Does anyone have any ideas on how we can stop our dogs from charging at people when they are off-lead?

We have 4, 2x RR and 2x Labs

They are fine individually and in pairs but when in 'the pack' the are a nightmare.

Can i just say though,before anyone starts about pack mentality and behaviour i know WHY they do it, i just want to stop them!

Also, when we let the male Lab off the lead he charges off like a bullet from a gun! None of the others do this but he takes them with him.

They get plenty of exercise, 6 miles a day split into 2 walks so it's not from being under-exercised. I am just arfaird that my Ridgeback dog may intimidate other dogs and people! I refuse to walk around with uncontrollable dogs but can see how to stop them. Walking in pairs isn't practical at all times as we have small children so take it in turns to walk all 4 and only on weekends we all go out.

Plese help!

Thank you

Helen

my dogs do this so i have to take them all out seperate would love to no how to stop them:rolleyes:

OK Helen, can you enlighten us - Why do they do it?

Because it's fun and exciting! :)

What are their recalls like if they are on their own? Just curious really, because the way I find the pack mentality works for my lot (I have walked up to 6 or 7 dogs together although these days I hardly ever do more than 2 because it's so much easier for me) -is that you call one, anyone, and they ALL come charging back to me immediately. None of them would ever run off towards another dog or person, but they've each had plenty of recall training individually.  So would yours do the same if they were on their own, or is it only when in a pack? Not sure if the fact that 2 are hounds could have anything to do with it as mine are all gundog/pastoral.

That's interesting, Marianne. :) My lot will recall 'as a pack' if I whistle then shout 'DOGS!', but if I call one name only that one will (usually!) respond - and the others look to see if s/he's doing it!

Hm maybe my dogs are different to others, LOL -or it really is a breed group thing. :) I can't ever do anything with just one dog if another is in sight as all will react to the same command.

In fact one nice little story here is about my cavalier. He was almost 9, bad heart, and I'd retired him from training. I was however practicing the different exercises for the KC Good Citzen Gold test with one other dog, and as to get some peace and quiet away from the other big dogs (and weather was bad), I brought that dog into our very large living room where Rufus the cavalier lives.  So I'm assuming Rufus will just wacth or sleep or whatever, put Simba the Golden in a sit at one end of the room, walked to the other end and prepared to practice a drop recall/stop at distance. Rufus joined in. He wanted to take part, watched what was going on, and in a couple of minutes had worked out what he was meant to do, so when I told Simba sit, then called and stopped him, Rufus did exactly the same without being told. I had NEVER taught him this exercise before! It made me think so I took him back to training for 3 weeks -trained first week, took silver second week, took gold 3rd week!

Yeh, way to go Rufus. See, Cavaliers aren't just useless lap dogs. (well, except perhaps for my Henry!) :-D

my best friend at home in Sweden (RIP) had a Blenheim Cav bitch who was a Sw. Obedience Champion. :D

On their own or in pairs they are fine, you don't even need a lead! They walk with you if you just tell them,"here" and you can sop them easily. Regular obedience dogs LOL Not quite but well behaved anyway!

Calling or shouting does work but only afte they have nearly flattened the person/dog. Don't know if they can hear me cos they are barking or maybe adreneline.

Labs are as bad as RR so don't think it's a hound thing.

In my opinion they do it cos they feel braver with their friends and they think its great fun!

My lot are hounds and they'd love to do the same thing given half a chance! The labs are possibly just joining in. I find that I can get my lot back as a group by yelling 'HERE! NOW!' as long as I get the command in before the pack mentality has taken over. Once the first one is properly into his/her stride it's wasted breath. Like JG I find that if I call a name I only get the owner of the name. I'd try them with volunteer people, maybe using a new command (or perhaps a whistle?) but making sure to get the recall in before they start the charge.

I have found teaching the dogs steady works for me, as being a rather independent breed I find slwoing them down (and then catching them up) is far easier than getting them to turn around again once moving.

I teach this on lead and up steps etc, and when recalling if they are coming in fast.

I find this works well on walks when they are usually a bit ahead, combined with a wlk on command.  If I see them heading towards people, (often when theyn are just racing each other), if I shout steady they slow down to a walk, reach the person or dog at which point the walk on command is given, which I can back up as I will reach them shortly and can enforce it, if necesary, sao they do move on even without me reaching them.

