CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Puppies => Topic started by: saffy1 on April 03, 2003, 11:13:28 PM
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our saffy is 8 mnths old and after reading lots of stories on this site about letting your dog off lead when they are young we are a bit worried that it may be too late!!! Any times we have tried to trust her(walking small distances ie from the car into our gate) she has just gone her own way...and when we try to call her back..or catch her she just runs off..........any advice would be appreciated!!!!!!!!! thanx......
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You can start practising the recall in your house. Just call her to you and when she comes praise her and give her a treat. I've found it easier using a treat that is only used for recall eg liver, cheese. If you have a garden, you can then try outside where she will not be able to run off. Play a game with her and periodically call her back to you. When she returns, praise and treat and then send back to play. This way she won't associate returning to you witht he end of her fun. Once she is reliable at this, you can take her to the park but either try it when there are not too many distractions or get a training line for her so that you still ultimately have control over her. I bought a training line for one of my dogs to try at the park, but never had to use it as he knew he would get a bit of liver treat when he came back.
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It's not too late - but you do need to start. if you are not confident of her returning, then use a long line on her. One that gives her enough length to run around but that you can hold and "guide" her to you when you do recall. Only give her length when there are no distractions and she sees you have something good for her - a real tasty treat like sausage or liver often works well. Also only let her off in a secure spot.
The idea with the line is that you have something to grab if she does run, and that you are able to show her by guiding her with it what "come" or "here" means.
hth
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letting your dog off the lead for the first time is so nerve racking..... and I think that's why people are reluctant to try it.......but thankfully, Monty is quite good about coming back to me. In the beginning I used chopped up hot dog sausages (you could smell me coming a mile off ::)) - now I don't always take a treat.....sometimes I do - if I don't he just gets lots of fuss, which he loves as he's a right cuddle bum! - either way, he has learned that it's ALWAYS positive when he gets to me.
An interesting suggestion made to me when Monts went to puppy classes, was that if the dog ignores you when you call - just walk the other way. The theory being that as dogs are pack animals....they will follow their leader - ie:YOU! - I must admit I did try it not thinking it would work....but it did! - obviously, sometimes a good sniff or another dog is too much of a distraction - which is why, in my experience - practicing recall is best done when other 4 legged friends are not around. ;D
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The walking off from them does work. We don't have to do it very often but it comes in handy. I'm now working on the down at disctance - if my voice lasts!!!
I think I'd need special treats for getting her to walk to heel though - little blighter ::)
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We find that Oscar is generally good at returning - unless there are birds about when he just chases them regardless >:(
We always take his favourite ball with us and he spends most of the time retrieving it as we walk along.
The theory of walking or even running in the opposite direction does work but takes confidence to try as naturally you want to chase after the dog if it is running away from you.
Lee
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When I've tried running away if Lottie is sniffing and choosing totally to ignore me, then it has worked. But it didn't work on the 2 occasions when she was frightened by some barking and a cockeral crowing. She just turned for home and wouldn't even look back...totally focused on one thing...to get home/back to the car asap ::).
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thanx so much for ur advice....................its time to bite the bullet and try it............shes so cute.i will let you all no how i get on....and post some pics of our little munchkin...thanx again........p s this is a great site!!!!!!!!
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I read this post the other day and was quite interested in the advice from Jen and Mary. Morgan has had walks off the lead ever since he was 14 weeks (5 minutes to start with and now he gets 1/2 hour) and he has always been good at coming back...........except when there's another dog about. If we meet another dog he always follows them. I let him play for a minute but I always end up having to go get him and put him on lead till the coast is clear. It gets a bit wearing so I decided to try walking off.
It worked!! I walked off but was still in sight and he only let me go about 50 metres before he realised I was going and followed.
