Basic training help - recall mainly

Hi everyone, ive never trained a dog before so I need all the help I can get, my staffy cross Collie (the dad was a staffy/lab cross) is nearly 8months old, she was fantastic at recall until the last month or so, now she's just a nightmare and bolts the minute she has freedom, so much so she has to go out on a lead for the toilet now as our garden isnt secure (the back fence is low and she can get over it to the field behind which has livestock) and we REALLY dont want her becoming a sheep chaser.

Any advice would be greatfully received

Rosey

A dog will always do what's most rewarding - so if you're the most fun they'll come to you and if going exploring is the most fun to do (as it will often become at this age) they'll go off... Sooo... you need to make sure that

a) your dog will NEVER have the experience of going off on its own and have fun (this means leash or other form of control whenever there is fun around)
b) play and have lots of fun with your dog - be "the keeper of the joy" as Susan Garrett calls it. All fun should start with you.
c) look into the premack principle - by allowing your dog to "go sniff" or similar when they return to you you reinforce the going to you (doing something less fun to do something fun)
d) search for recall games on youtube and try to do as much of that as possible every day (do lots of different ones) - make your friends and neighbors help you when you need someone to hold your dog for you

I have lots of recall games I can tell you about but don't have the time to write it down now and I'm unsure how much I can go into detail about the stuff we're doing at the Recallers class I'm doing atm.

Hi &

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Hi & welcome.

Can't add anything to what's just been said!

Hi and welcome from us and Suki.

Okay here's a link for a pretty good starting point for recall training. I think I would start on lesson 1 and work my way up, but you could start to classically conditioning the recall cue right away as well as what's in step 1.

http://shirleychong.com/keepers/Lesson6.html

I would do other recall games as well, though! But this gives a nice way to look at the progression and when you add extra recall games you make the effect even better and more fun!

Hello Rosey That link Ane posted was interesting, i'm using a long line on Kasidy and she's perfect at recall but knows when she's on it. Don't fancy the shock collar bit but i might try a vibrating collar and see if i can get her off the line ?.

Hi,

I agree with all the above. I foster and am not allowed to have thsee foster dogs off lead as they are not my responsibility. I have recently adopted Sky (though still fostering too in the new year) and have trained up over the last month.

he was not really socialised before but she now walks 'heal' off-lead and her recall is really good. How I did this was as Aniemother said and I started off small, keeping her on an extendable lead and allowing her to get further away. I would call her with a command word 'come'.

It is important to protect the command word, never use this to tell her off. Only use it if it means fun for her, as Aniemother says.

I would say 'come' (only once) and when Sky returned she got a treat and a fuss. I would let her sniff around and we would carry on walking. I would do this again until she reached the end of the lead.

Then, in a closed field (like a paddock), I let her go a bit further off lead and then called her to me, a big fuss and a treat awaits.

When confident, I took another dog who she knew in the paddock and tested her recall with distraction. Then in public with unknown dogs but people I was familiar with. Finally, I tried in a new area with lots of distraction.

This is still an ongoing process for me. I am now phasing out the treats and just using fusses (which is working well) but I am still having one issue - she barks at strangers (I will ask for advice in another topic). It is not Sky I am worried about, but, understandably another owner or dog may be intimidated and react. Because of this, when approaching a corner I keep her to heal and if I see someone approaching I put her on the lead.

I think this is good practice anyway because not all owners are comfortable with 'loose' dogs and some people are afraid BUT I would like Sky not to bark at people (when she gets next to them and says hello, she never barks at them again).

Hope that helps and Merry Christmas!

www.youtube.com/natureclip
http://youtube-natureclip.blogspot.com/

stiofan wrote:Don't fancy the shock collar bit but i might try a vibrating collar and see if i can get her off the line ?.

I would start doing lots and lots of recall games - off the leash and in the house to begin with - then outside on leash with minimal distractions and so on. Because yes - the shock collar is the very last resort and only on dogs that really need it like working dogs that have to stay off leash in distracting environments. A pet can always be on leash.

Aniemother wrote:

stiofan wrote:Don't fancy the shock collar bit but i might try a vibrating collar and see if i can get her off the line ?.

I would start doing lots and lots of recall games - off the leash and in the house to begin with - then outside on leash with minimal distractions and so on. Because yes - the shock collar is the very last resort and only on dogs that really need it like working dogs that have to stay off leash in distracting environments. A pet can always be on leash.

I completely agree - shock collars should be banned. Negative reinforcement (pain) should never be used in my opinion. Positive reinforcement is much more effective. Although negative reinforcement is quicker in the short term which is why professional trainers like them, if not done right, it can lead to learned helplessness. I'm sure they have their uses, but every day family dogs....no way

Nice advice all round. Recall is something we have not totally mastered yet but we are getting there. Ane, your links are appreciated.

walking to HEEL as well as recall is good while out