Walking my 2 dogs yesterday I let them off lead in a huge enclosed area which we go to quite often.  Both are not too bad on re-call, but could do better.

They were chasing each other, diving into the water and generally having a great time, I was also re-calling them and giving them treats and everything seemed fine, then all of a sudden Jasper just took off, (17 month old entire golden) he ran up towards the entrance of the field and I know the gate doesn't close proplerly.  I put Henry back on lead and we ran to find Jasper, no matter how much I shouted him and blew the whistle he would not respond .  I panicked and was really worried as just outside the entrance to the field there is a country road but this leads onto a busy road and the speed he ran I knew he could get there quickly.

Fortunately for me and Jasper, a man with his son and 2 dogs had caught him and waited for me to get there.

The man in question had 2 bitches, I don't think either were in season, but would this be the reason that Jasper just bolted.  Can I expect this type of behaviour because he is entire?  Apart from being very dangerous it is also bad for my blood pressure

And there is no way I feel I could let him off lead now, help and advice needed please

More abut age then sexual status.  Your lucky you don't own my Jozi who does this on a regular basis, and she is nearly 8 years old!

Seriously my friends spayed goldie bitch did these sort of things when younger, you just have to keep up the recall training in situations where Haw won't be able to disobey (long line).

I don't believe any dog will ever be 100% as they are not machines, so we just have to ensure the risks are minimal where we walk them off lead.

Thanks Brainless, it is just that when he went his head went down almost as though he wasn't looking where he was going and he didn't even pick his head or ears up slightly when I was calling him 

I've got a dog that does that!  She's a nightmare and has a very strong will of her own.  There is a difference between a dog who doesn't understand recall and a dog who simply says 'like heck I'm coming back!'  I can work on recall in a controlled way until the cows come home but the moment you show even an inkling of complacency (like answer your mobile phone) she takes full advantage and goes-a-hunting on her own.

Just because they don't prick up their ears (IMHO) doesn't mean they don't know where you are and what you are asking!  The alternative obviously seems better!

Good luck

Oh that is so like mine, waits until your busy poo picking up or soemthing.

Our 2 year old Golden bitch will do this occaisionally she is normally quite good on recall but she does get these bouts of selective deafness especially when she finds something interesting.  She is particulary bad if she sees a squirrel or a fox or another Golden we are just very careful where we let her off lead, she would go straight across a road head down if she was chasing a fox.

wasn't looking where he was going and he didn't even pick his head or ears up slightly when I was calling him

This is known as 'selective deafness' something which an old rescue dog i had suffered with on many an occasion :D :D :D

They don't need to be rescues to do this ;) I have a 9 year old bitch that will ignore me if she is on a scent :) I also have an almost 3 year old bitch that has had to have a lot of work put into her to stop her running off. She ended up on a dual carriageway watching the lorries go by before returning to me Thankfully she didn't actually go on the road (a neighbour watched her) but she is a lot better off now. It's only one field that I really have to watch her in. Angels, aren't they :D

Moose has always been iffy on her recall and would never trust her 100%. She is very strong willed and but with time she has got better and better but never leave her off the lead any where near a road. We are lucky as we have many off road walks around us so not too much of an issue for us :)

The rest of my Labs have always been very good on recall :)

Have you thought about trying a whistle for recall as found that really did help focus Moose and me :D

thanks for all your advice everyone, looks like I have my work cut out with the little monkey :rolleyes:

Yes I did have a whistle with me which he will normally respond to - obviously he had other ideas :rolleyes:

Roxy appeared to deteriorate a few weeks back and we had to put her back on the long line again...:rolleyes: I've also taken to hiding in bushes round corners etc to keep her on her toes, which seems to have the desired effect of a bit more focus on me.

Nothing, but nothing  will stop her chasing squirrels so I don't even bother calling her:rolleyes:

Mine usually have pretty good recalls but if they chase something then they too are having a bout of selective deafness, luckily they give up when whatever they are after (bunnies, deer squirrels etc..) go through a hedge or up a tree. Today though a wounded wood pigeon fluttered up under Merlots nose , she was right on top of it and I yelled LEAVE IT and she did!!! then it did a low level wobbly flight for about 20 yards and she took of after it but only stood looking when she caught up with it and I was able to pick it up and put it over the fence into a well covered area. (Didn't know what else I could do? Couldn't carry about for and hour back to the car and it would possibly have died of fright  before I got it to a vet) So maybe she can hear me after all.
We are lucky to have lots of arable land around and we can get two/three fields away from the roads so I feel pretty confident that they will all come back before they get into trouble. The fields have all been harvested now so there are lots of hares out and about the chase and tire the girls out! How does a Bernese get all that tongue back inside it's mouth!?

How does a Bernese get all that tongue back inside it's mouth!?

