Off Lead Training

Mae was a total disgrace on our walk last night.

I take out every night when I get home from work to let her have a good run and burn off some steam, she is only 7 months but I have been working on her off lead recall since she was only 3 to 4 months and generally she has been very good. The allure of another dog and the chance to introduce herself to the majority of people does seem a little too much for her so I am always careful when and where I let her off and try to be on the ball, putting her back on her lead if I spot a potential target for her over exuberant puppy fun (9 times out of 10 I manage it).

Last night however, I let her off in a local park area far away from any of the other people, every other time she will pay no attention to anyone but for some reason she spotted a man jogging in the distance (and I am talking a long way away) and she was off like a shot completely ignoring my calls to her (I don’t think she could even hear me she was that intent). I could just make out this little spot in the distance jumping up the back of the poor mans legs and him taking a leap sideways, she did a 3 second dance around him and then came charging back across the field to me looking rather pleased with herself.

Later she was playing with another pup and having a great time but refused to come back to me when it was time to move on even thought the other pup was back on its lead and behaving impeccably. This bit I can understand because she was having a great time and wanted to continue playing. I was really worried when she took off after the poor jogger though as you don’t know how the person is going to react, I know she is very people and dog friendly but they don’t. She has always had a passion for chasing after joggers and cyclists, which, after a lot of work, I thought we were getting past but this really did shake me up, I don’t let her off anywhere near a road or anything so it is really a concern for how it makes others feel.

My garden is not huge so she can’t have a really good flat out run in it and I don’t want to confine her to a life on the lead. I know the chase thing is natural for whippets but has anyone else had issues like this and have you got any training tips.

7 months old is still young. My 2 are 4 and 5 years and still occasionally leg it after a cat or imaginary rabbit.

I think you have to accept that there will be blips along the way and the important thing is to not give up letting her off.

A couple of years ago my girls ran off across a field. I spent 20 minutes fretting and calling them before spotting a dog tag glinting in the sun seemingly miles away. I marched over to to them (over the freshy manured field I might add) put them on the lead and marched them home without talking. The next day I let them off somewhere different and made a big fuss when they were good and came back so we could start having positive experiences again.

Willow was the worst as a youngster on her own - she ran after people lots but she grew out of it. I started arranging to meet up with another dog walker as their dog came back and Willow was influenced by this and was almost trained by the other dog. She only really grew up at a year old (when we got Buffy).

Don't give up or be too annoyed - she'll grow out of it. Make it super-fun to come back. If I spot a potential distraction before the dogs do (jogger, pheasant, cat etc), I run like a loony in the other direction, waving my arms, encouraging them to me in a stupid voice with a pocket of treats. It usually works.

Just a thought, Willow loves a tennis ball and won't run off for anything if I have one to throw for her - and she brings it back!

Good luck with your little one :luck:

I have the same problem with my lot. Selective deafness. I carry treats and if I see another dog or a jogger I shout biscuits and walk the other way.

They have all got wise to it, as soon as I say biscuits they all stand on tiptoe looking for the other dogs.!!! Still trying to find a secluded field.

It is frustrating and worrying because of roads etc. My two whippies have great recall. The 16 month old, Gracie, is really good and I think 5 month old Milo has learnt from her. However, Tilly (whippy X) is a nightmare and, apart from the beach, which luckily is close to us, we daren't let her off. I do reward when they come back to me (whether or not I've actually called them) and always a high value treats - nice smelly cheese or sausage are the favourites, (w00t) bought treats just don't do it! Unfortunately, I could have caviar for Tilly and it still wouldn't work as the lure of rabbits and working the hedgerows is always too much of a temptation. Good luck and persevere. :luck:

Bella is obsessed with cyclists. It is a major worry for me as she easily catches up with one if I do not spot them first. Our area is on the National Cycle network and there always lots of cyclists.

I will be most interested to see if anyone comes up with a solution (other than walking where there are no cyclists or keeping her on a lead all the time!) Recall treats do not overcome the selective obsessive deafness of 'the hunt'

She is such a worry that I have considered rehoming her to an area where there are no cyclists.

It is actually comforting to know it is not just Mae, I know she is still only very young but I want to tackle the problem as early as possible.

i have to say she did do a lot better tonight, apart from the one deviation from the path to say hello to a couple of walkers, it was a pleasure to take her out. She even ran off out of site chasing rabbits but came running back as soon as I called (I had, as suggested, taken out some really tasty treats), but there appears to be hope yet :thumbsup:

Thought I would include a few pictures of the little menace who is currently sat in the lounge chewing on a stick she must have brought in from the garden (I can hear her).

