My DH took both dogs walking this morning and Red had her usual off lead time. He said she ignored his calls and also the whistle - she was eating something (!?argh) and he had to go and get her. This made my heart drop. This is not the first time she has ignored a recall. I have been doing loads of training and following Total Recall. She is 7 months so I know she is young but I really don't want her self rewarding. She is doing so well in so many ways but this is my bugbear.
In that instance I'm not sure id have even attempted to recall Stanley. If I know his recall is likely to fail because he's found something to eat, or a dog to play with or is splashing in a muddy puddle I either go & get him or just wait for him to come back. It's no use breaking my recall because I don't think I'll ever be as important to Stanley as a muddy puddle As long as he's in my eye line I tend not to worry too much
I would make sure your DH isn't calling and calling or whistling more than one time for each recall. Red will soon learn to ignore the signal if he does. I only recall when I know they'll come back. All my recall is practice and proofing. Unless there is an emergency and then it's for real. I try not to call them back from anything, especially other dogs, unless there is a good reason. Food? Hmmmm, no chance with Tatze if she's found a 'prize'. If I go to her she will 'leave it' but she wouldn't recall from it. That way I know I have a solid recall when it matters (e.g. approaching a toddler or the time Mollie was spooked by a leaf blower and ran out of the park) .
I definitely won't use my recall if I'm not sure it will work, it's not worth the risk. I save recalls for important ocassions Over calling and whistling will weaken Red's recall which you don't want as you could poison it and may have to start again. In instances where she didn't respond you just have to go and get her praising and treating too Don't panic alls not lost so long as you and OH are training the same way xx
Could be worse, I'm sure I'd lose out to next door neighbours dog poo It's the only one she eats now, don't know what they feed her on. @Atemas, good advice you've had about not teaching Red to ignore recall.
I feel your pain. My OH i very proud of our dogs' recall, so feels he has to us it at every opportunity. He rarely takes them out without me, and I do the lion's share of the walking without him, but when we are together, he'll be calling them all the time, even without his whistle. I'm like "let's just turn and go down this path without calling them" - if I didn't say that, the instant we changed direction he'd call. He's a very smart man, but somehow can't get his head around the fact that you shouldn't be calling them every two minutes!
She is at the age when 'adolescence' can start. This means she will push boundaries and you may have to go back to basics. It's a trying time, but they come out of the other end (usually)
I say Duggan is 100% recall for me and a bit less than for my wife but I only use it when I know it will work. The whistle had almost by default become our "emergency word". He'll drop everything to fly back for a can of sardines. You can see that when I blow he immediately runs back without thinking. I'd never want to ruin that by over use. Sometimes you just got to go get them.
I did say to DH we have to talk about that failed recall. I could tell he wasn't keen but I was able to say that probably the whistle wasn't a good idea (I am the one that has insisted he takes it out with him!) and if she is in sight (which she was) then he should just go and get her and make no fuss. Thank you everyone for your replies.
