Running away?????or Coming when called!!!

[milo]

Hi ya i have a yellow lab puppy at 5 months old and i want to let him off the lead but i cant coz i know when i do let him off he will run away!!!
Does anyone know how to train them to come back when called?
Theres a hole in the fence were i live and he can get throw when i call him he comes back but im just scared to let him off the lead in the big field and he wont come back!! :(

[avenlee]

What I do with my two dogs and I really don't know how I got them to do it... I guess just positive reinforcement. But, I will say their name in a stern voice while snapping my fingers and pointing down. They will come right over, rub their nose on my finger and sit. Its a snap and straight finger down.

That's what works for me anyway. GOOD LUCK :D

[crazydog]

whenever roxy runs out the door when she has the chance i would try to chase after her but she will run away. then i will remember how when we play, she would chase after me if i run but if i chase after her, she will take off, and of course outrun me :o so i make sure she is lookign at me and i run as fast as i can straight back into the house and she runs after me. oh yeah, then she will just wait until im down at her level for her to back up a little and then start heading towards me really really slowly and when she is in a close enough range she will just thrust forward and attack my face. why does she do that anyways? its like a hunting trait or something because i saw a brittany on animal planet doing that.

[Brattina88]

My first advice is DO NOT let your puppy off of the leash again until you're sure he has a reliable recall, he could easily get hurt or killed, lost, stolen or hit by a car. :(
I would suggest enrolling in training classes for socailization as well as the training. Otherwise "come" MUST be taught before the pup is aloud off leash. Is he fixed? Dog's that aren't nutered are more likley to roam in search of a brood than dogs that are fixed. PM me if you would still like an easy way to get a relaible recall from the pup ("come!") ;)

[bogolove]

Another thing you can do is to act like you have found something way more interesting than they have. I have heard that trick can work and then you can give them a treat when they run over to you and that will help tio ensure their willingness to come back again next time you call them. Brady is a wanderer when he is alone (which I try not to let him off on his own), but if jenny is around he usually follows her (that is the dog he always plays with). We take them on walks together and we go hiking in the woods near where we live and Jenny's owner will let jenny off her leash to walk right with us, but I have not been Brave enough to do it with Brady, and that is when she told me that bit of advice, so i really don't know if it works, but it sounds logical.

[milo]

Thanks mates for all your replys and help!!!Your great!!
Anyway i do let him off the lead in the garden but when it comes to the park or a field im just not brave enough!!LOL
Anyway i will try all those things you have all suggested!! :D
Oh Brittina what do you mean by pm ya if i would like an easly recall???

[poodlesmom]

That was a fantastic post and I am sure it will strike home with many!

[milo]

HI ya all,
I have let him off the lead and he's fine he comes back when you call him and its just great!!!!
Oh just one thing though....
When i give him his ball he always seems to run away but if i dont give him his ball he goes around and acts like a normal dog off the lead!!
Does anyone know why he does that? :confused:
Anyway thanks for all your help and if i have any more questions i know were to come!!!!!
Thanks mates!!!! :D

[bogolove]

One thing I have to say, regardless of how well your dog knows it's commands there is always a chance that they will not obey...My dogs are extremely well trained however I would never for anything in the world consider their training 100% solid...people who know my dogs would consider them "perfectly obedient"...I don't believe there is such a thing as 100% sound training...there is always the chance that even the best trained dogs can have a lapse in judgement and that one time they ignore you, it can end it a heartbreaking situation....

I urge everyone to read this following piece and take it to heart.

Trust: A Deadly Disease

There is a deadly disease stalking your dog; a hideous, stealthy thing just waiting its chance to steal your beloved friend. It is not a new disease, or one for which there are inoculations. The disease is called TRUST.

You knew before you ever took your puppy home that it could not be trusted. The breeder who provided you with this precious animal warned you, drummed it into your head. Puppies steal off counters, destroy anything expensive, chase cats, take forever to house train, and must never be allowed off lead!

When the big day finally arrived, heeding the sage advice of the breeder, you escorted your puppy to his new home, properly collared and tagged, the lead held tightly in your hand.

At home, the house was "puppy-proofed". Everything of value was stored in the spare bedroom, garbage stowed on top of the refrigerator, cats separated, and a gate placed across the door of the living room to keep at least part of the house puddle free. All windows and doors had been properly secured, and signs placed in all strategic points reminding all to "CLOSE THE DOOR!"

Soon it becomes second nature to make sure the door closes .9 of a second after it was opened and that it really latched. "DON'T LET THE DOG OUT" is your second most verbalized expression. (The first is "NO!") You worry and fuss constantly, terrified that your darling will get out and a disaster will surely follow. Your friends comment about who you love most, your family or the dog. You know that to relax your vigil for a moment might lose him to you forever.

And so the weeks and months pass, with your puppy becoming more civilized every day, and the seeds of trust are planted. It seems that each new day brings less destruction, less breakage. Almost before your know it your gangly, slurpy puppy has turned into an elegant, dignified friend.

Now that he is a more reliable, sedate companion, you take him more places. No longer does he chew the steering wheel when left in the car. And darned if that cake wasn't still on the counter this morning. And, oh yes, wasn't that the cat he was sleeping with so cozily on your pillow last night?

At this point you are beginning to become infected. The disease is spreading its roots deep into your mind. And then one of your friends suggests obedience. You shake your head and remind her that your dog might run away if allowed off lead, but you are reassured when she promises the events are held in a fenced area. And, wonder of wonders, he did not run away, but came every time you called him!

