So one of my bad puppy owner confessions is that we didn't let Yalom off lead straight away. He's now 18 weeks and today we let him off lead on the beach for the first time! I realised I'd messed up by not working on his recall with him off lead away from our enclosed garden so bought a long line to practice. We went to the beach today with him on the long line and because I had chicken, which he never gets, he was way more interested in me than anything else. The beach was pretty much empty so we decided now was a good time to let him off. We did and he was perfect! He chased his ball but then immediately came back for his chicken. Obviously this was with no distractions, but I'm so happy it went well! It has given me confidence to keep going. Also he enjoyed it so much, which was lovely. I'm prepared for it to deteriorate once we hit adolescence, but for now it's great to know we can keep letting him off when it's quiet and gradually build up his distractions. It's nice to have something to celebrate in these puppy days.
I'm guilty too, there's nowhere secure near to me where I can let Kyko off the lead except the garden & he listens zero percent of the time out there. I've just ordered a long line so I can take him somewhere & hoping with a reward of his favourite cheese he'll be coming to me in no time, he seems pretty intelligent & quick to learn the tricks we have taught him so far, so don't see him having much of a problem, except he's very easily distracted when he's outside as he wants to meet everyone. I wish people would ask before they are all over him, so I can get him to be all 4 paws down before greeting. Can't have him jumping all over people as I have a 6 month old nephew
Hi @leighxxxx Pippa has written a very good account of proofing on this site. If you type in "fake it to make it" in the search button on this site you might find it. If that doesnt work, let me know and I'll try to work out what folder I had read it on. You need to manufacture the way distractions are introduced into a recall, and for that matter, most cues.
A great way to proof a recall is to play this game at home: Have one person hold treats in their hand, which they waft around and tease the dog with - saying 'what's this? what's this? mmmm' etc etc. Then have another person call the dog away from this, using your special recall phrase. Which should always be more than just your dog's name - because you say their name loads and it doesn't mean 'come here as if your life depends on it'. If the dog doesn't come away from the distraction, the distracting person immediately stops distracting and puts the food behind their back and the person who called runs forwards and gets the dog's focus with their food and runs backwards with the dog following them, then feeds the dog. Rinse and repeat over and over. The concept here is 'come away from something you want' - and it will transfer across to other things your dog wants, like other dogs, people, food etc etc etc...
H @leighxxxx here is the link I was referring to re faking it. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/dog-training-tips/
Great thanks you for the help. I had a good opportunity over the weekend foe practice as the ice cream van pulled up, just as we were out having wees. I took the chance to get him to walk calm past the people queuing up, and got him to sit calmly while the kids were there. Baby steps with this one as he is so excited every person & dog he sees. Hoping day care will help him be calmer around other dogs too
Hi @leighxxxx clever training. The people were preoccupied with their decision to purchase and forming a queue rather than running towards the pup, arms akimbo and gushing over the pup Behaviours which can frighten a puppy.
Thank you I'm going to try & be out every time the van pulls up as he stops right outside our house next to the green where we let him wee
Hi @leighxxx take some monies with you in case he decides to lick a child's ice cream. I had a friend who failed to control a golden retriever. He cleaned a table of all the cakes before she knew what was going on.
What a great idea. We need to find some preoccupied people to train near, since everyone always wants to pat Chewie, despite us clearly not wanting them to (without permission!). I was streaming treats for a sit while a small dog walked past us today, and the woman walking the dog stopped to say hello. Noooooo!
It's so frustrating isn't it. I bring Kyko to work twice a week & everyone makes a great fuss out of him. I've finally got it through to most people to only give him attention when all 4 legs are on the floor, then this morning the yard man who doesn't see very often goes straight up to him patting his legs to get him to jump . So frustrating, I asked him not to do this anymore as I have a 6 month old nephew so can't allow this behaviour.
Yup, I know they're cute but really... would it kill people to ask what's acceptable? @Michael A Brooks, maybe I will look into that, or an "in training" one. He is "in training" at all times when we are out and about!
Hi @Chewies_mum I have suggested on this site sometime ago, that it would be a good idea to have all children educated on good dog interactions. I don't think it will happen. And I'm not sure what impact it would really have. Every so often the Guide Dogs run an advertisements that the public ought to leave guide dogs alone, particularly the puppies in training. But still there are stories of Guide Dogs being abused. And I know from speaking to puppy minders that they spend an inordinate amount of time telling members of the public not to touch the guide dog in training. Give me space coats are likely to be more effective, because they evoke the dark side. I wish things were different, but I try to think of solutions to the world we live in.
It certainly it true that people don't seem to respect the need for space while you are training, and I can only imagine how frustrating that must be while training service dogs. In fact people seem to see you as being a bit of a killjoy, so much so that my R+ trainer has started telling people that the dogs she is training bite, just so people will leave them alone. I guess she has also turned to the dark side! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
