Cocker Specific Discussion > Behaviour & Training

Unreliable off lead

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Rosie:
:)
I have an adorable 9 month cocker called Charlie who is impecaably behaved on lead but is more than a little unrelaible off the lead.  When I walk him on my own I have few, if any problems with him, but when any one else walks him or I am with my husband or friends half way through the walk he decides to go home alone.

It is getting to the point where it is diffcult to trust him at all off lead but I still want him to be able to enjoy walks.  I have tried extendable leads, dog whistles, changing walks etc but nothing seems to work.                    

Jane S:
Hi Rosie

Take a look at the "Training" thread in the Puppy forum - there are a few tips there for dealing with recall problems which might help. Don't worry - you are not alone, most "teenage" Cockers go through a phase of being unreliable off lead but with persistence, you will be able to get over this & enjoy walks off lead with Charlie - might take a while though  :)                    

FionaM:
Hi Rosie

My cocker Poppy who is almost 8 months was really bad at coming back to me when there were other dogs around (See the other post that Jane mentioned). Jane suggested that I use a special toy that is only used on walks and have a game with it at the end of each walk to encourage her to come back (I use a frisbee). So far this is still working (Thankyou Jane! ;))  

Maybe if you try something like an exciting game at the end of a walk it might ancourage Charlie to hang around a bit longer rather than heading for home... It's worth a try anyway ;D

Fiona                    

luna_babe:
Oscar really enjoys carrying his lead, he will walk to heel if I put the lead in his mouth (I don't know if this a good thing to do, but it works with Oscar). He used to be a real problem off the lead but now when I call he will come back, sit and have his lead put on and then provided he has been good on the walk he can carry his lead....... and the key words to all of this is patience and discipline I have been really repetitive with him to get to this stage. ;D

When he has been naughty he doesn't get the lead and he is told he has been bad. I is hard not to fall for the saggy eyes, but they have to be told! >:( I have increased over time the amount he gets off the lead according to how he behaves, if he goes for other dogs then he is straight back on the lead, but I did let him investigate other dogs and he is a lot better now.

Good luck!                    

Gilly:
I also have this problem to some extent with Fudge (8 months) as Jane S says it must be an adolescent thing.
I bought a frisbee about 2 weeks ago, and it interests him for a while, then he gets bored ???I think I may have made a mistake, but I use his dried food to entice him back, I started by rewarding him everytime he came back, I would make him sit in front of me, if he did this he would get a small piece of food. now when I call him if he comes back straight away (probably because he's a greedy oinker ;D, although I don't give him something all the time just give him loads of praise, as I'm trying to cut the treats out, only problem now is how do I get him off the treats altogether ::)                    

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