No recall at home

[highway61]

My 12 month male has a decent recall when we're at the off leash park or when he's off leash at the various schoolyards in our neighborhood. However, at home, in the front yard where its not fenced its a guarantee the recall if off. It wasn't always this way. From the time I brought him home at 8 weeks to about 6 months, he stayed close and followed me around while I did work in the yard. Our house is on a corner in the suburbs, both streets are not busy but one is a little busier than the other. That one also has the occasional dog walker. When Sammy began the routine of charging leashed dogs, not touching but barking aggressively, it was time to keep him leashed at all times in the yard.

 

So now, if he is unleashed in the yard, I see it in his body language = "I'm free!"

He'll usually trot down the not-as-busy-street, away from the corner which I'm more at ease with but any faith I have in a recall is abandoned. Treats and balls used to pull him into my grasp but even that won't do it most of the time.

 

Recently I've been letting him out the side door to potty one last time before he gets crated and I go off to bed. This is around 11 o'clock at night and there are no cars so he disappears into the night but I leave the door open and he's been coming back through it in about 5 minutes. Except for last night when I hear him barking so I run outside and there he is in the neighbor's yard barking at a raccoon! I thought it was a cat at first as the coon was hissing like one and it was dark but there was enough street light when I got close enough to see this was no cat. So naturally when the coon finally runs off my little rebel rouser chases it and now they're both out of sight. I went back inside and Sammy comes through the door a few minutes after me and I crate him (less the usual bed time treat!). I was hopeful this might ease Sammy into feeling if he comes right back I can let him loose but it was failed attempt and probably just a bad idea.

 

Any comments on how to get a grip on his recall at home is greatly appreciated.

[GentleLake]

Step one is not to allow him to continue to practice this behavior, which is self-rewarding. He's got to go out on a leash until you've been able to retrain a reliable recall.

[Sue R]

 

Step one is not to allow him to continue to practice this behavior, which is self-rewarding. He's got to go out on a leash until you've been able to retrain a reliable recall.

This!

[gcv-border]

^^^^ My thoughts exactly. No more going outside without you on the other end of the leash. You will have to take him outside for his last potty at night. If you are working in the yard, either tie him up to a part of the structure or a tree (but stay outside to keep an eye on him) or tie him to your waist.

[Sue R]

I sometimes have a problem with Dan, not usually, but now I do - the cows and calves are located in the field behind the house and additionally, we have had a calf die recently. Between the allure of the irresistible calf poop (nursing calf poops are just the best) and the siren call of something dead, he has been trying to slip away from the yard for a little snackie. As of right now, when it's dark (I can keep track of him and prevent this when it's light), he's on a long line. Period. When he proves himself dependable (and when the temptations that are overwhelming are gone), he will be allowed again to be off lead, but not until then.

 

Same with your dog - if he's not trained (or responding properly to your training), then manage (long line) while you reteach the behavior you want.

 

Best wishes!

[Beach BCs]

I can hike in thick woods or wide open large fields with my Georgia off leash, whisper her name and she appears under a fern. Comes enthusiastically every time I call her. But in my neighborhood, no way. She's gone in a flash. Most of the yard is fenced but sometimes we hang out in the front yard. When we do, Georgia is on a very long line attached to the front porch or me. Thankfully, she's a very chill dog to hang out with, not tossing toys at me every four seconds or pestering me when I need to do yard work. As long as she's on her line. Off that line and she's content to race rabbits. I do wonder if because I don't trust her, she picks up on that mistrust and runs if she can. No matter, she hasn't had the opportunity to run off in years and years. If she's out front, she's on a line.

[Shetlander]

Do not allow Sammy to practice ignoring a recall. He is not just being disobedient but also practicing potentially dangerous behaviors. Dogs still get hit by cars on quiet streets or chase animals to busier streets to get lost or run over. Right now his last outing before bed has become time to do whatever strikes him as fun, with no input from you, until he is ready to come in.

