Our eldest dog has always had selective deafness.  We worked very hard with her as a puppy as she was so wilful and she really is extremely obedient most of the time but, with no warning at all, she can just lose it and ignore us.  We live in a quiet road which we cross, walk up a small green and across another quiet road to our local wood.  Today someone had put bread on the green (why can't they put it in their garden?) so I walked the dogs on lead right to the other side of the first field before letting Ella off.  She raced straight back with me screaming at her and, by the time I got there she was crossing the road on her way back to the woods.  She could have been killed or caused an accident quite easily.  Tonight angelic on the walk but, as we got near to the exit, she totally ignored me calling her, went straight out and starting walking down the middle of the road picking up anything the dustmen had dropped.  Luckily there were no cars at all and I managed to catch her when she went down someone's steps, she ignored me all this time and I did try going the other way - she simply doesn't care.

I don't now feel I can ever let her off in our local woods again or indeed anywhere I don't know well either.  Has anyone got any ideas?  Do I let her off then put her back on the lead early?  Go back to training classes (although quite honestly she would be wonderful in class, she always was).  Put her on a long line?  She is six now and I just can't see her getting any better and I spend most of our walks wondering whether she will be OK rather than enjoying them.  Our younger dog is totally different - nowhere near as 'clever' as Ella but ALWAYS comes back even when Ella is going the other way.  Incidentally she is a perfect dog indoors and has a perfect temperament, this is the only thing I could complain about but it is a big thing.

Welcome to my world with Jozi. 

She could bog off every now and then and simply keep out of reach and pretend she couldn't hear you.

Since having her spayed at 7 1/2 she has been absolutely food focused and I can no longer let her off lead at all.

The new houses by the country park have access into the park, so are not dog proof, and we have food recycled here that goes in supposedly lockable bins,b ut most people forget to pull the handle forward and she simply lifts the lids.  Failing that there are tin cans to lick out and KFC left overs in the public bins, nightmare

After finding one of mine on the A90 (main dual carriageway between Dundee and Aberdeen) I had to resort to using a long line and treats. A lot of recall training went on and I can now safely let her off lead, 2 years later. Though I do have to watch her just after a season when she becomes deaf again for a few days.

Very interesting Brainless, we had her spayed last year and she is definitely very food obsessed now.  I can't regret it as she is so much happier and livelier but not much point if she can't run around!!  Perhaps I should try long line and really good treats (somewhere safe to start with).  God Lindylou at least this was on a very quiet road - although if there is a car it is usually moving far too fast.

In my breed I have noticed that after spaying food becomes so much more important to them.  don't know if it might be an age thing too as have never had an intact veteran.

Hi
Have been there and got the t-shirt and there is a post on here somewhere about 4 years ago about my GSP bogging off into a road to pick up a bunny that had just been mown down! ;-(  He lived only because a passing jogger held up the traffic.  That scare plus a bollocking I got off someone on here made me realise that it was a case of train, train, train, train and train again.  Not just whilst a puppy, but throughout his life, the recall and emergency stop have to be reinforced continuously.

Also, it is no good just training at criteria 1 (in a village hall or in the back garden with no distractions) - you can't then expect your dog to recall away from a freshly killed bunny or loaf of bread or whatever it is that takes his fancy if you haven't trained that scenario.  Sooo, my advice to you is to start training again in earnest - maybe change your cues as she is an older dog and you have had extinction bursts with your current ones and work up through the criteria levels until you can set up the situations such as you experienced on the village green and train her in that environment.

It is HARD work, but if you value your dogs life........

Hi,

Yes! All Samoyeds have selective hearing, While they are at your side they are fine as soon as they are a little out of reach that is it!!
Training classes would not do a thing. They would be little Darlings. But! still have selective hearing when it suites.

Denese

don't know if it might be an age thing too as have never had an intact veteran.

Funny you should say that. My 6 1/2 GR dog is becoming more and more food obsessed. He's not been neutered but over the last year or so, he's become worse. He never used to be THAT bothered. Now I just get so exasperated as he eats anything on the floor, ignoring my "LEAVE IT" command which used to work pretty well until now. And the begging is also pretty bad although I NEVER give him anything.