Out on today's walk:





This one was taken a few weeks ago at a local park where we ended up with 4 owners standing around chatting whilst 5 puppies played in the lake, Mae was of course the ring leader o

pat cope said:

I have the same problem with my lot. Selective deafness. I carry treats and if I see another dog or a jogger I shout biscuits and walk the other way.They have all got wise to it, as soon as I say biscuits they all stand on tiptoe looking for the other dogs.!!! Still trying to find a secluded field.

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Ha ha, thats my call biscuits and it works most times.

She is just approaching the rebelious teenage age and she is aserting her independence

My "recall perfect" pups all start doing this sort of thing at this age.

If they ignor me I hide behind the nearest tree or bush and keep calling. Sooner or later they realise I am gone! Then I only call if they start moving in wrong direction. After that experience they are lot more careful keeping their eye on me.

I always have snacks in my pocket too, and keep calling them through our walks, giving them beef jerkie and letting them go again. I do train continually, especialy in the adolescence.

:luck:

What a complete cutie! :wub: She looks like butter wouldn't melt!

alilemur said:

7 months old is still young. My 2 are 4 and 5 years and still occasionally leg it after a cat or imaginary rabbit.
I think you have to accept that there will be blips along the way and the important thing is to not give up letting her off.

A couple of years ago my girls ran off across a field. I spent 20 minutes fretting and calling them before spotting a dog tag glinting in the sun seemingly miles away. I marched over to to them (over the freshy manured field I might add) put them on the lead and marched them home without talking. The next day I let them off somewhere different and made a big fuss when they were good and came back so we could start having positive experiences again.

Willow was the worst as a youngster on her own - she ran after people lots but she grew out of it. I started arranging to meet up with another dog walker as their dog came back and Willow was influenced by this and was almost trained by the other dog. She only really grew up at a year old (when we got Buffy).

Don't give up or be too annoyed - she'll grow out of it. Make it super-fun to come back. If I spot a potential distraction before the dogs do (jogger, pheasant, cat etc), I run like a loony in the other direction, waving my arms, encouraging them to me in a stupid voice with a pocket of treats. It usually works.

Just a thought, Willow loves a tennis ball and won't run off for anything if I have one to throw for her - and she brings it back!

Good luck with your little one :luck:

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had to laugh at this and agree too.... :thumbsup:

my lot are exactly the same at times....ages 6, 5 and 3 years......

they usually know when theyve done wrong and walk back to me ever so slowly.....dawdling in fact....

I dont tell them off ...just clip the leads on and walk home without any fuss........and let them off the next day somewhere else....which usually works

and their recall the next day is usally impeccable....until we see a rabbit.... (w00t)

alilemur said:

What a complete cutie! :wub: She looks like butter wouldn't melt!

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You would think wouldnt you )

She is a sweetie and I like this one of them all in the lake. It's nice to see them all getting along and enjoying themselves. )

Hi, I can really sympathise with you. My lurcher is just 9 months and thinks he now knows it all so doesn't need to bother when I call him to me! The hiding does help to make sure they always know where you are as does running away when they ignore you.

Just another year or two and we'll be wishing they were pups again. lol

blissed4ever said:

Hi, I can really sympathise with you. My lurcher is just 9 months and thinks he now knows it all so doesn't need to bother when I call him to me! The hiding does help to make sure they always know where you are as does running away when they ignore you.
Just another year or two and we'll be wishing they were pups again. lol

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A year or two to calm down, I am shattered already trying to keep up with her. But I know what you’re saying about wishing they were pups again; I am already considering getting her a friend next year (w00t)

Touch wood, she has been doing much better in the last week, thanks to much of the advice from everyone.

I have discovered that sausage is a great secret weapon and that yelling 'Mae sausages' at the top of my voice (in very public areas) is working much better than 'here Mae'. I have also decided to stop worrying so much about it, at the end of the day she does actually always come back, she is not going to hurt anyone and she is dog friendly. She will get it wrong now and again and will at some point probably upset someone but hay I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like dogs :-

My whippet pup is gonna be a year next month, with him someone told me to play "chase me" games, it works really well for him, i have to run like a bloody lunatic sometimes though!!

someone else sugggested i use a toy tied to a rope, and drag it along the floor though so that he runs and graps that, i havent had many probs though hes a bit clingy anyway and he loves to retrieve his ball so this works really well for distracting him away from other people and dogs!