Joey Not Coming Back When Hes Called!

[kathyb1984]

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Hi all,

As the weather is getting nicer we have started taking joey to the beach. He Loves It!!! the only trouble is he is so socialable and when ever we call him he wont come back. this is ok when we are next to him but he has a habbit of running off as far and fast as he can to find a play mate. we dont want to keep him on the lead as he loves to run around. any ideas on how to train him to come back???

 

[wba_stephen]

Our Frankie is now 16 months old and we still have the same problem, as soon as he gets sight of another dog (no matter how far away) he is off to play. He will now come back with lots of calling, but how do I stop him running off? It can spoil a good walk in the park.

 

[TTT]

Training a good recall needs to be constantly worked at because a dog that does not come when called can be heading for disaster.........picture your beloved dog running full tilt towards a road or up to a dog, or indeed a person, that does not appreciate their space being invaded and you are off in the distance. It is easy to do in the safe confines of your home or garden and think you have it all under control but to really test how much control you have, it needs to be practiced in company. I think joining a good dog training club is great for training this type of thing in a controlled environment, where you will get lots of tips about using rewards, guidance and support from an experienced trainer. Keeping your dog on a lead in public will also help to keep him safe. :luck:

 

[willows]

Hi all, As the weather is getting nicer we have started taking joey to the beach. He Loves It!!! the only trouble is he is so socialable and when ever we call him he wont come back. this is ok when we are next to him but he has a habbit of running off as far and fast as he can to find a play mate. we dont want to keep him on the lead as he loves to run around. any ideas on how to train him to come back???

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Totally agree with TTT!! :thumbsup:

Joining a good dog training club would be what joey needs to get those important basic commands of sit,down and recall mastered now whilst he is still young.You will find that loads of treats help but recall must be taught firstly on a lead which is lengthened (usually tying on some extra cord) so that you can keep control from say 15 feet away and only start attempting off lead in a confined space once he is coming to you instantly on lead. Get him to sit and stand in front of him with the lead hanging loosley between you and him, call him and give a gentle tug on the lead to encourage him towards you, don't use the lead to drag him but take up any loose as he comes in, remember plenty of treats and plenty of encouragement works wonders, as he grasps what's required of him increase the distance between you and him until you are at the full extent of your extended lead, don't increase the distance too rapidly one pace is a sufficient increase each lesson, once you are at the full extent of the lead keep extending the distance between you without a lead but this must be started in a confined space until you are sure he will come instanly he is called.

I don't want to be pessimistic but please remember 2 things, you are required by law to have your dig under control in a public space (which a beach is) and clealy joey isn't under control, not sure about the country as a whole but the fine for a dog being out of control down here is £1000 and secondly as said before by TTT joey could be running towards a busy road to get to something on the other side or towards another dog that is not as friendly as him which would result in injuries to him. Please master his recall before you allow him free on the beach :clown:

 

[kathyb1984]

Thanks all for your help.

Joey has got most of the basics. he will sit, lie down and give his paw. he will also come when hes called if we are in the house. it seems to be as soon as he see's another dog!! i am off to get joey a new lead today so i will let you know how we get on. xxx

 

[willows]

Thanks all for your help. Joey has got most of the basics. he will sit, lie down and give his paw. he will also come when hes called if we are in the house. it seems to be as soon as he see's another dog!! i am off to get joey a new lead today so i will let you know how we get on. xxx

Well done Kathy good luck with the new lead. Running off after other dogs is a normal thing with pups, I think from the photo joey is a pup how old is he?? Again recall at home without any distractions normally comes quite quickly but outside with all those distractions about, make it much harder to keep the dogs attention which is why it must be taught on a long lead first so that you still have control over the dog and it cannot run off and ignore you as most 12 - 18 month old pups seem to do no matter how well trained they were before but that is just a phase they all go through and grow out of.

