I am a little apprehensive asking this question because everyone on this site seems to take Pippa's book as gospel. I see nothing wrong with that, I just don't want to offend anyone, least of all Pippa. So if this comes across as silly or disrespectful, please understand that I am only asking because I am not sure about something. I have started reading Total recall and want to ask about the poisoning of the recall cue and the need for getting a new one. So, Arnie is almost 20weeks old now. He has a selective recall. He knows when we are working. I make him stay, walk some distance away and then call him. Most of the time he comes bounding over and bounces straight into a sitting heel next to me. Perfect, right? So sometimes, there are situations where we aren't technically training, but I need him to come back to me. Like when he has gone out to toilet, and its time to go back inside, or just random day to day scenarios where he needs to come for some reason or another. I call him and try to be interesting and do all the right things, but sometimes he just looks at me and goes "Nah, sniffing dirt, you can get buggered", and continues on his merry way. Now I understand that by me using the same cue as in his formal sessions I am breaking down what I have built up. Is it so damaged that I have to completely abandon it? Or can I salvage it? My reasoning behind the question is this: I won't always have a whistle on me to recall him once I have trained him to respond to a whistle recall. I know that there will be some point where it will just not be there when I need it. If I have to start over with a whistle then thats what I have to do, but I am hoping I can salvage it. Let me know what everyone thinks, and if I have offended by questioning the advice in Pippa's book, which I am thoroughly enjoying, please forgive me A.
It's not really possible to tell you whether or not you have a poisoned cue....during the process of training a recall you will have some failures (you try not to have very many at all!). It depends how often you have used that cue in circumstances when he won't respond. My own view on what you've said is that if at 20 weeks your puppy won't respond pretty near 100% in the garden, regardless of what he is doing, something has gone a bit wrong. If you've been training regularly and you can describe such a young puppy's response as 'selective' I'd be starting again. My own experience is that if you proper train a cue a young dog responds to it very well, and it's only when they get a bit older and the distractions of the outside world grow in importance to them that it becomes a bit difficult. You don't have to use a whistle at all if you don't want, and even if you do it's good to have a verbal recall cue - you don't have to use a whistle if you want to start again with a new cue. You can just use a different verbal sound.
Maybe your puppy sees the recall you have taught him in the way you sit him and then call him to you, as 'the recall' and doesn't understand that it also applies when you are not being formal. I would change things a little, call him when you give him his dinner, I found a whistle was very good, a few peep peep peeps alerts the dog very well (no need to blast the whistle ), call him when he is running towards you in play, so that he sees the recall as a general cue and not just in a formal situation. Never call when you think he is not going to come, so never when he is interested in having a good sniff at something!
Whether you've poisoned you present recall or not, I would always continue to train verbal AND whistle in parallel. As you said, there may be a time when you haven't got your whistle. (all of my jackets and some treat bags have whistles in them - but still I put them down on the counter to be forgotten.. ) Even now, Coco is not 100% when we're out in the woods, and if one fails, rather than repeat it, I move to make it easier and use the other. Then I ensure the failed one works with an easy set-up.
http://thelabradorforum.com/threads/a-couple-of-recall-questions.15032/#post-230134 AS you will see at the linked thread, some of us have more than one recall word. Maybe having one for formal and one for casual would help you too. Now that I think of it, I have four. COME, whistle, hand signal - these are all formal as I use them in competition, and then the TOO FAR for casual. When he ignores you go and get him without issuing the word, or whatever, again. Even for a casual return you don't want to poison it, when you need him closer he needs to come, formal or not. LOL, my OH cannot learn this, Oban pays little heed to him. A couple of nights ago OH was trying to get him to come in after his pre-bedtime constitutional and Oban just stood and looked at him. I stood behind the OH and gave a hand signal and immediately Oban jumped the fence from a standstill and raced to the house. Poor OH, he thought the dog was finally reacting to his third call. No.
Lol @Snowshoe i see what you guys mean. Your poor OH. I reckon I will get some whistles today and start working with them as well. Have a few different types of recall. I like that idea. We are about to head to the park so he can have a run. He's so full of energy this morning. And he's starting to get really heavy. I reckon he's around 22kg now. Big clumsy half retarded ball of fur that resembles a lion cub more than a Labrador atm
