What to do when they don't come back

[Harveypops]

Wow, loads of great advice. Harvey is a nosy one too. He already knows 'this way' so hopefully that will help too. Hopefully when the dreaded day comes I'll be calm and follow all the advice 

[Ellie]

'this way' is one of the best commands you can teach them...when you're out walking as soon as they're about 20 - 30 feet max in front call 'this way' turn sharply and head in another direction...I would say a majority of dogs will run back to you to go the direction that you are and it's one of the best things they can learn   

They'll soon catch on and if they are the type who's recall consists of a 'fly pass' this one is a good way to move them in a 'safer'  direction 

This is another great one. I use this method as well as the 'fascinating blade of grass' method.  But this one is a good way to stop them going where you don't want them to go and come back to being near you again, not so easy to get the lead on, but still very handy in a lot of circumstances.

[LizH]

'this way' is one of the best commands you can teach them...when you're out walking as soon as they're about 20 - 30 feet max in front call 'this way' turn sharply and head in another direction...I would say a majority of dogs will run back to you to go the direction that you are and it's one of the best things they can learn   

I use this with Pebble a lot and it does work
She also responds to me calling 'Bye' and walking away from her she hates the thought that she is missing out on anything that maybe exciting - is that mean? 

[Karma]

I think "Goodbye" has inadvertently become Honey's really reliable recall signal - if she's sniffling around to the extent that I'm not 100% certain she'll recall, I've always just said "goodbye" and walked away.... she soon learned that if I said it it meant I was heading off, and so she now comes hurtling!!! 

So I guess I must be mean too! 

[LizH]

I think "Goodbye" has inadvertently become Honey's really reliable recall signal - if she's sniffling around to the extent that I'm not 100% certain she'll recall, I've always just said "goodbye" and walked away.... she soon learned that if I said it it meant I was heading off, and so she now comes hurtling!!! 

So I guess I must be mean too! 

that's exactly when I use it - glad I'm not the only meanie 

[SimonandMandy]

only other one I can add is to be extra careful when you stop to talk to someone - we did this recently with a couple who had the most beautiful chocolate worker  and without the blink of an eyelid a couple of horses appeared from behind a mound and on seeing Harv the girls thought screaming and racing the horses away was a good idea    we certainly learnt a lesson that day (and hopefully the girls did too...)

[Ellie]

 If all else fails, I exclaim 'ooooohhhh, what's this?' and focus in on a blade of grass or whatever.  Inevitably, 2 seconds later there is a nosy beak at my side wanting to get in on the action.  Then I get the lead on her before she knows what's hit her.  She falls for it everytime    .

I keep coming back to this thread      , but just wanted to add that very occassionally, when we're in the house, I get a treat and go somewhere in the house where she can't see me and loudly exclaim 'oooooh, what's this?' and when she races to see 'what it is' she'll find me focused in on a treat which I've 'found' and then give to her.  I reckon this has hard-wired it into her brain that it is worth rushing to me when I find something, as it may be something nice, rather than always arriving to find nothing but a lead waiting for her!

[Joules]

I think "Goodbye" has inadvertently become Honey's really reliable recall signal - if she's sniffling around to the extent that I'm not 100% certain she'll recall, I've always just said "goodbye" and walked away.... she soon learned that if I said it it meant I was heading off, and so she now comes hurtling!!! 

So I guess I must be mean too! 

that's exactly when I use it - glad I'm not the only meanie 

Another meanie here - Coco doesn't like to be left behind   Coco does know "this way" too and it is very useful 

She was a bu**er when she was a teenager though - I think the answer is to keep them closeish and try to make yourself as exciting as possible, then when they do come back, praise them like a loon!    Coco was hard work for a few months but if you persevere it will improve again but imo recall is something that you can never take for granted so we still practice it on every walk