Can someone please tell me what is going on before I crack up!!

My once timid lab who would never go out of sight from me has started to make a run for it everytime he is out.  He is 1 next month but has always been a big baby who would never have dreamt of being away himself, but now it doesn't seem to bother him.

Apart from the fact that it is very frustrating trying to get him i am worried he will get knocked down as he has no road sense.  Obviously I could just start keeping him on the lead but i like him to have a bit of freedom.  He knows that he is doing wrong as you can see it when I get him.

Thank you

amanda x

Hi Amanda,
When he does come back, how do you react? With scolding or praise?

I feel bad for it now but I must admit I really lose the head, I tell him he's a bad boy and put him in the room for a while.  He doesn't come back, I have to go and get him and its a chase which makes me even more raging.

Your dog is cutting the apron strings; new dog owners are often shocked when their once "very obedient" puppy suddenly puts two fingers up; it is normal; that is why consistent, relentless recall practice is essential form Day 1.

He does NOT know he has done anything "wrong"; what could be wrong in having a helluva good time in his mind?  He may appear to be chastened; more likely he is reacting to your frustration and annoyance and fear when you get him back.

Back to basics, make yourself a lot more interesting than anything else and give him a reason TO come back.

Best of luck :)

Thanks for the reply, you were saying there that when he is told off he  prob doesn't know what for and is just reacting to my upset and through fear.  The last thing I want to do is make him scared.  been discussing this at work and some think the dog should be punished phsyically for his behaviour.  I don't agree with this, I feel bad for shouting.

think I will need to spend some more time training since he is turning into a big boy now!

amanda xx

The people at work have it very, very wrong! If he is punished when he returns, he will be even more reluctant to come back quickly in future!

Think about it - if some called you over to them, then yelled at you and hit you when you got there, how eager would you be to repeat the experience? He doesn't speak your language, remember!

I thought that as well, if I done that Alfie would then think he was being punished for coming to me.

some were also saying that the change in his behaviour could poss be that there is a bitch on heat somewhere and he is picking this up.  if that is the case i feel worse for cracking up cause its not the wee souls fault.  i just lose the head because I'm so worried that he'll get knocked down or someone will steal him!!

When he ran away the other night my boyfriend was really angry and shut him in the room.  I felt so sorry for him and went in with a biscuit for him and petted him, this made my boyfriend worse and says its like fighting a losing battle with me!!

Never a dull moment!!

amanda xx

Agree with JG, he will think he is being punished for coming back to you, I would guess that is not the impression you wish to give, if and when he returns then lots of praise is what is required. If it is making you nervous then put him back on a long line and re teach the return on command, till he is more reliable.

Sounds like your boyfriend needs some training too!
A

Thanks for the advice.

Back to basics, Alfie is back on the lead and i'm trying to be stern.  Alfie took me for a walk this morning but a least i knew he was safe.

Was speaking to a lady in the park yesterday and she was telling me her poodle has been acting the very same way the past week.  Apparantly there is a bitch in season not far from us. 

Hopefully this will pass.

Amanda xx

basically he is sticking 2 paws up to you!!

Never ever punish a dog that returns to you no matter what.  Always be pleased that they have come back to you.  I would even reward him with a treat as being a lab he must love his food and think well....if I go back to mum....she might give me food therefore you become his enticement.

I won't shout at him or put him in the room but am a bit dubious about giving him a reward when he does a runner.  I can see what you mean with him thinking that coming back is good fun but i don't want to reward the running away.

we have a really big garden and usually he loves pottering about it for ages but even that isn't good enough for him the now.  he is sitting at the gate whinning as if he wants out and he never needs to do that because he is out walking constantly.  they're is obviously something he wants to go and get.

amanda xx

Maybe try carrying some cheese, sausage, liver etc around with you and practice little recalls, hold collar, give treat and, most important, let go again. This can be done at least a few times on each walk and he will start to realise he gets rewards for returning. If there is an inseasonbitch around though, you are fighting against hormones so maybe take him elsewhere or keep on a long lead just for the moment in the absence of further training etc.

