to sticking close. Hunting breeds and terriers especially seem to be nose to the ground and off like a shot. Labs seem middle of the road - some are 'close to homers' and others are "see ya later' types. And still others - like my Rottie boys - would never dream of leaving your side. I never had to teach them to stick with me off leash, they just did it because it's part of the breed characteristics.

    Just to bear in mind to help you feel better when you're at the park and seeing some dogs being angels and Aspen is running willy nilly. :D
     
  3. JenBainbridge

    JenBainbridge Registered Users

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    With Stanley I just remain quite unpredictable (and look a bit strange in the process).

    I just randomly change direction, or hide behind a tree or start running. Then he always keeps an eye on me and stay close because he's unsure what I'm going to do.

    I also heavily reward him with good treats - recall is the only thing that I use other treats rather than his kibble.

    I also play games with him so I'll throw a handful of treats on the ground for him to sniff out, or play tuggy or I've even taught him tag. I tap his bum and say TAG YOURE IT and he knows to chase me and "catch me back".

    Now he generally stays pretty close and just trots along next to me sniffing things as he passes :)
     
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  4. Hollysdad

    Hollysdad Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    The hiding game is a great way of focussing a dog on you. We've been playing it since Holly was a pup five years ago. You need high value treats to start off, after which any reward will do.

    When we're walking along we'll wait until Holly's attention is elsewhere then one of us will hide. After a few seconds the other will say 'where's dad/mum etc'. When she finds the missing person she gets a reward. Sometimes the hidden person needs to help by calling, but most times Holly will backtrack until she sees them or picks up a scent. Holly has learned that she needs to keep an eye on her slippery humans in case one of us disappears, so she's now focussed much more on us.

    Variations on this game:
    - when Holly looks for one person the other one hides. This keeps her running backwards and forwards. Its great in open woodland with lots of big trees.
    - in a group walk people take it in turn to hide. We've found that Holly can recognize if one person hides in a group of four, but not one in five.
     
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  5. Joy

    Joy Registered Users

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    I did a similar thing with Molly in woodland. As soon as she got a few yards ahead I said ‘this way’ and walked in another random direction, not always keeping to the beaten track, and kept repeating.

    Another good tip, from Total Recall, that I followed, is to reward with food whenever your dog comes within a certain distance(without being called). Sort of imagine a 6 foot circle around you as you walk and over time make that circle smaller.

    And play of course -you need to be the centre of everything interesting.
     
  6. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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  7. edzbird

    edzbird Registered Users

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    I play a game with Coco when he is off lead. As we walk along I'll call out "sit" or "down". I carry on walking then I might just call him to heel (nice treat or joyous praise), turn an recall him (always a treat for recall) or turn and tell him "down" or "sit" depending on his current position - then I might return & treat or throw a ball or recall & treat. He loves to earn treats and balls and it keeps him concentrating on me and helps reinforce all these cues too.
    We played this game only this morning, walking back down the hill in the wood, because Coco was getting jittery and staring towards the gate in the distance, looking like he would bolt - I don't think there was anyone there, but it brought him back to concentrating on me instead of darting on ahead. Often my last bit of the game here is I release him and try to let him get ahead a little and call out "STOP" or blow his stop whistle - he stops and sits and I walk up and clip on the lead. Even clipping on the lead is a fun game for him. This last bit is not easy, as he is still in sit/heel game mode even though he's been released so tends to stick very close :rolleyes:
     
  8. Boogie

    Boogie Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    I do the hiding game every walk, whatever age the dog. It means that they keep an eye on you and, even when sniffing, keep checking where you are. The younger you start the better, then it becomes a habit. I also reward for checking in.

    But I don’t call them to me unless I’m doing a ‘proper’ recall. If dogs are called back at the height of their fun they lose the wish to come back, I think. So I wait till the sniffing/playing/etc are done before I do a recall. I only practice a recall ‘from’ a distraction once a walk - and that’s when the ‘big guns’ treats come in ( a pouch of cat food)

    :)
     
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  9. Snowshoe

    Snowshoe Registered Users

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    Same for us as many above. From the time he was a wee puppy Oban was just SO confident. He stayed with me, only problem is his idea of "with" was, and still is, several hundred feet further than my idea. Gundog work might help, more than 40 feet in bush the OH is unlikely to get a bird. I found upping the reward for comes and check-ins helped and the reward isn't food, not by a long shot. ;) It's a throw of the ball.
     
  10. alschwahn

    alschwahn Registered Users

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    Thanks everyone! I like the hiding game. Aspen will come back to me if I start running but that's not ideal, especially if he's crossed the street or something, seeming dogs don't look before they cross when they're on a sniffing spree. @Snowshoe I have been considering the gundog training, even though we don't hunt. I just like the idea of him being able to do what he was bred to do even if it isn't around guns and actual birds and I like the trust factor. Do you do gundog work with Oban?
     
  11. CMartin

    CMartin Registered Users

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    Hi Boogie,

    I've been meaning to ask you this for quite a while now actually - why cat food ? And what kind of cat food, when you say a pouch of cat food ? Thanks.
     
  12. Boogie

    Boogie Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Cat food because it’s stinky, handy and the pups love it.


    I get the really small pouches from B&M. They are called ‘Gourmet’ and are £1.79 for six pouches. I just tear the top off and squeeze the contents into his mouth. Then I pop the empty pouch into a poo bag. They are salmon and tuna.

    :)
     
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  13. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    Um, this sounds hugely dangerous to me! Why is Aspen off lead near a street?
     
  14. Snowshoe

    Snowshoe Registered Users

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    Not now. The OH no longer hunts but Oban did show promise and OH was considering starting up again. Stuff happened and we did not keep up with hunting retriever club but Oban is encouraged to find birds, grouse, when we walk and I think that helps too, to keep him close, even if no one ever shoots one.
     
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  15. alschwahn

    alschwahn Registered Users

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    He's not. I was referring to the one time he ran across the street and I couldn't get him to come back to me. :( He is now only ever off leash in fenced in areas as I can't trust his recall!
     
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