Poppy, our 8 month mini schnauzer first went of the lead (on a safe track and with another friendly well trained dog) at 17 weeks, since then she has been let off the lead for a good run several times a week, often on this same track which is close the where we live. We have always trained her to come back for a little treat and this has worked well apart from if there happens to be another dog nearby - then her recall isnt so great, but we do know many of the dogs around, so to some extent it's a chance we take. She always comes back after a while.

Last night we took her down the same track and went a little further than we usually do. She did seem in a very excitable mood and suddenly she ran and ran as fast as she could with absolutely no response to our calling, shouting or running in the opposite direction! We panicked. She had gone quite a way and the owner of a house much further along the footpath had taken her in and were phoning our number when they heard us calling in the distance - so stressed we were, but we got her back.

My question is what do we do now??? I though of taking her there tonight but not going as far. And, taking loads of balls, squeaky toys, chocolate treats and playing some really good games to try and work on her recall and get her concentrating on us. Is this too risky?

Thanks
Karen.

Hi Karen,
No answers I'm afraid, I'm looking forward to see suggestions as we have had much the same with Buster in recent days [11 months - Staffie], and last night he completely lost it, saw two Westies playing with their owners and bolted over, we called him, ran away, said our "bye then" which usually works, my husband ended up traipsing over the other side of the park and got into the trying to catch him routine - ridiculous - eventually got him, brought him straight home on the lead, didn't tell him off but didn't speak to him, so he had all of about 20 minutes out. Very demoralising, we were just playing throwing a ball for him which he usually loves but only for the first half of the walk, he seems to get bored with that so we move onto the treats, and for the last week or so we've noticed whilst he hasn't bolted, he's been happy to stay sniffing something or other while we get further and further away - on Sunday we hid behind a tree and when he did eventually come looking for us, he panicked a bit. Anyway, let's hope we get some "top tips" of where to go from here! Nicki

Nicki

Poppy often runs to other dogs and isnt too good at coming back to us (usually if other dogs arent around she brilliant). But, last night there wasnt any dogs around and she must have ran for about 1/2 mile to this house - what a nightmare. Plus we had our 6 year old daughter with us who absolutely dotes on the dog and was starting to get extremely upset.

All very stressful as you can image and it's now blown my confidence to take them out for walks without my husband being there to help!

K.

Poppys not about to come into season is she? I attach a long line to Morses collar when hes off lead and if he bolts I just quietly stand on it ( plump ladies running a furlong generally dont have enough breath to do anything else!). We are suffering the teenage dog bit too but it is getting better. The line stops them thinking you cant control them off the lead and Morse is trained to DOWN when he sees other dogs until I check them out - the line is useful here too in getting him to stay until I do. The thread on recall has good ideas too.

Hope your little girl is OK.

Hi

Poppy finished her season two weeks ago, so that shouldnt be the cause. How long to you have the line - the only problem is for a little dog she cant half run and she is normally 25-75 yards ahead of us on walks off the lead. I guess we'll have to try it. I have been wondering if we should take her somewhere new of the lead tonight, so that she isnt so confident then we could do the RECALL games......

Thanks
Karen.

Lorelei, this is a really thick question but what is the line made of? Do you attach it to their collar, and roughly how long is it? And then you just let it trail behind them while they run, and if they go to bomb off just tread on it? Nicki

Its not thick at all. Its a washing line (not a plastic one as that got munched) but a rope one tied to the D ring of his flat collar its about 3-4 ft long measured by arms outstretched. If he looks like bombing off I do something, anything to attract his attention so I can get within range and I do step on it to reinforce the Down without touching him. A better option is a horses lunge rein as its super long and tough with a swivel ring. I do let the line trail if hes just trotting along in front of me and it is a pain if he goes into close cover. For playing with other dogs I can take it off.The main thing is it stops me grabbing at him and putting him off returning. We have our scary moments though.