He got a bit of a fright later in the walk though. We came to a river with a bridge over it. The normal routine is for me to cross the bridge to get to the other side and he insists on going straight through the river ::). Today I was on my way down the bank at the other side of the river but Morgan went back up to the top of the bridgeand when I wasn't there, he went tearing off in the direction we had come from :o- he thought I had left him :'(. It took a bit of shouting and whistling to get hime to realise I was still there. I could actually see the relief on his face :). He was stuck to me like glue for the rest of the walk! He definately wants to be one of the pack! ;D
Thanks Mary and Jen, it's great to be able to pick up tips from people who've actually tried and tested the theory :)
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to. ;D
Only do it if the dog knows you've moved there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.
Only do it if the dog knows you've hidden there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.
Colin....did I miss something :- whats the point in calling it hiding if your not actually hiding at all ::)
If anyone sees a packet of Monster Munch hiding behind a tree you know who it is ;) ;D
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.
I used to do this a lot with Brook but don't do it quite so much now cos when I'm behind the tree and he realises I'm gone, you can see the panic on his face. He tends to backtrack though, and the relief when he finds you is immense. Only do it now when I'm feeling mischievous ;D Tried it once with Vegas and he just ran over to the nearest human and said "I've lost my mummy, but you can just be my new one" So laid back he's almost horizontal ::)I could almost swear he was disappointed to see me ;)
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Tried it once with Vegas and he just ran over to the nearest human and said "I've lost my mummy, but you can just be my new one" So laid back he's almost horizontal I could almost swear he was disappointed to see me
lololol bless I laughed at this...I could just picture it..lol
Jessie was alwasy good at comin back when of the lead, thats something her previous owner DID teach her ;) shes such a scaredy though and if a largish person ie a tall man for instance approaches her towering above her she gets scared and runs behind my legs almost trippin me up ;D kids love her and she loves them, they never want us to leave the park ;D
she loves to try to climb trees with my boys, although she hasn't mastered the art quite yet ;D and she barks at them to get down and play with her ;D cuuuute :D
I only ever let her off in large open areas though and then straight back on lead as she could not be trusted not to see a cat and go 'play' with it ...
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.
Only do it if the dog knows you've hidden there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.
Colin....did I miss something :- whats the point in calling it hiding if your not actually hiding at all ::)
lol lol lol lol - "Jimmy - I'm going to HIDE behind that tree over there now....so you can't find me even though you know where I am.... :-" ::) -
He's mad isn't he Gilly! ;D
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.
Only do it if the dog knows you've hidden there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.
Colin....did I miss something :- whats the point in calling it hiding if your not actually hiding at all ::)
lol lol lol lol - "Jimmy - I'm going to HIDE behind that tree over there now....so you can't find me even though you know where I am.... :-" ::) -
He's mad isn't he Gilly! ;D
Crying with laughter at the mo!
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Well, dur, the whole object IS To be found ! ;D
And anyway, who said anything about hiding in the first place?......I think tis you ladies what is completely mad and bonkers..........
;D ;D ;D
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Bin there, dun that, and I can't begin to try and convey the utter horror you feel when you are 'hiding' from your dog, and not only has your dog gone off in the opposite direction on a mission of its own, but other people suddenly appear out of nowhere and give you really funny looks - as if it's not absolutely normal to be squatting behind a bush giggling and apparently talking to yourself. They go off shaking their heads as if it all goes to prove that Care in the Community really doesn't work after all :( ;D
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What flavour crisp packet do you hide in then Sue ? ;D
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Well, dur, the whole object IS To be found ! ;D
And anyway, who said anything about hiding in the first place?......I think tis you ladies what is completely mad and bonkers..........
;D ;D ;D
This from a man who does piggy grunt noises to his dog in public.... ;) What with this and lurking behind trees - I bet Jimmy is really embarrassed of you. You'll probably be arrested one day ;D
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I wouldn't dare try hiding behind a tree - mine would never find me!. The 4 yo Fletch is not that good at realising where I am if he a distance away from me in the park. He stands there, in a panic, looking this way and that, and despite my shouting, it's usually the waving at him which works. He is useless at realising where the shouts come from - so many times he runs off in the wrong direction thinking he is going towards my calls. It's only when I catch his eye that he realises where I am. And, no, he's not deaf.
