Hi,

I have a golden retreiver who is nearly 3 and have problems with recall.  At home he comes back when I call his name and doesn't jump up any visitors.  However, take him outside it's a different story altogether to the extent that he's missing out on having lovely walks as I very rarely let him off his lead. 

On occassion I have let him off lead with dog walkers I know, but if he spots another dog or person he's off and jumps up them.   

I started taking him to training classes and he passed his bronze award, which was done in an indoor arena.  The trainer advised me to only give him a treat when he comes when called by his name and I have stuck to this religiously in the house, but when he's outside he just turns his nose up as if to say ...there's too many more interesting things to do out here

Please advise as I want us both to enjoy walks.

Thank you

Hi,
I had a similar problem with my springer. His recall was great if he had no distractions but if he had something in his mouth (mainly a stick) he was a nighmare!
Treats do work, you just have to find ones that he really likes.
It takes time, you have got to make yourself more interesting than the person or dog he sets his sights on. Of course he's going to run up to other dogs and people he's a dog thats what they do, but you have to be the one in control of the situation not him. Something i found very difficult and frustrating.
Does he have a favourite toy? . . . If so take it with you as a way of getting his attention. This was advise given to me on here and it did work.
Try and relax and pu some trust in him, if your apprehensive and think he is going to behave a certain way he probably will. Dont panick when you see someone approaching and start calling him time after time in a frantic way. Always try and stay calm, he is much more likely to respond to you. I have found this to be the case from my own experience.

Im sure other people on here will be able to give you beter advice, but your not alone and i know how frustrating it can be

Good luck

get him interested in a toy ie a ball or tuggy make it the most important thing in his life when you are out , the moment you arrive home put it on top of the fridge or a shelf let him see you put it there ..he only gets it when you are outside.

begin in the garden when he runs off to sniff call him play with him with the tuggy or throw the ball kick it around make it exciting and fun so that you have his attention all the time then lift up the toy put it in your pocket give him a treat let him wander a bit then call him back and play the game again ...eventually he will watch you continually waiting for his favorite toy to appear knowing you will play with him ..this way you become most important  ..more than the other dog running past or the person walking by.

I have 3 dogs all ball obsessed from a puppy they never bother with anyone or dogs just me or my hubby, dogs come up to join in the game my dogs ignore them completely ..I can walk all the way round the park with the balls in my pocket and they will just watch me continually as they know at some point they will get it.

You may find this more  difficult as he is 3 best to get him a new toy get him interested (presuming he likes toys) you need to be more fun that what is going on around him. No point in taking him out then letting him off you need to keep him busy .

You could also put him on a long line so that he is easier to catch if he is not interested in toys and then back to basic training ie puppy recall etc:

OH boy do i hear you I have a bully whos the same great indoors and when out and theirs no one about he's recall is better than his mums ,
but only because i now start running away from him and make silly noises at him he now see's this as a game and takes great pleasure in coming running up to me and jumps in the air like Bambi all the way lol, but if he spots someone else walking no matter how far away they are he will bolt toward them, sometimes im lucky and he will come back to me before he reaches the stranger but only after iv made a big enough fool of myself waving my arms calling and running around like a  right wally, what can i say sometimes it works sometimes it does not :-( ,

it does spoil walks tho as i tend to take him out when no ones about and this is not really teaching him to ignore other people if he never gets the chance to come across them,

but i cant be letting him jump on people as i live in an area where the vast mojority of peeps are African and most of them are scared to death of dogs , so have to be careful where i live,

good luck with your dog i will be watching your post maybe get some tips from the wise ones on here,

Great advice Starryeyes , i have tried the toy in past but any tips on how to not lose my hand while im playing with him lol ,
my boys a typical bully boy he dont mean it but he realy is off at jumping for the toy and grabbing your hand instead,

my rottie is great he always grabs the toy but bully Ah Ah Ah,  just lunges at it and normally misses,
he seems to cotten on that the toys in you hand and the hands attatched to you arm so he'll just try to grab the whole of that to lol i know hes only playing but it sometimes hurts ,

Hi,

Thank you all for your replies. 

He chooses a toy to take with him on walks, which he is only given when he's out.  For a while this worked and even other dog owners were shocked that he came back (they know him well).

I've tried running in the opposite direction and hiding behind trees.  It's a wonder I haven't been locked up how silly I've behaved to try and get him back!  Alas, nothing's worked though.

I've cooked him liver which he loves, but this upsets his tummy.  I've tried chicken, but he spits it out. 

At home he has some lovely traits.  He takes himself into the hall away from us when we eat, doesn't jump on the furniture, doesn't go upstairs (I didn't want him pining at the bottom of the stairs when he's older and he can't make it up there) and waits for his food until he's told it's ok. 

I've bought an extendable lead and he comes back when I use that, but I guess that's cause he knows that he's not totally free to run away.

I've tried staying calm and not worrying that he won't run off, but there's always a niggle in the back of my mind that he will. 

It's just so frustrating!!!!

Will he retrieve a ball? . . . might be a way of keeping his attention.

I've tried a ball, but that didn't work either.

>I've bought an extendable lead and he comes back when I use that, but I guess that's cause he knows that he's not totally free to run away.

I stopped using an extendable lead as they hear the click it makes when you press it to stop them ;-) I now have a long lead. Actually, I have 2. One is 20 feet long and the other is 30 feet long. I have to use them every so often for one of my bitches as she has done runners in the past and I live beside the main Aberdeen to Dundee dual carriageway (100 metres or so ) I have found that by using a dog whistle, the long lead and treats (usually the small bone shaped biscuits from Tesco, broken in half) does the trick :-) It has taken a while but she is now almost perfect with recall. We still have the odd moment, usually when there is a very good scent, but the improvement is worth the time and effort. I haven't had to use the long lead this past year (fingers crossed I haven't jinxed it ;-) )

I've bought an extendable lead... and you're right as soon as he hears the click he thinks it's time to run!  Where can I purchase a long lead from?

