Hi,
I have a 1 year old english springer spaniel. I only acquired him about a month ago, and am currently trying to train him. He knows the basics, ie sit, stay, no etc. He even sometimes walks nicely next to me if it is quiet outside.
However, he has a really small attention span, and is extremey easily distracted. He comes to me when i call him inside the house, however, when i let him off the lead, he runs off chasing other dogs, birds, people, anything. He just doesn't come back when I call him, only when he decides he is ready to. I would love to be able to let him off his lead, and let him go crazy to burn off all the pent-up energy, but I'm just too anxious of him running into a road, or getting lost, or heading straight to a vicious dog who is on a lead.
Does anyone have any ideas on good training tips? It seems like a vicious circle - i cant let him off his lead because he doesnt come back, and the longer i dont let him off, the more frustrated he gets and doesnt listen to me! Help!
Pete

Hi, put him on a long line. I bought one from ebay for about a fiver - its a horses lunge line, works a treat :)

like this

Hi Peej :)

He is still a puppy and is still needing a firm hand for training and for him to realise who is in control.
I know its frustrating when you just want to let your dog off lead but afraid to do so, so maybe find somewhere thats completely isolated and possibly even enclosed? Or if you dont have a car so you can travel and look for places, a good time to go is always either realy early like 4:30/5am or really late 9am/9:30 if your gonna go later or its dark make someone go with you tho or let them know where you are ;)

That way if you go early or late there is nearly no other dog walkers and if there are that early they are more then likely responsible and can help you if any problems arise.

Getting him to come back can be done with extra tasty treats he never usually gets like cheese or liver cake , being a springer he will smell a good treat from a way away and with your recall command use it every time he even looks at you and reward as soon as he comes back every time and when he looks at you reward him for that too, every time he looks or comes back of his own accord give him that treat quick as a flash and this enforces the fact he should focus on you and only you and he gets treats for doing something so easy and then it becomes habit for him!

We are training our pup for recall at the mo (he is 6 months) and  Im doing exactly whayt Ive just explained and its working a treat and he has a good recall already, with patience and hard work it will hapen I promise, but if your feeling anxious or really dont want to let him off lead for some reason then dont because he may pick up on your signals and play up to it so do a pavement walk instead to release some of his energy, when your having a confident day try these training methods and see what happenes :)

Good Luck!!!

Killickchick - thanks, I've thought about the longer lead (should help with the recall training i guess) I will look on ebay! :D

Rach,
Thanks for the advice, its great that people care enought to respond and help out. Muchly appreciated.
I have thought about going out when it is quietest, though I have always assumed that he will just run off when I eventually do take him out when other dogs are around anyway. I assumed it was better to take him out and get him used to other sounds, animals, people etc so the novelty might wear off a little and he might stop being so excited (maybe a long shot, i know lol).
If i reward him with cheese,liver etc every time he looks/comes to me, will it not get to the point where i wont need to feed him in an evening?! Sorry if i'm sounding dumb (lol), but aside froma childhood dog, he is my first, and my knowledge is minimal. I think he does understand where he is in the hierarchy of things. He does listen to me, and he does seem to understand that I am the boss, but he just doesnt listen all of the time. (or some of the time....!)
There is an enclosed play park just behind my house, which seems the ideal size to train him with these kind of things, though it does say dogs arent allowed. I may take him there early in the morning when there are no people about.... lol
Many thanks! :D

No worries at all, weve all been there :-D !!

I suppose with the first parts of training if you do use the treats as his food then he will be more eager to come, take him out when he would usually eat in the morning and use his breakfast as treats to bring him back if you want to, or just cut down his portion so he is still hungry later on on a late walk :)

The attention span is like that in all dogs when their off lead and untill trained lol !!
My pup will listen to me 100% in the house no problems, but when outside lol its a whole different story!!
I have to work to get his attention and he is rewarded when he comes back everytime and again with the looking at you needs to be rewarded too, it seems hard at forst but when he learns the routine of coming back to you means a tasty treat he will come automatically eventually whenever called and then slowly wean him off treats and use a ball instead, a good thing is to take his favourite toy and make yourself more fun then anything around him, arm your self with treats and toys and 1 is bound to work :-D !!