Good luck with joey

 

[Strike Whippets]

The easiest way to train a 100% recall is for you the owner to be the most fun and exciting thing to be with ..... Teach fetch, play games and have fun .... If your dog see's you as dull they will go and find their own entertainment ..... Hiding yourself from your dog will teach them to keep an eye on you and becomes a great game finding you .... My eight play frisbee and ball which keeps them focused on me and the game and they all have 100% recall :luck:

 

[k4tie-d]

i was going to say if you flap your arms and do lots of excited loud noises while running the other way, your pup should stop and come back (w00t)

you will look like a complete nutter to anyone around but your pup will wonder what your up to and think its amazing and want to join in the fun,

think of when kids meet dogs if the meet them all calm the dogs usually stay realativly calm, but a child who maybe isnt used to dogs and gets a bit wary and flapps about screaming usually makes the dog jump about the child worse, will its that similar idea.

obviasly this isnt a way to train your pup not to run off but i may help in the beginning.

all i can say about training is teach a word or noise (i use a whistle) for them to return to, a word thats not used all the time, ie there name... come or here are the norm i think.

start in the garden while he is beside you saying the word and handing the treat so he associates it with it (and lots of praise) and touching his neck,

after a few times let him wonder round the garden and try again, if he comes to you make a huge deal off it well done good boy.

this is how i trained my 3

when your out make a habbit of calling him back ofter and always touching his neck/collar and on occation putting his lead on, this way he wont associate the lead going on with the end of the walk.

and if he doesnt come to you dont chase after him he will think its a game! good luck :thumbsup:

 

[Lal]

i was going to say if you flap your arms and do lots of excited loud noises while running the other way, your pup should stop and come back (w00t)
you will look like a complete nutter to anyone around but your pup will wonder what your up to and think its amazing and want to join in the fun,

think of when kids meet dogs if the meet them all calm the dogs usually stay realativly calm, but a child who maybe isnt used to dogs and gets a bit wary and flapps about screaming usually makes the dog jump about the child worse, will its that similar idea.

obviasly this isnt a way to train your pup not to run off but i may help in the beginning.

all i can say about training is teach a word or noise (i use a whistle) for them to return to, a word thats not used all the time, ie there name... come or here are the norm i think.

start in the garden while he is beside you saying the word and handing the treat so he associates it with it (and lots of praise) and touching his neck,

after a few times let him wonder round the garden and try again, if he comes to you make a huge deal off it well done good boy.

this is how i trained my 3

when your out make a habbit of calling him back ofter and always touching his neck/collar and on occation putting his lead on, this way he wont associate the lead going on with the end of the walk.

and if he doesnt come to you dont chase after him he will think its a game! good luck :thumbsup:

I have to say I agree with Katie.... I've had some strange looks when teaching recall but so far have avoided being detained under the Mental Health Act..... (w00t) It's about making your dog think that being with you is exciting and a really good thing. Timing is important, once your pup has run off to see another dog you will be incredibly lucky to get the pup's attention, so it's split second timing and in that instant that your pup looks at you then you have to make him REALLY want to be with you.... loopy noises, running in the opposite direction so he wants to chase you and when he does come to you, treat and praise. It takes time, and of course being a whippet he can be away from you much faster than your average dog :teehee: Good luck with him :luck:

 

[kathyb1984]

thank you all for your great advice! ) Our walk went well this morning as he seemed happy to be on the lead. I tried calling him back when he was about 15ft away (full strech on the lead) but had no luck getting him to come back! i will def try the crazy arm waving and noises as i think he would love that just as much as me. He does play fetch too so i will try that. He is only 10months so still young. i will keep at it.

 

[FeeFee]

Good luck, dogs can be hard work around this age (the teenage 'Kevin' stage) and often seem to forget all their previous training.

