Hi there....Would welcome feedback on the following....I have recently started to let my year old pet dog off leash.His recall is pretty good,I have taken all possible care to ensure he comes when called.I have a whistle,to which he is receptive.Plus at the moment use a line attached to his collar.Yesterday and today I was a little more adventurous in that we went over some new fields.He was having a ball,but occasionally would run off slightly further as though in pursuit of something he could smell.....Is a dog more likely to run off this way as opposed to a bitch?Of course I know that if he "had had a bitch"he would naturally be inclined to recognize the scent & follow it.I have owned bitches and this is my first dog!Thanks in advance...

I personally think it depends on the dog and its personality. His age is probably a factor too. Our last bitch (Goldie) was always following scents, she used to mark like a dog too. Anywhere new, she would be off in front sniffing everything and would occasionally push her luck and 'pretend' not to hear us calling. My lab dog never seemed interested, he was more interested in what I was doing, even when he was entire he never looked for girls and even when a local bitch was in season and was walked on the same route he sniffed but wasn't intense about it. My young collie boy, entire 8 month old, has had a brilliant recall but over the last couple of weeks he has gone back on long line because he is finding his feet and going off sniffing. I don't allow my dogs out of my sight so the first time he ignored my calls and disappeared off sniffing I brought back the line and higher value treats and toys for on walks...we will work through it lol :D

My boys tend to stay reasonably close to me, but they are mummy's boys ;-) They both wander off into the fields for a snff but recall is excellent and they come back quickly.

My girls, on the other hand, go 'yeh yeh, I hear you, I'll be there in a minute...' They have all taken off at some point when they were young. I daren't let my youngest off lead unless I am in a fully secured place as she has run off twice for over 3 hours each time :-( I now keep her on a long line when out and about. I think my arms must be about 60' long ;-)

It's down to personality rather than sex!

I agree!

My first ever male Border Collie would walk away from an in season bitch if I called him.  So, Trialist, would you say breed is also a factor? 

Ah now, breed questions I'm not sure about ... I completely admit to being Border Collie through and through. Is there any other breed to have? ;-)

... but, I do love my boys 'cause they are so less complicated :-D

I'd say breed is only a factor when dealing with a breed with a naturally high prey drive. Nando, on paper, would be the perfect dog to have a good recall. GSDs are known to be loyal to a fault with their owners, and he is, except when it comes to recall. I struggled for months to get a good recall out of him. It was 100% to a whistle a few months back but we've hit his teenage years and depending on his mood goes from recallin straight away no fuss, to me having to go and get him and put him on lead, and everything in between. Usually after a bad recall he goes straight on his longline and has infact just spent all morning on his longline! Teenager stage is the understatement of the century.