The park round the back of your sounds fine but dont get caught!! lol the things we do for our dogs eh? lolol!! :)

Yeh i know, if he wasnt so damn adorable..... >:( LOL

Thanks for the tips, you have given me inspiration, we're off outside now to try a little recall training LOL

Do you think things like whistles help? If he associates it with coming back? If I whistle when I treat him after he has come back?

Aww no worries babe Im glad Ive inspired you and remember chin up and keep doing it over and over again!

I wouldnt confuse him with a whislte just yet, treats will work wonders as he is a puppy and a springer lol !!

Sounds like my son - currently has the attention span of a peanut - hormones we think!!

You probably have a very bright dog that will respond nicely to more formal training.  Classes are great at teaching you how to train your dog but also help get your dog immune to other dogs.  If they work alongside them they often learn that you are much more interesting. In class the other dogs are too focussed on their owners to get involved with yours and if you are able to pull out a ball or treat at otherwise boring moments your dog will learn to keep an eye on you instead.

It takes time and practise but it's worth it.  Find something that motivates him and keep that as your high value distraction and reward.  Have you noticed that police handlers use balls and play time to reward their springers?  My next door neighbour gives her springer a stick to carry when other dogs are around (yes I know - sticks?!!) but she always carries it by her owners side and because she is sure she is doing a 'Job that requires concentration' she does not run off or challenge other dogs. 

A good training classwill give you lots of different ways to encourage recall but there will always be some circumstances where it just isn't safe to let your dog off.   One of my dogs can't be trusted not to chase livestock so I have trained him to a longer lead length for those situations - he's free to stop and sniff and mooch about but still keeps within a fixed range from me.  He doesn't pull as I don't let him get to the end of the lead but keep him within the circle by using the clicking of a flexi lead and verbal instructions.  He can do this fixed range walking off lead too but I've learn't never to risk it if there are sheep about - as he get a bit single focussed and deaf!  I also never walk without a pocket of treats as both my boys are foodies!

Finally, try and find a quiet field to practice in - even if it means checking the map and getting in the car to find one, it will be worth it.  If you absolutely have to train in a busy place try and get a partner to help by walking your dog at a short distance from you: when you call your dog your partner can either run back with the dog or let the lead go only when the dog is 100% focussed on you.  As has already been said make sure you are reward every single time the dog comes back - adjust meal amounts to compensate, and do most of your intensive training when the dog is a bit hungry like before breakfast!!

Rach, I went out with the whistle and treats (before i got your reply lol) and im finding he's responding reeeeeeally well to the whistle. I threw his ball (which he loves and carries round everywhere) and halfway through him running for it, i blew the whistle, and he screeched to a halt and ran straight back! Methinks he's a food whore LOL. Good for the garden, might try the park on an early morning next lol

d-a-b,
Thanks for the tips. Might avoid the sticks though, as he likes to eat them.....lol. As if food isnt enough.....
I might take him in a car and find a quiet field somewhere, that sounds like a damn good idea. Tho now i have to train him on behaving in a car...... Doh!

;)

Ah, I missed what you said about training and rewarding before before breakfast! Makes so much sense, i cant believe i didnt think about it! Thanks!

Hey Peej

Im so glad you had a good first training session :)
Go with what works best for him and have treat ready for him when he responds to the whistle as soon as his bum is at your feet reward him, basically whenever he's at your feet reward reward reward lol!

You'll find the more you do the same thing the more he will react, good luck hun your off to a good start!!

Hi,

It can take a while for a new dog to settle in, everything is obviously very new/exciting and strange to him at the minute.  The basics in training are always much easier when you have developed a strong bond with your dog.  Play lots of games with him indoors, do lots of short training sessions indoors and in the garden rewarding with treats/ toys, maybe a game of tuggy.  I would also suggest that finding a good fun reward based training class would be a good way of your learning together and for him to get used to being able to focus on you around distractions, like other dogs and people. 

