Having serious recall/leashing issues

[lizzybeth727]

Originally Posted by Southpaw

I've just always been hesitant of bringing treats with because I don't want a pack of dogs surrounding me haha... obviously I'd be discreet about it but the dogs will know if I have hot dogs. Maybe I'll try it though.

I've taken treats to the dog park with my dog and, besides the individual dog coming up to say hi every once in a while, the other dogs didn't really interract with me at all. Of course the dogs can smell that you have hot dogs, but they are so overwhelmed with different sights and smells that if you make sure they don't get hot dogs, I really don't think they'll worry about your treats a whole lot.

The only other thing you can do, if you don't have anything that is rewarding for her - and if simply being with you is not terribly rewarding either - is to just let her play until she's tired/bored/annoyed and ready to go home.... called "satiating." This will happen eventually, though it could take days or weeks.

[Doberluv]

A few years ago, my son lived in an apartment and lived with Toker, his dog, who now is living at my house. He hardly ever took her for walks or anything....poor dog. He's changed his ways now, thankfully. Anyhow, she would get loose and go rip roaring all over the golf course that his apartment was adjacent to. There was NO WAY she was going to come when called. She finally got freed and was having a wee of a time. He would just have to wait for her to come back on her own...sometimes hours later. She wound up in a shelter twice because someone found her on the road. Yup....he was very irresponsible back then.

Anyhow, when I went to visit him, (that was in western Wa and I'm in Idaho) I had Lyric with me...my Doberman. He had an extremely reliable recall. I could call him off deer and anything else. Toker loved playing with Lyric and they were inseperable. So, we turned them loose on the golf course. When Lyric would come, so would Toker. And of course they both got treats. I showed him to snap on the leash on Toker, confine for just a few seconds, even start walking toward the apartment and then turn her loose again. Off they'd go, roaring around the golf course...in our view though. I told him to repeat this 3 or 4 times before going inside. And then....he was not to stop all the fun. There were treats, belly rubs, maybe a game of tug and playtime with Lyric.

That was one avenue to improve her recall. When she came to live with me, I did a variety of things to work on the recall. We practice out on our hikes and out in the yard. It's just a matter of keeping things like this in mind. Is what I'm about to do going to be seen as a let down to my dog when she comes? Oh....now here's an opportunity to interact with her in such a way as to develop a good recall. She's already coming. Yeah! I'll throw her a party. LOL.

[Southpaw]

I suppose these are all things I knew, and would be able to point out to someone else if they had the same question.... I just apparently get a little sloppy when it comes to training my own dogs.

I did bring some hot dogs to the park today and at first she was a little twit about it. I didn't ask her to come, just held out the hot dog for her, even gave a couple pieces to my friend's dog to see if that would pique her interest... nope, nothing, she still kept prancing around. Sooo I resorted to tossing a couple pieces over at her (there weren't any dogs around lol otherwise I wouldn't do that) to drive home to her that, hey, I have food. And she still ignored it.

But eventually I think she accidentally bonked into my legs while running around and I was able to sneak a piece into her mouth, and after that she kept periodically coming over to me. And every time she did I'd grab her collar, give her a treat and send her off. After we left I was giving her treats the whole way to the car (mostly because she was walking nicely on the leash, but she doesn't care WHY I'm feeding her lol).... hopefully to establish that life doesn't completely suck after leaving the dog park?

I became even more determined to get my beast under control when I saw a woman wrangle up her 4 dogs with no issue, and I can't even handle my one.

[Doberluv]

A few comments from the peanut gallery here. By offering her treats before she comes to you, you are in effect, bribing her. Don't get into that habit. It will cause more problems later.

You are trying to train her to come over to you in the highest possible distraction area. Forget trying to train her at the dog park. That place needs to be for fun and exercise. Do your training in quieter, non distracting environments. Keep her on a long line at the park for now, but when it's time to go, help her to come to you with the long line and then let her play again, repeat and then go. Be sure and try to do something nice or fun when you go back to the car and when you go back in your house.

Treats are great when they're appreciated by the dog. But even rewards that the dog might love at certain times, they may not at other times....like she showed you today when she was so enthralled with playing with the other dogs. So, playing with the other dogs appears to be more motivating. Use that then, for her reward for coming over to you first. Of course, you'll probably need to help her with the long line for now. It's the same with kids. My son, when he was little loved a hug and a cuddle....at home when his friends weren't watching. If I had called him over to me in the middle of his soft ball game and hugged him, he'd probably have died of embarrassment. The same reward one time might be more of a punishment at another time. LOL.

At any rate, when you practice in quieter areas, try to time it so it's near meal time so she's hungry. Treats have more value on an empty stomach. If there is something she likes better, use that. If she is motivated by something else and it's obvious to you what that is, use it for her reward for complaince...as long as it's safe and reasonable. Teach her that she WILL get what she wants, but first she has to do something for you. Don't bribe.

Are you practicing any other obedience skills? If you work on a few sits, downs, walk nicely etc...she may get more in the "it's training time" mode. It must be made fun though and interesting. I find that doing the same thing over and over and over can become a drugery for a lot of dogs. They get bored, lose interest and you've lost them. Skip around. Play a game in between practicing a couple of skills.

Again....don't try to train things that are new to her in such high distracting areas, like the dog park. You'll just defeat yourself and you'll both get frustrated. Add distractions gradually.