I Need Some Help!!!

[amiles]

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Hi I havejust discovered the site having searched the internet for advice re: 'recalling whippets'.

I actually have a very lovely whippet/ hamilton hound cross who is coming up for 15 months - but has proved a trial what with one thing and another (attacked by pitbull, health scares etc). The thing that really makes me feel doomed that Lilyray is not going to make old bones though is my lack of control over her.

We did attend puppy training classes and to begin with and really enjoyed the sessions. However I found over time that I felt frustrated at the level of precision needed in training. For example Lil never quite manages to sit to the exact left of my ankle -she sits at a slight angle. I guess perhaps these things really are important in establishing total control but I

found it really hard to go to that next level with the training.

We've carried on all the basic training she walks on a loose lead with me, sits when she's told - and generally makes me proud when she meets new people and other animals. However the one command that we can't master in any sense is recall. This has resulted in her once chasing a moped, once chasing galloping horses and at the weekend circling a group of horse riders at very high speed!

I am choosy about where I let her off lead and a year a go I would have complained that she runs after every jogger and cyclist she sees- but some how she's out grown this - which I guess is why I still have a hope I might conquer her of a need to chase other moving things.

In general her recall I think is fairly good. I pick my moments to give her a run and 70-80% she does the most amazing recalls. However when I do loose control in those other situations where I haven't spotted the danger quickly enough she puts herself and others at risk and I simply don't know what to do - HELP!

I have thought about trying to give her over - exposure to horses????

Doing something with her where she can run and it's ok - do any whippet clubs race whippets just for fun???Would they let in a whippet X????

Does any one know whether whippets like flyball? Lily has never quite managed to catch - so I think that maybe a no go.

Any suggestions or ideas would be welcome.

 

[jazad]

What a beautiful girl - sorry I can't really help as my boys are only 7 months and we're all just learning. Am sure you'll get plenty of good advice here though.

Good luck (and welcome)

zahra

 

[hely]

hello

 

i know some folk on here and" the whippet forum" do flyball and agility with their whippets :thumbsup:

 

my girl has good recall....but if theres a rabbit or cat in site she gets selective hearing :- .....drives me nuts :wacko:

 

good luck.....oh and more piccies would lovely :thumbsup:

 

[jayp]

Hi, I trained all my whips to bring a frisbee, they love it and become so obsessed they would ignore anything else if a game is on offer. Trouble was having four it became a bit of an overexcited free for all !!! I had to stop as they became a bit over the top, however it does come in handy if for any reason you cant run them.

 

[Storm Force]

I might be able to help.

Love the frisbee idea of the previous poster and I would add that (and other games) to my bag of tricks for your babe.

Try having a go at "chase recall", ie training the dog to recall while it's in full chase mode. You need to set up a situation (many times, practice many times) where the dog is in full chase after sommat but in a safe, set-up situation. Even your frisbee, or running off to greet a fave friend, whatever. Then you need a way to withdraw that thing if dog doesn't recall fast enough. (Friend ready to pick up frisbee, turn back on dog and ignore).

Recall your dog while he's heading towards the thing (target). If he comes back, he can have it, or another thing (an even better thing), or a half a chicken and the thing. If he doesn't come back, no thing, even put the lead on for five minutes time-out. You'll be able to do this because it's a setup and you'll be somewhere secure, or you can even train with doggy on a long line.

You're aiming for the dog to learn 'come back, get the target, don't come back, don't get the target'. Then when you're in the real situation, doggy will have learned to recall when in full chase, although of course in the real life situation he won't get the target.

Easier practice warm-up/starter/living room exercises are: (recalling doggy away from anything he likes)

- his food bowl (rewarding with sommat better than what's in the bowl),

- his fave person/other dog (rewarding with letting him go back to his pal (maybe plus some sausage))

- the doorbell

- sniffing dog poo (tho this ain't living room practice)

- anything else that is a 50% distraction for him (deer/rabbits being a 100% distraction)

I've managed to get my border collies back from deer/hare, tho I'd never be dumb enough to risk it with sheep.

Let me know how you do, I'd love to know if it helps.

 

[FifeJillandIan]

Hi and welcome to K9. We did a similar thing to jayp - Blue loves to chase his tennis ball so I always have a spare one in my pocket in case I need him to come back to me in a hurry - one flash of the tennis ball and he's straight back. I guess you could combine this with a clicker or a whistle so that you could get Lilyray's attention even if she isn't looking at you - if she gets to love the ball or the frisbee and you always use a clicker before you throw it for her then that might work. Good luck :wub: and yes, more photos of your gorgeous girl would be great

Jill

 

[jayp]

I might be able to help.
Love the frisbee idea of the previous poster and I would add that (and other games) to my bag of tricks for your babe.

