Hello We don't have a lab but I found this site after buying the total recall book and am looking for some help please? We have an 8month old large cross breed dog called Rolo. We've had him two months now and he was neutered before we got him. His recall was brilliant but has been a bit hit and miss lately and he goes further away from you. Biggest challenge is other dogs, he used to ignore them but will now run across the field to see them so we keep him on a short lead. Even on a short lead he is very hard to distract if he sees a dog. He is too over the top as well if he meets another dog on lead (bouncing and jumping about). If the common is busy this means I don't let him off at all and understandably he gets frustrated that he can't run about. I am in the UK, our dog is terrified of the car (we are working on it) and so I can only walk him on the local common - basically a vast area of open fields with some trees and a river, that anyone can use and people walk dogs on and off lead here. I did start using a long line but hate the dam thing!! It gets soaking wet and covered in mud which makes it really heavy. If I let it drag behind him, he can run off so quicky that he is then too far away and I don't have control anyway and I don't have time to stop him. If I try to pick up the end he'd pull me over or treading on it will stop him abruptly (not nice). If I hold it loosely it's ok until he charges off and then I run the risk of injury to him and me trying to stop him. It also gets tangled round he legs and he gets really cross with it and bites at it. Is there another way!? I have looked at extendable leads but trainers over here don't use them and don't recommend them. I do see why but if it was just used when other dogs are about ,it can't be that bad can it? If no one is around he goes off lead and is a super star (comes back every time). My partner only has one arm so if we use a long line he can't walk him Any tips for getting him to ignore other dogs completely and choose to return. We did use the whistle to recall around other dogs and it worked until a few weeks ago and now he goes deaf so we try to get his attention another way and use the whistle when he is returning from another dog (if that makes sense). Any help much appreciated
I have used retractable leads in the past, though I don't really like them. They might work for your partner though. If you look for one, get one that uses a flat tape, not a cord. The small cords can be dangerous to you with a large dog. Both rope burns and getting a loop around a finger are potential hazards.
Long-lines are not ideal pieces of equipment, totally problem-free - but they are what we have. As such, you've got to grin and bear it with them until you don't need them any longer. See it as extra incentive for you to practise recall training so that you no longer need one! I agree with the idea of a biothane one - they won't absorb water or mud, get smelly or catch so many leaves and twigs.
