I don't have a labrador. I have a 5 year old springer. I'm currently working through "Total Recall" together with my friend who has 2 labs aged 1 and 5. My dog is already trained (badly) to the whistle, so I am teaching the recall again from scratch using a new command. I struggled to think of a new word that I wouldn't use at any other time and came up with the idea of giving my dog (Lucy) a new name to be used ONLY for recall. So now her recall name is none other than "Pippa" It may sound like a daft idea, but I don't know any people or dogs with that name, so it is not a word she is likely to hear at any other time. So far, so good. She loves hearing her new name. What a great book this is. Well done Pippa.
Re: I am an imposter Interesting idea! Welcome Gill - hope your friends don't get confused Jacqui (& Lilly black lab 3 in May)
Re: I am an imposter Hello and welcome from another imposter. I also have spaniels. Best of luck with the training. Hope you enjoy this lovely forum.
Re: I am an imposter Hello from me too. Giving Pippas on the whistle ;D Black 3 year old working Lab girl here. My first Lab and great fun! She's just recovering from ops on both elbows and in 4 weeks of convalescence, out of a total of 12, so far has managed to forget everything trained. So back to square 1 when she's better.
Re: I am an imposter Welcome! I used to think I was an imposter. Poppy (nearly 1 year old) is my first working strain lab, and for quite a while I found it hard to think of her as a 'proper' Labrador... Now I am reconciled, and find myself looking askance at overweight show dogs!!! ;D
Re: I am an imposter Hi and welcome from us too, and I would class us as imposters too. Hattie 5 1/2 years Labradoodle and Charlie Labrador x Pointer 2 years old. Have fun and enjoy it's a great place with lovely people. Helen x
Re: I am an imposter Hi Gill and welcome ;D Glad you like the book. I have heard a lot of unusual replacement or emergency recall signals. Usually along the lines of 'NOW' or 'QUICK' or 'RUN' but never my name. ;D However, it is quite a good idea for people with small kids to have two names for the dog. One that they keep to themselves for use when the dog has learnt to ignore the name the kids use all the time. Oh and three of my dogs are imposters too, working cockers. PIppa
Re: I am an imposter Hi Pippa. Glad you like my new recall name. It's not just small kids though. I am also guilty of over using Lucy's name, to the extent that she doesn't even react to it when she is "busy" (as spaniels usually are) Now I can use her proper name without inadvertently teaching her to ignore me.
Re: I am an imposter Hi Gill, welcome from me as well, and my two - one year old boy Brodick and 18 month old girl Cuillin, working line labs and full of energy!!