Try having a go at "chase recall", ie training the dog to recall while it's in full chase mode. You need to set up a situation (many times, practice many times) where the dog is in full chase after sommat but in a safe, set-up situation. Even your frisbee, or running off to greet a fave friend, whatever. Then you need a way to withdraw that thing if dog doesn't recall fast enough. (Friend ready to pick up frisbee, turn back on dog and ignore).

Recall your dog while he's heading towards the thing (target). If he comes back, he can have it, or another thing (an even better thing), or a half a chicken and the thing. If he doesn't come back, no thing, even put the lead on for five minutes time-out. You'll be able to do this because it's a setup and you'll be somewhere secure, or you can even train with doggy on a long line.

You're aiming for the dog to learn 'come back, get the target, don't come back, don't get the target'. Then when you're in the real situation, doggy will have learned to recall when in full chase, although of course in the real life situation he won't get the target.

Easier practice warm-up/starter/living room exercises are: (recalling doggy away from anything he likes)

- his food bowl (rewarding with sommat better than what's in the bowl),

- his fave person/other dog (rewarding with letting him go back to his pal (maybe plus some sausage))

- the doorbell

- sniffing dog poo (tho this ain't living room practice)

- anything else that is a 50% distraction for him (deer/rabbits being a 100% distraction)

I've managed to get my border collies back from deer/hare, tho I'd never be dumb enough to risk it with sheep.

Let me know how you do, I'd love to know if it helps.

Love your training ideas, will try with mine, I found the very best way to get total focus is to have the " special" frisbee, ball whatever and to throw only once or twice then claim it and put it away whilst the dog is really up for the game, make sure it always "yours" and you put the toy away way before the dog has lost interest, this way every time the "special " toy or frisbee comes out the dog is so focused on the game he ignores all else. The mistakes are made when you allow the dog to become bored, if this happens even once then you have lost the focus you need. The frisbee must be the highest motivation for her, she must want it more than anything else and you will have instant recall.

It can become a little annoying though so he must also learn "game over" which means the toy will not be thrown again until you decide its playtime otherwise you have whippets glued to your pocket for the entire walk. I also had to teach mine to "wait " or back off while i picked it up to throw again otherwise they would bite me trying to grab it ( not on purpose )

Im so impressed you can recall from deer/hare ....

 

[Storm Force]

Hi jayp

Glad to have been of interest to you (and possibly help!)

Your toy control ideas are great and definitely good for the toolbox.

Only thing I find, however, is they work as long as the toy is a greater distraction than whatever else is going on and/or if doggy is concentrating on toy so much he can't see what's going on. Don't get me wrong, neither of these are bad things - good things!

What can happen, and I know, it's happened to me, is we then go 'phew' and rely on toy to keep dog with us until horror of horrors, he sees the hare/deer/motorbike whatever, and because we've never called him away from the toy or any other fast moving distraction, he's never learned to recall when he's in full tilt in the other direction. This is challenging training to get , especially with a sighthound or sheepdog, but when you get it, it's brill.

Seeya

Jenny

 

[jayp]

Hi jayp
Glad to have been of interest to you (and possibly help!)

Your toy control ideas are great and definitely good for the toolbox.

Only thing I find, however, is they work as long as the toy is a greater distraction than whatever else is going on and/or if doggy is concentrating on toy so much he can't see what's going on. Don't get me wrong, neither of these are bad things - good things!

What can happen, and I know, it's happened to me, is we then go 'phew' and rely on toy to keep dog with us until horror of horrors, he sees the hare/deer/motorbike whatever, and because we've never called him away from the toy or any other fast moving distraction, he's never learned to recall when he's in full tilt in the other direction. This is challenging training to get , especially with a sighthound or sheepdog, but when you get it, it's brill.

Seeya

Jenny

I agree, thats the bit i cant train for, I have trained them all to wait whilst i throw the frisbee then when i release they go and retreive it but as you so say if they know i havnt got the frisbee then i have no hope of a recall, especially when all four have seen something to chase !!!!

Their prey drive is just too strong, I think if i had just one whippet i could probably do it but dont have time to walk all four seperately and as they have caught and killed the motivation is huge

Will have a go with the gang leader and see how it goes though

cheers jan

 

[Storm Force]

Good luck!