Two words - shock collar.

One word - wrong!

I'd say 4 words: electric collar=incompetent trainer.

:p Absolutely

Good answer Jeangenie.

I think the last two or three times this person has posted it has been exactly the same thing written :rolleyes: Hopefully people just ignore it!

Karen

Thankfully government is currently debating banning them -just read the HANSARD transcript today.

Goldmali, can anyone get to look at this or do you have insider information? :-D

[url=]www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmdebate/03.htm#hddr_1[/url]

It is several pages and heavy going and the shock collar mention is towards the end. Deals with the animal welfare bill.

Sorry don't know why the link didn't work! May have to copy and paste this:

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmdebate/03.htm#hddr_1

Thanks, Goldmali.  I'll take a peek.

Oh hang on, think I've got it now:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmdebate/03.htm#hddr_1

Er ... um ... seems to be about Northern Ireland?

Oh DRAT! They've changed it for a newer one. Sorry!!

Not to worry.

think i will stick to walking mine seperate thanks

Hi,

You don't say how old your dogs are?

But I am guessing that you have under 3's in there????

I too have a nice little pack their recall is excellent, but all were trained and walked seperately to get them to the high standard of training I have with them, you can not train them as a pack or even really in pairs.

When they did go out in a pack, I would always lead up the ones I did not trust when coming upon other people, dogs or children, and then let them off again afterwards.  You need to keep your eyes in the back of your head and always focus well in advanced at who or what is coming towards you from a distance, call your dogs before they see who or what is approaching and lead up.

Labs are heavy powerful dogs and can easily hurt or knock someone over and a young Ridgeback will certainly hurt other dogs especially a young male, I  have always found Ridgebacks to be very heavy handed with other dogs and would always recommend leading until much older and calmer, then they are a pleasure to come across.

You really need to train them all seperately to recall, then as a pack or alone they should not disobey you. As they mature they will calm down, in the meantime prevention is better than them hurting someone. :-)

Yes Lyssa they are all under 3.
Labs are 2 3/4 and 18 mth
RR 15mth and 9 mth.

As i have said in both my other posts theeir recall is great on their own and they certainly weren't trained as a group. They had one to one training seperate from the others and behaviour was and is fine in this situation.

At the moment we have the leads on everytime we meet people but on a nice sunny sunday a a popular woods that is about every 2 minutes! As for having the lead on one you wouldn't trust, none of them can really be trusted if any of the others are loose! Prevention is what we are after as far a hurting people/dogs as the reality of 4 sizeable dogs charging at someone is not very nice.

The Ridgebacks and one Lab will come back once they've gone up to the person, but the oldest Lab won't come back unless he HAS to. He can be quite headstrong anyway and we are working on this.

what i was wondering was if there was anything that we were doning wrong in the way we are trying to stop them, but by reading these replies i would say that we are on the right track and it's just a case of perserverance and maybe maturity on the dogs part.

Thanks everyone

helen

Yes helenRR, you have answered your own question it is all to do with maturity, it will calm down, keep up the seperate training, try to walk them in pairs as much as you can until they are older and keep popping them back on lead before they charge at someone. It is very hard with a young pack, but it does not last forever, another year or two and they should have all really calmed down, and will walk well as a pack and not be so interested in investigating and greeting everything that moves.

i dont think it is to do with age my dogs also do this and the eldest is 6 nothing we have tried has worked ( putting leads on etc etc) i now just walk them all seperate, it is much less hassle.my dogs are also very good at recall but not when together:rolleyes:

Helen - if I were you, I'd only let them off one at a time on your walk.  It might mean that they get marginally less exercise because they're not all off, all of the time, but at least you would be able to practise your recall individually.  When they are off individually, call the "free" one back often and give a tasty treat to him/her, then tell him/her to "Go play" again (or whatever your "free" command is).

That way, all the ones on lead will watch you giving a treat to the free one, and will want one.  So, when it's their turn off lead, they'll come back pronto too - for their turn.

If you do ever have them all off at the same time, only give a treat to the first dog back.  This makes it into a race back to you - only first dog back gets a treat.  The others will just have to be faster next time.

Thanks 123

that is a brilliant idea!

Will definatley try this tomorrow

helen