Hello, my Labrador who is about 18 months loves to run off chasing rabbit. It does not matter what activities we were engadged in, rabbit chasing is more rewarding. After she returns to her senses, she reacts to my recall and returns to me. This can take up to 5 to 30 minutes. My question is how do I react when she comes? Do I reward her for comming or should I punish her or just ignore the situation as if nothing happened? I live in a large city and this area is the only area near us that I can allow her to be off leash.
That is a frustrating situation, isn't it. Don't punish her, she'll only associate returning to you with the negative experience rather than understanding why you're annoyed. I appreciate it's probably not what you want, but I wouldn't let her off the leash in that area. Work on your recall, building up distractions slowly, and if you're in an area with wildlife keep her on a long line. Chasing is a hard one to crack, but it can be done. I'd recommend working with a trainer that uses positive reinforcement training to help you.