I think the suggestion to take him to a good training class is an excellent one - they will not only teach you all the right techniques for recall, but he will get used to working with other dogs around him and still have to listen to you! If you use an APDT trainer they will be commited to using up to date reward based training methods, there's a list of trainers by area here: http://www.apdt.co.uk/local_dog_trainers.asp

Other things to consider are using really good treats as well as lots of praise and fuss to reward him coming back - something he loves but only gets for recall like chicken or sausage or liver cake, then practice, practice, practice around the house and garden, calling him, getting him to sit in front of you then rewarding him. It's best to use a special command ('come' or whatever), for recall rather than using his name; you are effectively brainwashing him so that every time he hears that command he expects something fantastic. If he's toy-oriented a quick game with a special toy can work as well.

Training on a long line is great, you can buy training lines or lunge lines used for horses are good (and usually cheaper), but best attached to a harness rather than a collar, as if he runs full-tilt to the end of it he can injure his neck.

 

[willows]

thank you all for your great advice! ) Our walk went well this morning as he seemed happy to be on the lead. I tried calling him back when he was about 15ft away (full strech on the lead) but had no luck getting him to come back! i will def try the crazy arm waving and noises as i think he would love that just as much as me. He does play fetch too so i will try that. He is only 10months so still young. i will keep at it.

Hi Kathy I think you may have misunderstood me,you need to do recall training at home in a confined area first before you try outside the home and you slowly work up to the 15 feet one pace at a time not start there. You need to start recall training litrally standing at the end of the dogs nose so that they only have to make one or two steps to reach you and then increase the distance one pace at each lesson, don't try to rush through and get full extention of the lead too quickly as this will be counter-productive, 10 - 15 minutes practicing recall with your pup is more than enough and as been said before his favourite treat with work wonders to keep his attention.

As FeeFee said dogs reach their teenager stage around 12 -15 months and can be a nightmare with all previously learnt training ignored and the owner given the "whatever" look, they don't forget the training just choose to ignore it. FeeFee's comparison to Harry Enfields "Kevin" is just about it rebelious but why they are rebellious they dont know, don't get dis-heartened during this time they all go through it and grow out of it, sometimes more intense training through that period helps, which is why it's worth joining a good training club with coaches that can guide and support you.

Good Luck

 

[kathyb1984]

thank you all for your great advice! ) Our walk went well this morning as he seemed happy to be on the lead. I tried calling him back when he was about 15ft away (full strech on the lead) but had no luck getting him to come back! i will def try the crazy arm waving and noises as i think he would love that just as much as me. He does play fetch too so i will try that. He is only 10months so still young. i will keep at it.

Hi Kathy I think you may have misunderstood me,you need to do recall training at home in a confined area first before you try outside the home and you slowly work up to the 15 feet one pace at a time not start there. You need to start recall training litrally standing at the end of the dogs nose so that they only have to make one or two steps to reach you and then increase the distance one pace at each lesson, don't try to rush through and get full extention of the lead too quickly as this will be counter-productive, 10 - 15 minutes practicing recall with your pup is more than enough and as been said before his favourite treat with work wonders to keep his attention.

As FeeFee said dogs reach their teenager stage around 12 -15 months and can be a nightmare with all previously learnt training ignored and the owner given the "whatever" look, they don't forget the training just choose to ignore it. FeeFee's comparison to Harry Enfields "Kevin" is just about it rebelious but why they are rebellious they dont know, don't get dis-heartened during this time they all go through it and grow out of it, sometimes more intense training through that period helps, which is why it's worth joining a good training club with coaches that can guide and support you.

Good Luck

Thank you again for the advice. Joey definitely has the 'whatever' look down to a tee!!

He is actually doing very well. I have been trying at home although I find it a little tricky as he tends to follow me around the house a lot so is always by my side.

I have been trying to time it when he is in the garden and I am by the back door. He is now responding to his command (Joey Come) more and loves the fun and games he gets when he does come. I have been keeping the lead short and he is happy with that so fingers crossed we will crack this. Considering it’s only been a few days I think he’s made great progress!

 

[FeeFee]

Brilliant to hear he's making such good progress already, you can come and do some top-up training with my lot next :lol:

I don't think it matters if he's close to you when you call him. You know you're training recall, but he thinks you are saying a magic word that means he's going to get lots of praise, attention and treats and he'd better investigate quick!