Recall Training

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heather1
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Joined: 28 Jan 2010, 21:56

Re: Recall Training

Post by heather1 »

Session with trainer today was brilliant. She loved him and said she wished she found him first!

She thinks he will train out of it really quickly, and that it's just a "simple recall problem" - so lots of practice! Apparently I need to practice "stay" - so tell him as I stand next to him, then reward him for not moving; then gradually move further away, up to 5 steps, and wait for up to 2 minutes.

Also going to try the whistle training, she says it's easy and give it 3 weeks and he'll be fine with it (good news!). I'm to randomly whistle when he's sitting next to me and being good, and then give him a treat, also whistle before he gets his dinner (after he's sat down) - basically make it a signal of something good coming. Then try it across a room, turn back on him and see if he comes, give him treat. Then try it throughout house, then take it outside, and again, gradually move the distance further.

She wants me to practice getting him to walk to heel more, both on and off lead, using a handful of treats to keep him interested.

Learnt interesting things, including when he licks his nose or starts blinking more, he's tired. She did tell me not to throw him sticks though incase they got stuck in his throat - which while probably a valid point, I can't help feeling that might be a smidgey bit too far...!?

She also suggested I spend time making sure I can touch all of him every day, as apparently as he gets older he might get funny about letting me do things, so to make sure he is used to it.

Looking forward to getting it all going - tooted my whistle before dinner tonight and got a funny look, but sure it'll all work fine...!

H
Tulip

Re: Recall Training

Post by Tulip »

Sticks can be lethal, so yeah, I don't think that's too far at all. :p Major choking hazard.
Sounds like you learnt a lot - I hope it helps!
mookie&me

Re: Recall Training

Post by mookie&me »

Sticks can be lethal
What?! Running after a stick to bring it back? Mookie loves it! It doesn't keep her interested for that long, but frankly I'd rather she was picking up a stick and running about pretending I can't catch her, rather than eating the poo she managed to get her chops around yesterday... (sick)

Thank you Heather for sharing your training session. The whistle before dinner sounds hilarious! (giggle) Dannie uses a whistle with her gang (as do a few others on here) so hope he gets on track soon.
Tulip

Re: Recall Training

Post by Tulip »

:p Fetching is one thing, but if broken and chewed or something similar it can become very dangerous, so for complete safety you can get rope toys or sticks made of plastic, etc.
henrys mum
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Re: Recall Training

Post by henrys mum »

I saw an article a while back about a dog that had run after a stick, but the stick had stuck in the ground as it landed and the dog ran into it!! The stick penetrated its throat and needed major emergency surgery!!! Mind you all I get is funny looks if I throw anything for my two...... "If you want it, why did you throw it away???"
Me (Cathy), O.H., Kids (x2) Cassis and Odin (mad giants in disguise as fur babies)
R.I.P. Henry xx
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EnzoFerrari
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Re: Recall Training

Post by EnzoFerrari »

As others have already said give him time and patience. He is only a baby really. You are doing well with him by what you seem to explain. He will get there...
Every dog is different and they all have their own learning times some will pick things up quicker than others.
Enzo used to do the same when he was young. Someone advised me to "engage" more with him. Play hide and seek ie hide behind a tree if he goes to far and does not pay attention. Cause if he then turns around he will see you are gone and he will come and look for you if you keep doing that he will pay more attention to you. Enzo will still occationally do the "I rather go and see another dog than go back to her" thing. But he knows the command and that he should be with me and if he does it too often or out of purpose he will get told off. Same for the Mini...
heather1
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Re: Recall Training

Post by heather1 »

He's a superstar, bless him, I just adore him!

He's much more intelligent than me though (!!) cheeky sod will now walk away from other dogs much much better, but when you let him off his lead again and let your guard down, he still LEGS IT back to the other dog and refuses to come back. Waited 10 minutes for him to come back yesterday before deciding he was probably annoying the man who's dogs he had chased after and went to get him. I tried hiding, but it didn't work, at all. It works if he's just sniffing elsewhere, but not if there's another dog around.

Whistle training is going well, I can now whistle downstairs (or upstairs!) and he will come hooning up to me, but I notice if I do it even slightly differently he looks at me like I'm stupid and doesn't come. I really really don't think it will work when there's another dog around though, but we will see. Will keep doing the inside thing for another few days then try it on a walk with no other dogs around, then I guess the next logical step will be to try with another dog....... Eek... That's going to take a while for me to get brave enough to do. Presumably once he's ignored it, that's it!?

