Hi all, we have a 12 month old Dobermann (male), now Fred is very good natured and does more or less as he is told...until we let him off the lead, then he's off and if other dogs or people playing with balls are are around it is almost impossible to get him to come back. I let him off recently and he ran at top speed to tennis court some 1000 metres away! Fred please come when I call you, it's a bore having you constantly on the lead.

Until u have a perfect reacall, then I would never allow him off of lead at all. There are so many things that could happen when u have absolutely no control over your dog off lead. Practice your recall a couple of times a day. Give him full lead (those retractable ones) and call him back, if he doesn't come back real him in and treat him (always use the same word when u bring him in, and only say it once. Should never have to repeat or he figures he doesn't have to listen the first time). Then allow him to go play again. Do this alot until he comes back on his own. The reason for allowing him to go play again is so he doesn't think everytime he is told to come back it's time to leave and play time is over, and he will enjoy coming back to you.

Good luck, it takes time. I'm still working on mine :) patience and lots of it :)

ttfn :)

Catch 22, dollface! Until you let him off the lead, you will never get perfect recall.......
:)

When I first started practicing, I did it in the hallway of my house. :)

It's a difficult one, especially with a 12 month old male (juvenile delinquent). JG I'm impressed 'Perfect Recall' is in your volcabulary with Dalmatians :D.

You have got to make yourself more exciting than what is going on around you. If he responds to food, take some really tasty ones with you, put them in something you can shake, perhaps a pebble or two in it so he responds to the sound, but make sure you call and treat on several occasions, not just when the distractions are there. Failing that a ball on a rope which you can play tuggy with, only an arms length from you then.

It comes eventually, just try not to chase him, go off in the other direction, if a safe environment hide and hopefully he will panic that he can't find you. This worked on every dog of mine, except the Dalmatian !!

Good Luck

Sandra

I'm very proud to say I do have one with Perfect Recall! The others......we'll gloss over them!
:)