Thanks for that, definitely going to give it a go ... we've gone back to basics tonight with the extendable lead and recall ... have to educate husband as well not to let the lead go tight before calling Buster back, but we actually had quite a nice walk, it's weird because as soon as he goes back on the lead, his recalls are a good 8 out of 10, I think we probably get a little complacent when he's off the lead and don't work so hard on keeping him with us, but we're not going to let that happen this time, he needs his exercise and you just don't feel they get it being on the lead, it's not as enjoyable for him or us. Anyway, I'll try and get something tomorrow and give it a go tomorrow night, thanks again. Nicki

hi
i had the same problem last night my pup was being really good off the lead fetching ball coming back etc,then all of a sudden she saw 2 figures in the distance and wam bam she was gone like a rocket had to chase after her she was jumping up at the people and they were quite old so they were'nt too impressed ,gonna keep on the extension lead for the time being! she's a bouncy boxer so thats not easy!!

I think it must be the weather or something then because that's just what happened to Sal yesterday evening, same as you Jackieg, Sal saw two figures in the distance and off she went I called and nothing they unlike your two figures were a "courting couple" the only thing I can think in her defense is she wondered why they were lying in the grass ;).

At least they weren't put out, the man was really nice and the woman was feeding her crisps when I got there, too keep her with them as they said someone must own her.

Back to basics I think and the lung lead/washing line idea sounds good. I think like the others I have become complacent about recall when off lead as she's been so good.

Lord help "teenage dog" owners :D

Karen

I think it definately must be somethingto do with the weather. Megan my 18 month collie had a near perfect recall until recently she just decided to completely ignore me every time i called. She doesn't bolt often thank god but she does completely ignore me. So back to recall training AGAIN! (For the 3rd time - every time it gets good she loses it again.) I do wonder if it is just that i get complacent when she recalls nicely. Lorelei - can you tell me how you trained Morse to go down at a distance. I think that would be really useful but whenever i tell her to go into a down she just runs towards me or ignores me.

Right there are ways to do this Gwen Baileys proper way and Lorelei's Oh that was good lets do that more way. Teach DOWN first and use OFF for please put your feet ont he floor. It is easier with dog on lead and clicker in hand plus large bag of treats - and a coffee table. Get her attention ( stop laughing at me or I wont continue!) put treat under table and as she dives down after it click, praise etc. Add signal - I use my hand flat and palm down - then command. Remove table but keep lead. Practice till you get Down when you ask at close range and as John says train it in all situations. When she knows the word down with her back to you its time to do distance. Start with her running to you ( WILL you stop laughing!) and do down then increase distnace. Long lines are good as you can step on em to keep the down. Morse actually did it himself one day and I praised him to the skies and now he just does. The time he lies down is increasing as he gets older. Gwen Bailey Perfect Puppy shows you the right way. Collies maybe do this more easily than pointers. Have fun:D

Whistle training in conjunction with this excellent advice from Lorelei is also useful. I have two HPRs and they are trained to drop like collies to a stop whistle ( I even use a sheepdog whistle for this instead of the traditional gundog whistle). You can start close by and increase distance and use the clicker as well.

I like whistles because a) they carry further than your voice and b) they are always consistent and do not change tone when you are angry (and work even when you have lost your voice) (LOL)

Bradley has always naturally lyed down when another dog approaches then gets up when owner and dog are together. So we are encouraging this behaviour

Thanks for all the replies. She has been off the lead on several occassions since this episode and things have been fine. What we have done is taken her to some different places, so that she isnt quite as confident and we have taken toys, chocs, balls etc. Then we have taken her back to the track (that she ran on) but havent ventured as far along it! But, we have gone back to basics with all off lead walking, basically practicing her RECALL every 4/5 minutes.

I am keeping my fingers crossed...

Karen.

Hurray! She'll get there. Ive seen a massive improvement with Morse over the months we've had him and he'll now come back to us first when he sees other dogs etc. Any slip ups and its back on line. Good for you being brave and going for it.:)

Hi, we kept Buster on the extendable lead for five days and then husband took him out at the end of last week, took a gulp and let him off the lead ... in his words he said he was "fantastic", I think as we'd made the effort to go out together in the previous five days, he'd learned from me about keeping dog interested in you ... so when they went out, husband said they ran for a bit, played sticks, ball, treats, sit/down ... came back really happy. Having said that, I won't take it for granted and will keep working at it as it's so much more rewarding. Still haven't got the lunge line and I feel for me that would be a better "in the middle" road to go down before I let him off, husband has promised to get one for me today! Nice to read we're not on our own! Nicki