Coming When Called....or Usually Not!

[pippydoo]

My black boy is now 12 Months old and most of the time is not too bad.  We have all the basic commands in hand and when walking on the lead he is reasonably good at not pulling.  But......off the lead is another matter.  He just wont return when called.  Most of the time he won't even acknowledge me.  He doesn't particularly stray (unless he sees another dog), he simply will not come back to be put back on the lead.

The situation often develops into a game where he runs around me in circles trying not to be caught and I am getting more and more wound up!  I've tried ignoring him, I've tried all different types of tasty treats which in the garden he responds to brilliantly but in the big wide world, the sights and smells and potential game of 'mummy chase me' are just too much.  

As a first time dog owner, I could really use some advice as I can see this rapidly getting out of hand.  Thanks for any help.

[Pammy]

Cockers are experts at selective deafness - so what you are experiencing is nothing unusual. With training some do overcome it - many don't - my own two boys for example! ::

It's a question of perseverance and patience but most of all consistency. Your boy is still a youngster - going through adolescence. Sometimes you have to go right back to basics. If he's not going to come back - don't let him off! You need to start his recall training from scratch.

Start on your garden or local park with a long line. Let it go so he can't tell he's attached then call him back. If he doesn't come, use the line to pull him to you only pulling the line if he's not coming towards you - whenever he's coming under his own speed give him lots of encouragement. Then when he's back lots of praise and a treat. Progress until he returns every time. Then you can remove the long line.

When you are out and about and he is off lead, call him back but just give him a cuddle and a treat - something really yummy - disgusting to you and me - but yummy to him This way he won't associate coming back with going back on the lead all the time. He's having fun off it so needs to see that coming back to you doesn't  necessarily stop his fun. When he does come back give him lots of praise - even if you've been yelling your head off and chasing him to get him back. Telling him off will confuse him and he'll not want to come back.

You also need to be really big and loud if he's away from you. Stand tall with your arms out wide calling him in the highest voice you can muster. Major embarrassment - but he has to see and hear you over whatever's taken his fancy


Keep at it - you can get there  

[fudgesmammy]

We had (and have still to an extent) this problem with Fudge. We developed 'What's This Fudge?' by asking the question whenever we came across a toy in the garden or a stick outside (she loves sticks of all kinds) and she learnt that when we siad that it meant 'I've got something interesting and I'll throw it if you come here and sit'. Her deal was that she would come close enough to us but not so we could get her. 'What's This' works really well for us- as does Pammy's tip of not always putting her on the lead. Also- if you can- try putting the dog on the lead for a short while then releasing him. This way he learns that the lead doesn't mean the end of the walk.

 

[suzysu]

I've had quite good sucess with Georgie and Daisy using a whistle and treats.  When I use it they come tearing back to me for their treat (I use veg to cut down a bit).  However, it does'nt always work if there are people around!  On a walk today we came across a man and woman, without a dog, out walking.  Georgie came back on the whistle, but embarrasingly Daisy ignored it and jumped onto her nice clean trousers - whoops!  I apologised profusely and fortunately she took it ok.  More work to do on Daisy I think !!

Worth trying the whistle though x    

[pippydoo]

Mmmm.....now that you've all said it, when I do call him back, it is always to be put back on the lead.  Smart dog!

I shall definately try the long line advice, now that you mention it that idea was suggested to me months ago when I first took him to puppy classes, I'd just forgotton it.

Thank you all for the advice - it's much appreciated.    

[tobycat]

learnt that when we siad that it meant 'I've got something interesting and I'll throw it if you come here and sit'. Her deal was that she would come close enough to us but not so we could get her. 'What's This' works really well for us

  We use the 'whats this' trick too! Scully has got wise to it now and no longer answers to it but its working like magic on Oscar at the moment      

[Sue H]

We tried all sorts with Bramble, but unfortunately he isn't food-motivated ...

I have had a lot of experience at the Blue Cross with different dogs that I hardly even know, and one of the tricks we employ is that if the dog won't come when you call it, or it is running in the opposite direction, get its attention (yes, the high-pitched excited voice is the one - embarrassing yes but very effective) and then run in the opposite direction ....

It CAN backfire, in which case you look a complete prat - dog running one way, you running the other way - but mostly it does work and they think WOT??? and hare off after you (it's a game, right??!!)(phew).

To hear our Staff out with the dogs in the exercise paddocks, you would maybe think you have wandered into an 'enclosed' environment for the giddy and deluded ...... not so - we shriek and sing to let them know it is ok to whizz around and generally let flip (that is what my Doctor told me to say anyway!!).  When they are on lead they are expected to behave properly (and it takes most of them about 1.5 days to cotton on to this ...)  

[Bellbellsmum]

I know what you are going through.  Bella has always been a real darling at coming when you call her but lately has been more and more distracted.  She is 5 months old now and from experience I knew this was coming and had a long line with knots in it ready.

However, boyfriend and daughter took her on the field behind the house today for a run and after 10 minutes Bella was back with Simon and Amy right behind her.  She wouldnt come back to them when she was called!!  Every time she got near she dodged out of the way!  In the end they hearded her home leadless and she was sent straight to bed  

This is the first and last time it will happen!  I am taking her out tomorrow on a long lead and will start recall training from scratch.  My dog trainer told me she always keeps a line on one of her rescue alsatians as she once ran off as a pup and now she knows she can run faster than humans. She said never chase them but when they run past stamp on the lead and recall them with lots of praise. NEVER shout at them when they come back or they will associate coming back with a telling off.  They need to learn that they ALWAYS have to come back no matter what.  Easier said than done I'm sure.  Good luck and wish me luck    

[Sue H]

Absolutely - there is no point telling them off when they come back - otherwise they will not want to come back ... much as you want to; if they DO come back, praise, praise praise (even if you bite your tongue doing it). If you have to go and get them, then you can say what a naughty dog, and just ignore them.. they hate that more than they hate being told off ....