:D I think this about the collies too, their tongues seem far too big for their mouths. I reckon every dog has the smae length tongue, and the borzois with their longer muzzles manage to keep their tongues in their mouths :D :P :D

My crossbreed's recall is dire :rolleyes:  He understands the concept perfectly but apparently not the time frame in which you expect him to react.  So I call 'Shay, come!' and I get 'uh-huh....I hear ya...just a minute til I sniff this bit of grass...and that one over there....and maybe just pee on this one a bit....yep, coming now....just a sec.... *several minutes elapse before he ambles back* Sorry, did you call actually want something....?  Now, where's my treat for being a good boy....?' :rolleyes:

I blame the parents.  Or the mother at least.  Damn spitz breeds! ;-) :P

>Damn spitz breeds!<

ROFL! :D
I hear that!!
*Meanwhile a certain Sibe and little Eurasian tuck their paws in their pockets and walk away whistling* :rolleyes:

Ah knew it ahd to be as that is sooo like mien, what's the hurry woman

My first 2 Goldens were like this until I learned that all the groundwork in recalls must be put in before 12 weeks of age really and so the third was fine. The thing is, you're best off NOT to call at all, or whistle, if the dog doesn't look like it's going to come, because you will only reinforce that he doesn't HAVE to come. But yes, this age is Kevin in Goldens for sure!! I've never had an entire male Golden run off after a bitch though, regardless of age.

Hamish, Goldie, nearly 8 and neutered, bogs off on a regular basis. He used to be very good at his recall but all of a sudden started disappearing, so he went back on the lead. When I start to feel sorry for him and let him off again, he leads me into a false sense of security by coming back and me thinking "Oh good, he's got the message". You can guess what then happens!

I've got a new method now, by attaching him to Lottie, who has a pretty good recall, for part of the walk. When I say come he has little alternative but to come because she does. Someone, a while ago, asked which one of the dogs was blind!

> I've got a new method now, by attaching him to Lottie

A friend attaches her husky to her rottie :D :D

Daisy

>A friend attaches her husky to her rottie

:D

I have the same problem as your friend then, only in my case, it's all in one dog!

His Rottie half hears and understands the command but his Spitz half tells the Rottie half to ignore it!! :rolleyes:  Maybe one of these days the Rottie half will assert itself but I doubt it :rolleyes:

Maybe I could attach him to my Newfie?  On second thoughts, that would just be cruel...she's known as Hurricane Lola for a very good reason!  :rolleyes: :P

Oh I'm so glad its not just mine!! Mine are a nightmare, I'm still very much in the training stage! They are fantastic at training class, but let them off on the downs Marley gets his 'FREEDOM!!!!' instinct (you can almost here the 'littlest hobo' theme song), Oscar rolls in poo and tries to hump every person or tree stump he comes across, :rolleyes: and Geordi will happily trot off with passers-by hoping they'll adopt him - charming! And I try and gain control and usually end up falling on my bum in the mud. Happy days! :D :D

Ah well keep up the training I guess, I was told a whistle would be good in training my 3? Mmmm...

Whistles are great. I trained mine to one so a) my OH who can't give a friendly recall command without sounding like a wounded cow can get the dogs back, b) when they're on the other side of the field I can make a sound they can hear without scaring the pants off them :-D (OK, even my voice doesn't stretch as far as my two go). My latest trick is to make it a race. First one back gets the treat. I have to time my whistles so each dog gets a chance to be first but that seems to be very succesful with my 7 month golden.

Added advantage, whistles always sound the same, ie your real inner feelings (I could just strangle you with your favourite duck just now) don't work their way into your recall. It saved a deer's life I'm sure. Hard to give a happy recall as your dog is about to have bambi for breakfast. :-D

We used a training metod from a book to train Mitz, hiding round the house and calling her name, and when she found us rewarding with a treat worked wonders!!
From her obedience course we would do it the way of Matt holding Mitz, I would step away backwards holding a treat, get a way away and then I would call her and Matt would let go, she always came bolting over, maybe use that method?

SBT's are easily trainable though, so we are lucky!! :)

> Added advantage, whistles always sound the same, ie your real inner feelings (I could just strangle you with your favourite duck just now) don't work their way into your recall.

:D  That's the problem I have - and with Duibh you always have to sound ecstatically happy if you want a response, otherwise he gets worried that you're not happy and pretends you're not there. :rolleyes:

I had a funny encounter today, I had tied Henry to a bench while practising stays with Ellie (first open obedience show tomorrow, yikes!) and a chap with an elderly male Yorkie came along and was chatting and asking questions. Afterwards I let Henry go again and he immediately fell in love with the Yorkie and was very annoying, having to go back on the lead in the end. The chap asked (in a nice way) 'how about obedience classes for him too?' and it was very tricky explaining that he actually has his Gold GC but picks his own sweet time to be obedient!!! :-D