 

I would go out with him always on leash until you know for sure he will come when called. In the meantime practice, practice, practice the recall. Make him do recalls for meals one bite at a time. Do fun recalls for toys, tug or fetch. But do not call him unless you know he will come or can stop him from ignoring you (have him wear a long lines you can grab or step on so he can't do his own thing). Until he reliably comes when called, being off leash is a privilege that he should need to earn for his own safety and well-being..

[Gloria Atwater]

Do not allow Sammy to practice ignoring a recall. He is not just being disobedient but also practicing potentially dangerous behaviors. Dogs still get hit by cars on quiet streets or chase animals to busier streets to get lost or run over. Right now his last outing before bed has become time to do whatever strikes him as fun, with no input from you, until he is ready to come in.

 

I would go out with him always on leash until you know for sure he will come when called. In the meantime practice, practice, practice the recall. Make him do recalls for meals one bite at a time. Do fun recalls for toys, tug or fetch. But do not call him unless you know he will come or can stop him from ignoring you (have him wear a long lines you can grab or step on so he can't do his own thing). Until he reliably comes when called, being off leash is a privilege that he should need to earn for his own safety and well-being..

 

 

What Shetlander and Gentlelake said. Do NOT allow this to continue for another minute. I don't care how quiet a street is, it just takes one person coming home late and tired (or DUI) and your dog is dead. He must only go out on a long line from now until his recall improves, however long that takes. His life may depend on it, and certainly your neighbors don't deserve to have him in their yards causing mischief after dark.

 

He is practicing the wrong thing and learning it very well. Stop that now, even if it's inconvenient to you. Long line and leash must be his life for now, if building him a fenced yard is out of the question.

 

Best of luck!

 

Gloria

[juliepoudrier]

I third the long line. If you are quick and know his body language to let you know when he's thinking of taking a stroll out of sight, you can try a recall and then reel him in (step on the line, whatever, to stop him). As others have said, you need to be on the end of the line for a while, but from there you can transition to letting it drag as long as he's not a bolter who can get away before you can step on the line. I use a light line (so it doesn't drag on the dog so much, so he doesn't feel it dragging behind as he would with a heavier leash) like parachute cord, with knots in it to help the with the stepping on part. The disadvantage to such a line is it can give you rope burn if you grab it and he's running or it wraps around your leg. But it sounds as if Sammy is more likely to saunter off than bolt, and with the former behavior you should have time to get to the line and stop him and reel him back.

 

J.

[rushdoggie]

The disadvantage to such a line is it can give you rope burn if you grab it and he's running or it wraps around your leg.

 

And wear jeans and gloves when you first start because your instinct will be to grab it with your hands instead of stepping on it. It takes a long time to train yourself not to grab it!

 

My puppies drag lines everywhere for quite a while. They graduate to lighter and lighter lines and I attach them to the hook on the back of a tracking harness (which I have because my dogs track) but any rear hook harness would work. I don't like the idea of the dog getting "clotheslined" if it catches or he hits the end hard. I usually make my own lines out of climbing rope then parachute cord and knotting it to a leash clip.

 

I like it for safety and also because it seems to eliminate the "dance away" game that happens sometimes. Mine think I have the magical ability to catch them whenever.

 

Theres nary a photo of Jasper from his first 2 years that doesn't have a red drag line attached to him!

 

[highway61]

As I already mentioned, allowing him off leash at home was an experiment (that failed). For about the last six months he's been leashed at all times outside the house in the front which means taking him out to potty and putting him in/out of the car. I was more hopeful to get some advise on how to get a good recall on him but its turned into more of a "stop doing that now" thread instead, my bad, I should have been more clear in the OP.

[Kian's Mom]

Highway61

What they are telling you with the long line is to stop him from ignoring you on his recall. If you let him continue to be obsessed with other things it is harder to retrain him the longer he does them.

Don't give him the choice to either come or not. I would call him give him 1 sec to respond on his own an if not gently reel him to you an praise like crazy with treats or what ever he likes. Even throw a toy after he comes. Coming to you has to be better that anything else that is going on.