Saying I have tried the ball that didnt work either its not the 'ball' its what you do with it ... the problem you have is keeping his attention . You need to make yourself more exciting than anything around him. If when he has run off you have got him back then put the lead on in the fear that he will run off again that is part of your problem. you need to call him to you play with him put the lead on walk a little give a treat then let him off again (when he hasnt run off so that you are not giving of vibes of being worried) one trick is to wrap the lead around the collar so he doesnt hear the click of the lead coming off or have two leads on him!

I wouldnt let him pick a toy to take to the park, have a special one he really wants (a new one) only let him play with it WITH YOU  for very short periods I have a bag of balls my dogs cant have unless we go to the park , they go mad for them. One ball isnt enough you kick one they hold one  that keeps the game going alternating the balls.

I also put the dogs in the sit or down I circle them step over them , call them to me put them in the sit or make them stand and circle them do a bit of work ..it keeps thier minds busy whilst thinking of what you want them to do next, keep them continually watching you which is the aim  to make you the main focus.

also when you call the dog to you use one word command ie 'come' in a high pitched voice then turn and walk off (not 'name' come here good boy blah blah blah is all he will hear.... if for any reason they dont come and look as if they are going to shoot off then sit on the floor!!

You can get a training lead from training lines

Chelseagirl I would have a tuggy on a long rope to save my hands, if they attempt to grab it as one of my dogs do( they have bounce) step back and turn your back on them .

Hi Goldenoldie,i know what its like to have GR that ignores you when out off the lead.....very very annoying indeed.

One of my goldies who is just 3 now has only just started to come to us when called,as you say she also loves people and finds it hard to resist going to see all dogs just for the love of it.
She did not respond to food at all...no interest in food.So we had to try other things. We got a rugby ball with a sqeaker in and that did it for her, she was totaly focused on that ball and would bring back to me all the time and then i would treat her.
We also got a whistle but it didnt work like that rugby ball. We do have occasions when she still looses concentration,but we are getting there.
We bought a long extentable lead from pets at home 23ft or you could get a long lead rope from a saddler or horse shop.
Good luck im sure he will be fine soon.

Re Toys: I found this on another forum some time ago and saved it - sadly don't know who posted it, so I am hoping the OP doesn't mind:

Making a Toy Special
Not all dogs are food orientated, some can give or take treats and work better for toys, a knotted sock is ideal for this, - I tend to avoid anything that makes a noise! -, but it is a 'special toy' and you control it.

How to make it special? (this also works for a dog that is reluctant to hold a retrieve article), get your toy, which must be something your dog has never had before. Put it in a scrunchy paper bag.

Get the bag out and scrunch it a bit, saying to your dog ' what have I go' 'whats this' etc. etc. but don't let him have it. Put it up out of the way. Do this two or three times a day for two days. Next step is to take the toy out and wiggle it around, still winding the dog up, but they can't have it. Put it back in the bag out the way, do this for two days. (don't use any negatives at all when doing this exercise).

By now when the bag comes out, your dog should be really interested. Get the bag, get the toy and have a game really winding your dog up. You don't let the dog have it, just share it and stop literally after a few seconds, always before the dog wants and put it back in the bag and put it away. (don't tell the dog leave, or use negatives, prise out of his mouth if you have to, or teach the dog to leave on a polite 'thankyou'.

Continue to use the toy only for 'special' play and you always retain it at the end. You always finish the game first while the dog still wants.
I can guarantee that this will keep your dog interested.

Hope this helps!

>Where can I purchase a long lead from?

My ex bought mine from the local pet shop. Though they also have horses so have a few horsey things in store.

Ebay is also a good place to look, or somewhere like Pets At Home.

As to your dog jumping up. I actually taught mine to come up on command. It takes a while but believe me, when your do weighs over 30 kilos and you have grandchildren it is a godsend. I just pat my chest, open my arms wide and say 'up'. He then gets praise before being given the command 'off'. More praise and a treat once he is down. He now very rarely jumps up without being told. He has to be really excited, but evcen then he only starts to come up before he realises what he is doing and oes back down.

I've recently taught him to jump up me on command and give him a treat when he gets off.  Again, he does this at home but jumps up people when we're out.

I bought an extendable lead.  Unfortunately,  it doesn't have a handle/strape for me to hold.  He's a strong lad and is quite capable of pulling me over if he chooses to dash off.  I'm going to ook on the training lines site and horse shops for a lead with a handle/strap (I could open my own shop with the things I've bought to try to get him to come back).  You're right though it's not about the toy it's about what I do with it.

Going shopping tomorrow to buy him some special toys and will put them in a paper bag to tease him.  I like the idea of not letting him have it straight away and teasing him to get him really interested.

I took him out for his usual walk today and I didn't give him the choice of picking a toy, but let him see me put it in my pocket and he came back on lead 60% of the time.

Not giving up as I want my lovely lad to run his little legs off and enjoy life, but he must be safe and come back when called.  You can't beat seeing him run and play with other dogs.

Long lines from horse tack shop or buy a tracking line for dogs (as per working trials) available from internet........
                               warning ....Wear gloves :-)

> You can't beat seeing him run and play with other dogs.

I've just spotted this.

The problem may lie with the fact your dog sees his walks as 'bogging off wiv ma mates' and not an interactive play session with you.

Try to avoid other dogs whilst retraining him and work on you being the centre of his universe. Playing with you and wanting to be with you are the aims here.
A good recall stems from the dogs wish to keep you in sight at all times which requires the dog to want to be with you ( in the first instance you and your special toy.)