All winter long you go to weekly obedience classes. And, after a time, you even let him run loose from the car to the house when you get home. Why not, he always runs straight to the door, dancing in a frenzy of joy and waits to be let in. And, remember he comes every time he is called. You know he is the exception that proves the rule. (And sometimes late at night, you even let him slip out the front door to go potty and then right back in.)

At this point, the disease has taken hold, waiting only for the right time and place to rear its ugly head.

Years pass -- it is hard to remember why you ever worried so much when he was a puppy. He would never think of running out of the door left open while you bring in packages from the car. It would be beneath his dignity to jump out of the window of the car while you run into the convenience store. And when you take him for those wonderful long walks at dawn, it only takes one whistle to send him racing back to you in a burst of speed when the walk comes too close to the highway. (He still gets into the garbage, but nobody is perfect!)

This is the time the disease has waited for so patiently. Sometimes it only has to wait a year or two, but often it takes much longer.

He spies the neighbor dog across the street, and suddenly forgets everything he ever knew about not slipping outdoors, jumping out windows or coming when called due to traffic. Perhaps it was only a paper fluttering in the breeze, or even just the sheer joy of running -- Stopped in an instant. Stilled forever -- Your heart is as broken as his still beautiful body.

The disease is TRUST. It's final outcome -- hit by a car.

Every morning my dog, Shah, bounced around off lead exploring. Every morning for seven years he came back when he was called. He was perfectly obedient, perfectly trustworthy. He died fourteen hours after being hit by a car. Please do not risk your friend and your heart. Save the trust for things that do not matter.

- by Sharon Mathers


I copy an pasted this story into an e-mail and I am going to forward it to every dog owner I know. It really got to me.

[milo]

Yer liked what Serena said to it touched me!!!

[Denaluvscorgis]

I also have this problem with Chloe, my Corgi. The other day, I opened the door that goes from our kitchen to the garage, not knowing that my husband had left the garage doors opened. Well, Chloe took this opportunity to escape!!! She just takes off!!! We live on an extremely busy street. This time I got lucky, because she went directly for my car, thinking that we would go for a ride. I opened the car door, and she jumped in. Another thing that I have found that works, is to sit down, or stoop down more to her level. If I stand up and try to chase her, she just runs even faster. I will never be able to have her off her lead...EVER!! LOL

[smkie]

Old boss always had us take out many training dummies with a pup. You would throw one first and say Leave it turn and throw the next one. They would want to come back as quicky as possible from picking the first one up because they knew the second one was still out there. Victor came with a lots of bad habits. Someone had chased him so keep away was his favorite game. I began with throwing the first training dummy (they got some great ones made like elongated tennis balls with a cord attached) inside the house and the second out the front door. He would run and pick up the first and then head for the house to get the second. Since he is never sure just how many I am going to throw,,,this is a good exercise for coming back. I tried it outside first and the devil is so fast he just leaped around me to run to the second. The door allowed me a way to catch him before he "switched birds" which is another bad habit I didn't want him to start. It is best to do short lessons, about three retrieves and stop. Ol boss always said Leave them wanting more and stop on a good note. When we do go out to pratice off leash in the yard he has one place that he tries to dive out...there is a long stretch of greenery there that he thinks would be so much fun..I have my son go out first and hide behind the fence that boarder it and then I come out with Vic, remove the leash and get out his bubbles. AS soon as he thinks he can he runs down there and Aaron pops out. You should see Vics expression as he about faces. We are still working on this but I am slowly winning. I also carry his favorite squeeky ball in my pocket to remind him I got his toy. Since he is not a treat oriented dog that is all I can do. He spits out hotdogs and most treats like I am trying to feed him something nasty..as far as the hotdog I pretty much agree. The squeeky ball does work. This spring I do intend to rent a collar, the sound burst one so that we can go out when Aaron is not there and he won't be able to scent if he is standing there too. The yard is open on all other sides as well and he never leaves the three sides, that green stretch is just too much temptation and that is where i lose control. I do not advise ever trying to catch your dog, usually running the opposite direction acting like you are having the most fun in the world will get them to follow u./ If you do chase, u better catch for once they learn they can out run u , u have lost the game. If I have to go after them, I go in the car. If you have an older dog to work with that is the biggest help. If they get silly about the retrieve you send the older dog to pick it up. That keeps the attention focused where u want it. A lot of retreiver people here get together to work. Do you have a retreiver club in your area? maybe u could meet someone to pair up for training. Since labs are so popular that is easier than other breeds. I can't find anyone that has an english pointer to compare notes with on forums, or locally.

[Saje]

Looking back this was probably foolish but we let Maverick off leash probably about three days after we got him. We used to go for long gorgeous walks along the beach when the tide was out. The ocean was on one side and the sea wall was on the other. If I was worried that he was taking off after something I would run as fast as I could in the opposite direction and call him like it was a game. He always came. We were his pack and he'd find us more interesting. Sometiems I'd have to be quite loud of course. It's a good trick in an emergency but I wouldn't recommend it as a training method.

[becca_4321]

Princess is bad about running off if she gets out. She loves to collect rocks for some odd reason so I sit on the ground, get her to look at me and toss rocks around. She gets really excited and comes running to me so she can play with them too. BUT should a cat be noticed it becomes a real trick. All at once I dont exist, nothing else matters, no one else exist for that matter, her hearing is totally gone, she will chase the cat and forget, block out everything else around her. Funny because she loves cats, but I guess the thrill of a good chase will always be to exciting to give up.