If the whistle doesn't work, I don't know the solution? Praise him if he comes back (eventually!) and tell him off if I have to go and get him!? On the (few!) occasions I've managed to catch him pre- legging it back to the other dog, he cowers like "oops. Shouldn't have tried that". I've never whacked him for doing it, but he just seems to know it's naughty. Yet he still does it. Presumably because I'm not handling it quite right...

Little bugger managed to get from the boot of my partners car into the front seat and stole an orange (in preference to the tripe sticks next to it!?). Could not believe he did this. There is about a 30cm gap between the top of the back seats and the ceiling in the car, not only this, but he also managed to pull down the meshy dog guard which was guarding the gap. Clever boy!!! And this is after the incident last week where he stole £10 worth of those fish skin treats.

Have a horrible feeling he has wee-d in my car again, not positive as it doesn't really stink, but not sure he could dribble quite that much!? Have ordered a waterproof back seat rug for him, so I will be able to see whether it is wee or dribble!!

H
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Decibel
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Re: Recall Training

Post by Decibel »

This is something our dog trainer has told us,

Get a stooge dog of if find a friendly dog on your walks.

Let your mini off lead and let him play, then call him back and make him sit (you may have to start this quite close to him).

The second he sits down, make a happy sound (I yelp OK!) and wave your arm to say that he's free to go now.

Keep repeating this at different intervals whilst they play.

What the puppy/dog should learn is that when he's called back in the presence of something fun (another dog/person) that when you call him back he's not going to automatically be put on his lead.

I also do this with Fudge when he's just generally walking off lead.
henrys mum
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Re: Recall Training

Post by henrys mum »

Also try putting them back on the lead for a sit or down, then let them off lead again. Thats so they learn that having the lead put back on isn't the end of a walk. When our two were young we would put them back on the lead a couple of times and let them off again. Even now we vary when they go on lead and off lead.
Me (Cathy), O.H., Kids (x2) Cassis and Odin (mad giants in disguise as fur babies)
R.I.P. Henry xx
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monkeypuzzler
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Re: Recall Training

Post by monkeypuzzler »

Have seen enough nasty stick injuries that I would never throw a stick for a dog! We always take a toy to play fetch with on walks.
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Decibel
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Re: Recall Training

Post by Decibel »

thanks i'll start doing that from now on
MadiMum
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Re: Recall Training

Post by MadiMum »

Some really good advice on recall from lots of more experienced people on here.... and up to today I did think I was doing really well with Madi's recall - she is pretty reliable with a voice command and I had also trained her to the whistle as the men of the family complained that she just ignores them when they ask her to 'come'! (smug snigger) But there I was this morning, strolling along with this well trained dog trotting along beside me (yeah right) and in the distance a man with a couple of gun dogs had the audacity to use a whistle to recall his dogs when he saw us coming. Madi took off like a rabbit down a hole and despite my desperately upbeat, non-threatening calls of 'Madi! Come!' (needless to say I had forgotten my own whistle) she chose to ignore me in favour of galloping up to the man with the whistle and sitting adoringly at his feet. I might as well not have existed. Sadly the man was not amused and I was mortified at having to go and reclaim my dog who was happily sitting alongside the man's two perfectly trained gun dogs. So now I have to work out how to teach Madi only to come to MY whistle.... sigh..... I sometimes wonder who is training who here.....
Owned by Madi (Giant Schnauzer), Dax and Indi (German Shepherds) and Lexie and Millie (Lab / Collie rescues)..... never a dull moment....
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Caramomo
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Re: Recall Training

Post by Caramomo »

to be fair, her recall was still perfect, she just recalled to the wrong pair of jeans!
Cara and Mo, two black mini's and Molly a black & white Heinz 57 all served by Elaine, the cook, poop picker, and chief toy thrower.
I live by the Mini Schnauzer code; when in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!
MadiMum
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Re: Recall Training

Post by MadiMum »

Thanks Elaine, I hadn't looked at it like that ! I feel much better already.....
Owned by Madi (Giant Schnauzer), Dax and Indi (German Shepherds) and Lexie and Millie (Lab / Collie rescues)..... never a dull moment....
henrys mum
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Re: Recall Training

Post by henrys mum »

If it makes you feel better ....... when Henry was about 12 mths old he wandered off and we called 'HEEL!' while walking away. He then did a fantastic close heel to the lady on the far side of the field who was walking a doberman!! I sent my OH to collect him! :)
Me (Cathy), O.H., Kids (x2) Cassis and Odin (mad giants in disguise as fur babies)
R.I.P. Henry xx
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