Helen
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Hi Hel,
Don't worry, Fletch isn't the only cocker that does this.......Jimmy also seems to have no idea where I'm calling him from and goes into that blind panic someone else mentioned. Could it be their long, furry ears hinder them in this regard?
(Incidentally........ Jo, it's not just me that embarrasses Jimmy.....at least I don't go around sniffing and slurping strange dogs like he does.....well not yet anyway. ;D)
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Hi Hel and Colin
Glad to hear that this is a cocker thing and not just a Morgan thing. After the incident the other day, where I was standing shouting him and whistling with him still unable to find me I was a little worried about his hearing :-[ . Then I tried whispering 'Ham' when we got home and he was sitting at the fridge door before I was even out of the car ;D
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We took Phoebe to Tatton Park yesterdat and even though we were no where near the lakes, she spotted water and she was off like a shot. Called and called but she just carried on over the hill and away :o.
She eventually came back after finding some muddy water and getting really muddy. I suppose its my own fault for introducing her to swimming ::)
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Well on Saturday - I was out with my mate at the salon being pampered( our fornightly treat) came home to no hubby and no doggies, he'd taken them out - in the car, so was likely to be good walk/run for them.
They arrived home - Jasper panting, happy, clean and dry. Buddy panting and happy but a great ball of mud :o Nige had let them off lead one at a time. Jasper for a change stayed close and was good. Buddy was also good until he saw benjamin bunny and gave chase :- He succeeded in finding the only pool of mud for miles. Don't know what happened to the bunny, think and hope he got away - no evidence of him getting caught. Buddy took a great dive into the mud and was a right mess - so I got to bath him!! He's lovely and clean and sweet again now - little monkey ;D ::)
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He succeeded in finding the only pool of mud for miles. Don't know what happened to the bunny, think and hope he got away - no evidence of him getting caught. Buddy took a great dive into the mud and was a right mess -
Think Buddy and Vegas would be the best of friends ;) ;D
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As far as Morgan is concerned, a walk is not a walk without a wallow in a big muddy puddle ;D. If he's off lead I have to run parts of our regular walk, while squeaking his favourite ball so that he doesn't notice the puddles, otherwise he'd be straight in them(yes, I do get some funny looks).
Thought we were all clear the other day but he managed to get through a gate and down onto the shore. Little beggar couldn't get back up so I had to climb down and lift the smelly thing back onto the pier. My car still stinks of seaweed! :P
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I think I must have the only dog who doesn't seem to be bothered whether I'm with him or not. He has got really bad lately about coming back. I have tried everything - walking off, liver cakes etc I'm not sure what to do next.
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Took Lottie up on the Ridgeway early this morning....lovely, absolutely nobody about.
Parked the car in an empty car park and off we went. After about 200 yards, Lottie seemed apprehensive (no reason that we could see) and she just turned and headed back to the car at a brisk walk ::). Knowing she would be completely safe, it was a good time to 'test her out' ;).
We called her back...she ignored us. We said goodbye and ran in the opposite direction....she ignored us. She went out of sight and when I caught up with her she was stood at the boot of the car ::) I then said goodbye again and walked off and hid......she ignored me and stayed firmly at the car >:(
I then had to put her on her lead to take her for this walk ::) which she seemed to enjoy but pulled like mad on the way back to the car and wouldn't even stop pulling for a treat :o (unheard of for Lottie).
Any tips to stop her ignoring us ???
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Hi Mary
A squeaky ball works every time with Morgan. He's not allowed squeaky things in the house (I read something somewhere about these types of toys not being entirely suitable for everyday play) so it's really a treat and it gets his attention in no time. :D
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what a blinking good idea!... we do that with her kong, so she only gets it when we are leaving her alone etc... so she knows shes in for some treats and takes about erm a second to empty it ;D little exageration there...but ya know ;)
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.. Lottie seemed apprehensive (no reason that we could see) and she just turned and headed back to the car at a brisk walk ::).
We called her back...she ignored us. We said goodbye and ran in the opposite direction....she ignored us. She went out of sight and when I caught up with her she was stood at the boot of the car ::) I then said goodbye again and walked off and hid......she ignored me and stayed firmly at the car >:(
Any tips to stop her ignoring us ???
