I had an absolutely awful walk this evening, first of all I was going through a tight gap with lots of nettles and as I was stupidly wearing cropped running trousers I was trying to pick my way through carefully, consequently Leon came barging through and stepped on the back of my leg, scratching it nicely (frankly nettle stings would have been preferable), then we went all the way round one field and as we approached the next one he ran ahead which he tends to do but I don't worry cos he always pops back to make sure i'm close behind. Unfortunately there were people on the far side of that field that I didn't see til it was too late - a couple with 2 kids and a westie.....children AND dog!! Recall? What's that? Off he went at 400 mph. So there I am with a dilemma. Go sprinting after him - not great for recall, or wait and try to get his attention - fine if they don't mind this approach. So I wait for a bit, calling him and then blowing on the whistle I have recently acquired...no joy. Then, the family disappear down through a gap in the trees, closely followed by Leon. Of course what I don't realise is that the gap does not lead to the woods as I think but actually to the road! I eventually catch up with him, apologising to the parents and the mother says it's fine as he is very good natured but because her daughter ran away from him he ended up knocking her over. They were wonderful about it but I felt dreadful. He went straight back on his lead and actually did some gorgeous heelwork on the way home, think he knew I was not impressed! So come on, hit me with it - how should I have reacted? Obviously by checking for all exits before letting him off lead (thank god he didn't make it back to the main road) but what else can I do? Back to basics on recall?

I'd have a stiff drink and swear a lot at the dog :D

LOL, both of the above successfully completed....

Poor you!  That sounds like nearly every walk I have with Copper if I let him off the lead, he just bolts for it if he sees something he doesn't like (usually a dog, but men with golf bags will do just as well).  I never let the dog off the lead unless I'm 200% certain there's no one else there.  At least your dog isn't bitey like mine (only with dogs though).

I avoid other walkers like the plague but they seem to seek me out.  Today it's pouring down so I go to the fields, great, no one there.  Suddenly half a dozen cars pull up all around me.  Then as I walk to the horriblest field thinking no one will go that way, they are all behind me like the flipping pied piper.  Copper going bananas to boot. 

I swear if I walked my dog in the Gobi desert at midnight I'd come across a pack of nocturnal sand dogs.  I can't win!!

CG

Sounds like you need wine too CG!! Its such a nightmare, he has just done it again! We went into the field and there were a couple of ladies with 4 dogs, I got fairly close with him on his lead and asked if he was allowed to play, when they agreed I let him off but then about 15 other people (adults, dogs, children on bicycles) came into the field and off he went! I tried calling him then running away in other direction as suggested by one of the ladies but that had no effect. Eventually he came back (obviously gave lots of praise & treats) but I can't keep going like this - some people don't want to play with him which is fair enough. The thing is, I long for there to be other dogs out as he loves to play so much (and it makes him nice and sleepy!)

If your dog always finds dogs more attractive than you then you will never get a recall from your dog.

You need to be offering a reason for the dog to want to stay with you, if you are boring and not giving him the interaction he needs he will always find bogging off more entertaining.

Why not get him interested in ball or frisbee, he will then be having so much fun with you, other dogs will be ignored.

Recall needs practising on a daily basis gradually increasing the level of difficulty and dropping back a step if you have moved on too soon.

Most people do nowhere near enough recall training and generalisation to have a solid recall with their dog which can then lead to terrible consequences.................

You are right of course Tohme. I am nowhere near as fun as other dogs and if i'm brutally honest have obviously not done enough recall training or otherwise I would not be having this problem. He will always come back on first command when we are out until a more exciting distraction presents itself. I have tried taking a ball on a rope out with us (which he doesnt have access to at any other time) and he likes that...until another dog appears at which point it is abandoned and off he goes. Leon is my first dog and I have gone from no knowledge of training (or dogs for that matter) to some over the last 7 ish months. Could you explain for me what you would consider to be basic steps for training a good recall? We do attend obedience classes with him and will continue to do so but it's hard to replicate the environment to practice it (at class the other dogs are not running around and there are no kiddies). We are going tonight and I will ask for advice but would also appreciate any advice you can offer?

[link]http://www.clickertraining.com/karen/gem_posts/index.htm?loaditem=gem_posts&itemnumber=4#2[/link]

Thanks, looks like a clicker is going on my shopping list....got off lightly really - if you had said I needed to spread myself with pate and run around screaming I would probably have done it! Actually, perhaps that's not such a bad idea....

Hello.
I can offer no advice but do sympathise; on yesterdays walk we Sal (SBT) and I meet a lady with the same trouble. Out of nowhere a GoldenRetriever appeared and wanted to play. Sal took it in good part and started a game of race around. I looked for the owner to see noone. Then a lady appeared out of the trees and said the dog was her's and he'd seen us from (miles) away and come rushing over. She'd panicked as Sal is a SBT she was unsure of the reaction. It seems her GR never responds when he sees other dogs.

It took a while to catch him too although Sal came back he danced about on the edge not coming close enough to catch. Eventually I thought it easier to walk away with the lady an Sal and eventually we got him, but I convinced her to let him go again after a second or two  so he did not associate coming to her with play stopping and the second time much easier to catch the third time no probs at all because we walked a little way each time with both dogs on lead then off to play. Back on lead off to play.

Try finding a dog friendly person and a nice dog may work wonders. Ask at your training club, for a well trained person to walk with you. May work. Because although we saw other dogs in the distance the GR stayed close because Sal did. :) 

Karen

Charlie,

I also have a dog that loves other dogs.  When I first let her off lead I made sure to put her on and off lead frequently - I never wanted her to associate being off lead with the end of fun time.   Along with consistently practicing the recall, as Tohme advises, it really does work (eventually).

Oh, and I also always carry treats with me.  I give her a treat just for coming up to me, without any recall, in the field.  She also gets a treat when she comes back to me when called. 

Stacey

Thanks everybody. I think I just need to keep practising with him, sometimes he comes back and sometimes he doesn't. We were out the other day and he went off after another dog, I called him and he came straight back (before he reached the other dog), we then both went on into the next field and I didn't put his lead back on. I was very pleased then! He will always come back once he has been allowed to play. I always carry treats (and more recently really, really good ones) and put his lead on then take it off again a few times. The thing is at the moment he is just permanently crazy (but what do I expect when he's 9 months old eh?!)