Mine I taught her the boundaries of my yard by walking and walking the boundaries. When she stepped out I would tell her no and bring her back to what was acceptable to me an praise, praise,praise. I have also taught her leave it so if she does want to chase a squirrel all I have to say is leave it and call her. She has a fabulous recall. She will work off hand signal, voice or whistle. But I did a lot of work. Even in the house an we play hide and seek. I hide she seeks. And loves it.

You might also try bowwowflix for some training DVDS on recall. Pretty sure they have some.

Good luck and don't give up. What works for one dog may not work for the next.

[Shetlander]

As I already mentioned, allowing him off leash at home was an experiment (that failed). For about the last six months he's been leashed at all times outside the house in the front which means taking him out to potty and putting him in/out of the car. I was more hopeful to get some advise on how to get a good recall on him but its turned into more of a "stop doing that now" thread instead, my bad, I should have been more clear in the OP.

 

Do not allow Sammy to practice ignoring a recall.

I would go out with him always on leash until you know for sure he will come when called.

In the meantime practice, practice, practice the recall.

Make him do recalls for meals one bite at a time.

Do fun recalls for toys, tug or fetch.

But do not call him unless you know he will come or can stop him from ignoring you (have him wear a long line you can grab or step on so he can't do his own thing).

Until he reliably comes when called, being off leash is a privilege that he should need to earn.

[Sue R]

It seems that we all got the same impression from your post. Try the ideas mentioned to improve his recall at home. I'm grateful he has a very good one when you are away from home.

[highway61]

I'm grateful he has a very good one when you are away from home.

 

It is pretty good but still a work in progress. It's funny because when away from home, if I'm not in his sights at all times he will panic! I will sometimes hide when he slips away momentarily and watch him frantically try to find me, which he always does in a matter of seconds. I don't know why that amuses me so, it just does

[Eileen Stein]

Amusing or not, it's a good thing to do. It gives him the sense that it's a bad feeling not to know where you are, and a happy feeling to know where you are and be back with you.

 

Martin Buser, one of the few sled dog racers who has control of his many, many dogs when they are untethered/unconfined, hides from his young dogs often on trail walks from the time they are little puppies. Later on, I've seen him out in the open with up to 40 loose adult dogs at one time, and any one of them he calls will drop what it's doing and come right to him.

[highway61]

Thanks Eileen, at least I'm doing something right

 

And thanks to all for the long line and using toys suggestions, much appreciated. Other than keeping him hitched while outside and my failed attempt to free him, I haven't tried much else yet. Sammy seems content enough being tied up while I have another, older dog who is rock solid at staying in the yard, not wandering off and not being reactive to other dogs/people passing our corner. I was hopeful Sammy would take notice of the other dog's good behavior and figure out he could get off leash also if he behaved the same but that is clearly wishful thinking. It's where I'd like to get Sammy some day but since he just turned a year it's going to take a lot of patience (and trial and error on my part). Sammy over all, is well behaved/well adjusted but I can readily see his behavior away from home vs at home varies.

[Zorro13]

A couple things I did to improve recall:

 

Always make the reward something awesome. With Zorro I started with treats and have graduated to squeaky toys. The toys have really motivated him to come back. I also sometimes widen my legs and let him bolt through them which he seems to like.

 

Only give your recall command when you're pretty sure he will comply. If he doesn't make sure you are able to enforce it. Also don't overdo it. I still always try and get Zorro to come back with just his name, a kissy noise, toy, running away, etc before using "Come."

 

Do the hide game mentioned above. I would let Zorro sniff around outside and the minute he turned his back for too long I would bolt the other direction. I would also do it when he noticed another person or dog walking on the sidewalk and now his first reaction to those things is to lay down and look back to me.

 

Work on impulse control. Leave it is a good place to start. I've taught Zorro to stop mid chase when playing fetch and releasing to get the ball on my command which has helped to keep him "in tune" with me while at a distance.

[Maralynn]

I'd consider changing your recall word and starting from scratch using the above mentioned ideas. Also, restained recalls are another great recall game that might help. I can't link on my phone but a youtube search should yield some good video clips.