Hello, Just after a bit of advice for proofing the recall if you don't have a second dog that you can use as a volunteer. Dexter is very good at coming back if he is alone and general from some exciting smells and chasing leaves etc he will mostly come on cue. I am always on the look out for other dogs on a walk, i find it so stressful o spot them before he does recall him back and get him on the lead so we can pass. We have had a few incidences now where he spots them before me (miles ahead may I add) and shoots off a lightning speed, I have no way to catch him and he then forces them to play with him, he wont respond to a recall unless the other dog has been VERY firm in telling him off. He's 9 months old, I wonder if he will 'grow out of it' though I suspect not - any advice for breaking through the Labrador excitement so he will at least listen to me before running off or before the other poor dogs owners end up shouting at me...one lovely man kept referring to me as Jesus Christ, though he was being a tad dramatic
It is difficult, definitely, and it's also not the same when using a dog they know well. The allure of a strange dog is certainly more to mine than that of their sibling. On the other hand, a friend they don't see very often might be even more attractive. Is there somewhere you can go where you know there will be other dogs, that you can use for training around, rather than chancing upon them? He definitely won't grow out of it without training.
Is it possible to do some one to one training with a trainer who has a number of dogs that they can use to help proof Dexter's recall? I know the trainer I use does this for dogs that have a problem being recalled from other dogs, with the training taking place in a large secure field.
It definitely is a tricky one. Read Pippa's Total Recall its definitely worth it. Our trainer also works on recall away from other dogs, which is a great starting point. It's the long process of proofing that's the issue. Mabel is 16 months now. Her recall away from smells in a freshly mowed field I have found out today is nil. Regarding the recall away from other dogs I used other dogs I met on our walks, as I don't have anyone in particular I can walk with and to be honest for Mabel it's the unknown dog that's the fascination. I started using local woods where there were dogs but not too many and the space was confined gradually increasing to larger open spaces. She's still not brilliant in parks but she will recall pretty quickly. Remember Dexter is only 9 months, still a puppy. Mabel at 16 months is also very young and gaining independence. I hope that helps a little, without a doubt it can be stressful. Best of luck.
Love the Jesus Christ anecdote! It made me laugh out loud, although it is mortifying I know. My dear old Will who died last year used to get me in regular trouble when he was a teenager and once got me the most intergalactic sized telling off from an old couple one Christmas morning. It almost put me off me sprouts! I don't have anything sensible to advise, but do know exactly how you feel as I've already posted about the mayhem we had yesterday on a walk. I have been trying to tell myself that I missed the split second to C and T Henry before he dashed off to join a family , but the reality is I could have rattled castanets and he still would have joined them.
Dexter goes to doggy day care about once a week and he loves the other dogs he seems better when there are a larger group of familiar dogs although I suspect he's following the crowd when a recall cue is given. We sometimes go for a walk with my mums beagle and that's the worst, I suspect it's as you said @snowbunny they are friends and he gets far too excited, in that situation I have to either let him off the lead or go home because the pulling is too painful for me. But his recall is ALOT better in this situation but again I think he is following the beagle who will come straight away. We generally go to a park/woods where there are other dogs, today was incredible he recalled every time, walked to heel, sit and stay, fetch it was amazing BUT there was no dogs around. Cue a dog coming round the corner, I managed to get him back on the lead and in time, my biggest question now is if he runs off how do I practise the recall without poisoning the cue, all I can do is say 'come' he ignores it totally and the chasing begins We have done a few bits from the recall book, calling from friendly strangers, food, sleep etc and even from another dog in the back garden, the trickiest part is the proofing isn't it!
@Raven12 I will look into a trainer as I think it may be the best options but financially and for my own pride I would love to be able to resolve the recall without one
I went to a gundog trainer for this, who had 16 dogs in various stages of training from 'perfect' to 'puppy' to 'rescue dog'. It was money very, very well spent. I didn't have to do all that many sessions for it to make a big difference. Charlie isn't perfect, he never will be, but he is totally livable with. Best investment ever, particularly since I did walking at heel and not dashing off to dogs in the first place. It's not easy to find a trainer like this though, but if you can it's the very best thing to do.
I've done one session like this with Obi and am planning more. If that goes well I may well revisit it with Riley and see if we can teach my old dog new tricks
It's well worth it, I find this impossible to do on walks. Sure, I can work on just generally getting my dog to move along away from dogs, and keeping him close, and have moderate success in coming back from other dogs. But you can't properly train a recall without set ups, I think. For any dog that is even slightly passionate, that is!