As you've found a whistle is often great because it is a unique noise and it stays the same unlike our voice which changes depending on us being tired, cross or whatever.  It would be really worthwhile getting him used to the whistle indoors first before taking him outside any more with it.  It needs to become a conditioned response to come back you when he hears it.  Pip the whistle and treat straight away,  do  this a few times several times a day for a couple of days.  Pip the whistle just before you are about to feed him and do anything fun.  I usually spend about a week getting a dog use to a whistle and conditioning a response indoors and then the garden where there are far less distractions.  Then take it outdoors and start the same process in a familiar area without loads of dogs and people about.  Always try setting him up for success while you are training new behaviours.  The danger with taking him outside with it straight away before he is really responding to it every time over a period of time is that if he sees a dog, he may not really hear the whistle and will likely ignore it, so then the whistle starts to mean come somtimes.

It's a good idea to do initial training on a longline attatched to a harness.  Again it is setting him up for success as he can't make the mistake of running off to see another person or dog (or get the huge reinforcement of doing it).

It takes time to get a good recall so don't think it's anything you are doing wrong if it takes a while.  Just be consistent and patient and always reward him lots.  If he does manage to bog off and say hello to someone while ignoring your recall, never tell him off on his return as it undoes all the good associations you will build up with coming back to you.  Good luck :-)

Hi Karen,

Thanks for the tips, I'm gradually building up my ideas and training :)
Thanks also for the tips regarding the harness and head collar. Will stop using this one asap! Don't wanna hurt my boy!! ;)

How thick is that lunge line would it be too heavy for liitle Mia she only weighs 5lbs. Need something otherwise I shall get a flexi lead and fix it I hate the things

Peej, I used to use the tennis courts in the local park when my dog was a pup as you can close them off but many of the distractions and smells etc are still around.  It helps if you have someone with you guarding the tennis court gate as this prevents people coming in and your dog getting the option to bolt.  this is a good time to do it as the buzz of wimbledon has worn off - tennis was soooo last month! :)

> I used to use the tennis courts in the local park when my dog was a pup as you can close them off but many of the distractions and smells etc are still around.

Thats a really good idea, I will have to remember that one! :)

Ah, thanks cheeky! Thats a great idea!

> How thick is that lunge line would it be too heavy for liitle Mia she only weighs 5lbs. Need something otherwise I shall get a flexi lead and fix it I hate the things

I found a tatty old tape flexi and just cut the lead off for my puppy's first training line - I wanted something light.  When I was training him to leave the free range chickens alone on our walks I tied a long bit of baling twine to his lead so I could stand on it and stop him stalking them, this meant I could be sure I wasn't risking chicken death whilst I experimented with the best ways to distract him!!

Hi furriefriends.

Yes, it will be too thick and heavy for Mia. We also made one from what looks like nylon washing line - the rope type - and attached it to a trigger clip from an old lead. It is much lighter.You have to know how to tie your knots though!

You can of course buy proper dog long lines ;)

I too hate flexi-leads, but OH likes it for pavement walking :) I still use a puppy lead!

lol Killickchick I hadnt noticed before but just had to say I love your avator photo lol :)
What a cheeky face!! :)

Thanks Killerchick hope all goes well with you. May have a browse through ebay if not I will cook some Ithink up till we ve got those recalls sorted

Furrie friend

You can buy a tracking line cheaply in pet stores - I think I paid around £6 for a 15m line.

Ditto Killerchick same with Cockers, shadows me at home really obedient. Off lead totally deaf!!! never heard of recall by the way who are you!!
Long lead and back to basics, mind you he's (Whistler) 18 months now and is getting really excellent, we were out walking Monday and he returned on call and OH's Border didn't (He He He).
He's a teenager at this point and plenty of walkies, got any water near by he can swim in? they love water and you can exhaust them (not literally) in the water and be there for a good boy and treat moment when he comes out. Persevere its a bit hard but there is light at the end of the tunnel, spaniels can compete with a knat for attention span around a year old. Swimming is a great pent up energy relief.