I was out with Barley when she was little and she disappeared into a hedge and went off after rabbits etc.  I shouted her for what seemed like hours and walked up and down. I was standing there (vocal chords almost worn to a thread) when a kindly man said 'Lost the other one have you?'  at which I turned round and said 'Wot?' only to see that Barley was sitting faithfully at my heels (and probably had been for ages ...)  Dohhhhh ...

[PennyB]

We had (and have still to an extent) this problem with Fudge. We developed 'What's This Fudge?' by asking the question whenever we came across a toy in the garden or a stick outside (she loves sticks of all kinds) and she learnt that when we siad that it meant 'I've got something interesting and I'll throw it if you come here and sit'. Her deal was that she would come close enough to us but not so we could get her. 'What's This' works really well for us- as does Pammy's tip of not always putting her on the lead. Also- if you can- try putting the dog on the lead for a short while then releasing him. This way he learns that the lead doesn't mean the end of the walk.

Yes that works well if they're in earshot or whistles (I use a gundog one) if too far or if its a windy day.

One really good thing to do if you grab their attention is to then begin running away from them which works a treat as they get scared you might leave them. Even if mine are coming back on a recall I will still walk slowly backwards as I do it just in case one of them decides to change their minds (which knowing cockers is possible).

Try recall exercises/games and basically call them back often even when close to you as if you just do it when you want them back on the lead then they'll work that one out very quickly. The idea is to call them back shortly after they go off lead and either give them a treat or play a very enthusiastic game with them. The idea is to be as enthusiatic as possible to the point of making a complete fool of yourself as often this enthusiasm is infectious to a cocker as they want to know what they're missing out on.

Practising recall is the key wherever, whenever, and use variety so they don't sus out what comes next.

Hide and seek games are also a good way to keep them from running off, mine stay not too far away form me if they think you're going to disappear.

Never chase your cocker as they'll either think its part of a really good game or that you want to go that way anyway and feel they have to get there 1st.

Even if mine are just about to run into danger I can see ahead I run away from them (making sure they know I'm doing it by jumping up and down and basically being very loud and then either run backwards or just as far away form them as you can). As I was going uder a road bridge recenly Wilf recently left my side momentarily and slipped up the steps (this is a busy 'A' road), I shouted very loudly at him to stop which he did but you could see that if I didn't do anything quickly then seconds later he'd just carry on going, but instinctively I ran backwards and he quickly followed.

A friend can never get his cocker back when he wants, but I can, mainly because he's so reserved about calling her back each time while I become enthusiastically embarrassing and it works every time with her (may be she just wants me to shut up LOL).

[Sheila]

I can't really add anything to all the replies here.

I just ensure that I recall Lottie at intervals during offlead runs and always give her a treat when she sits in front of me. That way it isn't always a recall to be put back on the lead.

So far she has been fairly good, particularly if I have Goldie with me too. If she sees her sitting and getting a treat she practicaly pushes her out of the way to sit infront of her to get a treat too

[Sue H]

I found that I was quite laid back about the dogs staying with me, but OH, who had never had a dog before, was really hyper and kept calling them even if they were only a few feet away ... I thought that this was over-using their names, and tried to tell him but ....  Now, unless I use the high, excited voice and make things sound really interesting (which he refuses to do!) Bramble won't come .. I rest my case but try and tell him !!!!

[suki1964]

With my last boy and now with Alfie, I have found a simple "bye" works everytime.
I dont know how they picked up on it cos I certainly never trained them but if I say bye and carry on walking they are back within seconds.

[PennyB]

I found that I was quite laid back about the dogs staying with me, but OH, who had never had a dog before, was really hyper and kept calling them even if they were only a few feet away ... I thought that this was over-using their names, and tried to tell him but ....  Now, unless I use the high, excited voice and make things sound really interesting (which he refuses to do!) Bramble won't come .. I rest my case but try and tell him !!!!

Sounds like a typical cocker to me LOL.

Actually I hardly ever used their names as they know the sound of my voice/whistle (as in gundog one).

If I hadn't practised recall with Wilf when he hit his teens at 7 months and began running far and away I'd have either lost him by now or he'd have been run over. I found with most friends they've all had problems with their cocker boys as their bitches will always stay close by (which is what I found with Ruby who I never had recall problems with). Now Wilf at 18 months on regular walks will run ahead and then run back again without me saying a word

However its not just about your dog running off but you do need to make sure you have control of your dog---on trail walks up the valleys I sometimes still call them back though when there are bikes/horses/dogs I don't know (as its always best not to let your dog run up to strange dogs or other dogs on leads) or if there's a hazard ahead that a curious cocker might be too curious about.

[suzysu]

One really good thing to do if you grab their attention is to then begin running away from them which works a treat as they get scared you might leave them. Even if mine are coming back on a recall I will still walk slowly backwards as I do it just in cae one of them decides to change their minds (which knowing cockers is possible).

That sounds like a good idea Penny- will try that !