Lindsay
X

" but am a bit dubious about giving him a reward when he does a runner.  I can see what you mean with him thinking that coming back is good fun but i don't want to reward the running away."

Remember...it's the last thing he did that he will remember. So, when he is in the act of running away, you're NOT rewarding him. It's when he returns that you are. (don't let your ticked off mood at his running off prevent you from good training)  If you give him a party when he does finally come....a party with all the trimmings, he'll remember that for the next time. Don't call him with your usual command..."come" because if he doesn't, that word loses all meaning and he learns that he doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to.

If you gallop off the other way, making very fun, unusual, squeeky noises, "woooooo hoooo," hide behind and "find" something in the bushes that is absolutely fascinating....in other words, really entice him to come no matter how much a fool you appear to the neighbors, he's more likey to come see what you're doing. When he's just a few steps away and he's obviously coming to you, then say, "come." But have him come and sit in front of you. I use "let's go" for a more casual come, where he doesn't have to come all the way and sit in front of me....just so long as he comes in the general vicinity. But only use it if you're sure the dog is complying. Then make a fool of yourself with praise and fuss over his obedience. My Dobe is becoming very reliable with coming. Yes, as the others said, any association of a rotten time when asking the dog to come is counter productive. It's reward or nothing with that command. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Carrie

:D :D " Reward or nothing", eh? Sounds like something Manic Morse would say when doing his Hi-Ho Silver and hearing the dreaded whistle :) Actually hes good now but its taken a while. For Alfies mum, take a variety of treats with you cheese, hot dog, liver, gravy bone, and a favourite toy he only sees when training, so he dosent know what hes gonna get - game, liver, biscuit, cheese etc and every so often make a jackpot reward of the lot. Dont give the recall command to his bum either, get his attention first so he dosent ignore the recall. Opening my arms out like Gandalf helps guide Morse in and stops him running past me, and the neighbours are now used to me mucking about in the bushes twittering at the dog. Hide and seek really helps a recall IME as the dog realises Mother is unpredictable so he needs to keep an eye on her. If you use a washing line as a long line you can cut it down as his recall improves. Good luck.

I meant that if he comes when called, reward him. If he doesn't, don't reward, but don't scold either. That's what I meant by reward or nothing...not that if he comes you can reward or not reward....whatever. LOL LOL.

Hello all,

just a note to say all is well now and thankfully the running away was short lived!!  Over the weekend Alfie has been off the lead and when it was time to go back on the lead I was trying the "good boy" trick.  When I was shouting on him he was standing looking at me and I swear I could actually see him thinking about his next move.  Thankfully once I started to walk away and shout on him in a nice voice and praise him he was next to me in a shot. 

Feel really bad now for losing the head last week cause that actually made the situation a lot worse and prob made it last longer than it would have.

Think it was to do with the bitch being in season because he hasn't been eating as well over the weekend, this happened before and we took him to the vet but she said it would be through a bitch.

thanks for all you help

amanda xx

Hi Amanda,

Glad it seems to have worked out for you.  I would keep at it though, there's bound to be other times when you need him to come back to you ASAP, such as horses, near a road etc.  I have 2 labs, both very high drive so I can use a toy rather than food, but I still vary the reward for coming back.  I would also suggest that when you call your boy back, don't automatically pop his lead back on and end the walk, give him a treat and praise and let him straight off again, that way he won't think that coming back to you is the end to his free running- the trick is to keep him guessing!
If he does decide to do the 'off' again, another way to re-inforce the recall is to wait until he looks at you, then turn your back to him and crouch down.  Most dogs cannot resist tearing back to you to see if they've 'missed' something.
If you think that there may be a bitch in heat again at some point you could always invest in a long line, basically a light-weight lead about 30-50 foot long.  I found this usefull when my Kester was about 14 months old and going through his 'Kevin' stage.

Good luck

Ali :)