I don't think this is a case of Lottie being bolshie & deliberately ignoring you for the hell of it. It sounds to me like she just got spooked & a dog that's afraid will often not be able to concentrate on you & will just want to stay where they feel safe (ie by the car in Lottie's case) It could be just her age - the teenage phase sometimes means pups get a little spooky over nothing (to us :)). Hopefully, she will soon get over this, specially if you carry on socialising her as much as poss, following the golden rules of never sympathising or getting cross with her if she seems apprehensive - just keep jollying her along using a confident, happy voice :)
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Mary this sounds exactly like time when Buttons did exactly the same thing :- which I know you've read before :)
I really need to work on Buttons recall alot more and I'm going to try the the liver treats and see how I go with them ??? I know you've had more success than me with Lottie and her recall...but as Jane says maybe she just got spooked ??? the day when Buttons did it I thought it was bizarre too :-X
As committed as you are, I'm sure you get there eventually with Lottie....just hope I can have the same success with Buttons ;) ;D
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Yes, I think you're right Jane. She is usually good on her recall when she seems 'content'. There didn't seem to be anything for her to be 'spooked' about but it was a place where she had never been before, it was quite high ground and very windy, so perhaps it was just the general conditions that were all too new for her. :-
I don't often let her off her lead immediatley as I like to know that we are in a totally safe enviroment and to familiarise her with her surroundings. As it was so safe there, I suppose I took it for granted that she'd be OK ??? Her body language was telling me she wasn't quite sure but I can usually gee her on with the enthusiastic voice you mentioned ;) We later passed some cows that unnerved her (and me, they always stare at me >:( ;D) but I did the cheery voice bit and she got past unscathed ::) ;D
Buttons will get there Gilly. Lots of practise in a good safe enviroment ;)
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We use a squeaky toy if Phoebe ignores us. It means come on we've got your ball - come and play. It seems to work at the moment. :)
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I'm going to try Candy with a squeaky toy too. She has improved with recall over the last couple of weeks but still not what she was before her season. She just loves chasing birds!! I didn't realise that cockers were such a stubborn breed, when she gets it into her mind to do something there seems to be little I can do to change.
As for the cows she just barks her head of at them!!
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Hi,
Penny is the fourth dog I have had and they have all learned to walk off the lead. I start off in the house at first getting them to sit down then come to me when I call their name I use treats and make a big fuss of them when they do it. Then I progress to the garden or quiet area of a field where there are no distractions for the dog. I then take my dog somewhere that I know will be quiet ie the woods and where I will only met a few people. I am on the look out all the time trying to anticipate my dogs reactions to all the new stimulation. I always start from 14 weeks but my heart is in my mouth every time. I frequently call the dog back for praise and treats and always call her back should I see man or beast. Once the dog has found some confidence and grown abit I can relax more. I always call them back well before we hit the road when they are really young but gradually they walk unleashed to the road. By about 18mths they are trained sufficiently to walk anywhere off the lead, but you must continue to ancicpate your dogs responses to all situations to try to avoid accidents.
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Just been reading through people's experience re letting doggies off leads. Apart from wanting to say hello to anything on legs (2 or 4 ;D) Bramble is very good and comes (mostly) when called.
What I really like to know is what the abbreviation "lol" means - can't work it out at all. My daugher says "lots of love" but that doesn't seem right.
Answers on a postcard please ;D
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lol - means laugh/laughing out loud - means something is funny
ROFL - means rolling on the floor laughing - even funnier
ROFPMSL - means I need clean undies it was that funny ;D
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Don't worry Sue.....I had to enlist Gilly's help to find out what all those abbreviations meant. She also told me some VERY rude ones that she's too much of a lady to use on the forum. ;D Doesn't seem to mind practising them on me though ! ;)
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Colin thats so strange because thats not exactly how I remember the abbreviations conversation we had ;) I remember it was all you, you, you :-X now go and get that soap boyo ;D
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I'm resisting all temptation to use some of Gilly's abbreviations on herself here !
OK then........GSASYSM ! :o