# training a lurcher recall



## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

heya, im totaly new at this so please bare with me.

i have a lurcher bitch who has just turned 1. i got her when she was 16 weeks old and she had been badly mistreated. (hit with the lead kicked ect) i have managed to deal with most of her problems although she still wont go near men even if she knows them.
i used to be able to have her of the lead and she would come back each time i called her however when she turned 6 months, she stopped listening to me when outside she will run of when of the lead sometimes she will come back when called first time however most of the time its only when she wants to. she is also obsessed with other dogs and will run of after them, not good as most in my area are not friendly. 
iv tried the training i used for passed dog however when outside she wont take treats and is really intrested in toys. 
i have been told by trainers i have contacted that because she has a very very high chase drive there is nothing i can do. i dont want to keep her on the lead all the time.

any one have any tips? 
she is perfect in the house and can sit, stay, down, no ect.


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## tillymax (Jun 27, 2011)

those dog trainers are total IDIOTS I have owned two lurchers, Jess returned to whistle everytime even when chasing prey (she was a colliexgreyhound). My current lurcher, due to having bull bred in to her to increase the prey drive even more which therefore means she does what is called "hunting on" when after prey which means she won't recall until prey has gone but every other time it just takes a couple of whistles and she comes straight back to heal (she is two by the way). Neither of my lurchers have been treat orientated or will even take treats alot of the time. If this was a working lurcher I would tie it to one that does as it is told and will give it a telling off when the pup gets "too intense". If you are ever are in north yorkshire you are more than welcome to tether your pup to my tilly. How is your pup bred?


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

i guessed the trainers were idiots lol an i am looking around for another one. 
a friend who used to work and breed lurchers said she would make a brill working dog but im not sure if that would make it wors.
she will take treats in the house but not outside.
as for how she is bred i have no idea. lol


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## tillymax (Jun 27, 2011)

No it shouldnt make it worse, yes she will look for sents, but it should surpress her preydrive (although there is ways round this without having to work her if you do not wish to) maybe a bit of ferreting, although it isn't for everyone.

How is she bred?


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## tillymax (Jun 27, 2011)

oh wait,I see your small pic, is she a collie (or kelpie)xgrey, although that is a small pic so I cant be sure


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

This might be a long shot, but a toy that she likes, tied to the end of a long line, so you can throw it, and keep it *live* if that makes sense? They're bred to use their sight and hone in on movement, so a game like that might help increase recall consistency?? I'm thinking a bit like the way people with raptors train their birds to fly in and try to grapple the food, but a dog equivalent method ......


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

im not 100% on which was her dad and which was her mom however she is a mix of lab collie greyhound whippit and pharoah hound.

there is a pic of her on here, under lurcher pics.
not sure how to get it on the repley sorry


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## flyballcrazy (Oct 6, 2010)

This is a very interesting article about chasing and recall

How do I stop my dog chasing? - David Ryan CCAB

I have a greyhound and a lurcher who both have good recalls and love to chase a ball. I can also call my greyhound of a rabbit by the method above

I have found that sighthounds need different training methods to other breeds, more understanding and more praise if that makes sense.


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## DB Archie (Feb 9, 2013)

Hi I know it's a long while since you posted this; I have a 6 month old lurcher, rescue dog, good nature but grew up on a farm and know dogs need to work. However know nothing about training a lurcher but really want to maximise his potential. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Owned By A Yellow Lab (May 16, 2012)

My Lab has a very high chase drive and recall has been a real struggle. However he's much better now though it's taken a lot of hard work. 

Alas every time your dog ignores the recall command, it is getting to 'rehearse' the behaviour. So it may be an idea to change the recall command and from now on, EVERY single time it gets ignored, you calmly put your dog back on the lead. Your dog has to learn that:

obeying recall = freedom

disobeying recall = gets put back on lead


Here are some tips which helped me:



1 - get a Giant Flexi, or a Flexi Maxi, all tape. Keep your dog on that - the whole time, for the next week or so. Practise recalls on this and not off lead. If you really dislike Flexis, then use just a standard lead but if possible a 6 ft one. Or a long line if you can manage one.


2 - this tip came from SMOKEY BEAR when I asked for advice on PF, in sheer desperation. She told me to portion Dex's food and treats into small bags and then ONLY feed and ONLY give treats when he recalled on cue. Sounds drastic but with some dogs I think it's necessary. 


3 - what really 'clicked' for Dex was when I turned recall into a game. Prior to that, no amount of excited shrieking, or leaping up and down on my part, made a jot of difference. (other than to the enjoyment level of fellow dog owners who derived great mirth from my antics)

Once I made recall a bit of a game through, it made a huge difference. I started holding up a treat (when Dex did manage to recall) and then yell 'FIND!' and then I hurled the treat as far as I could. Dex seemed to love this right from the start and we still do it most days at the park.

Or you can try hiding a treat in a closed fist, then bringing both closed fists from behind your back and telling your dog again 'FIND'. When your dog glances at one fist, bring your fist towards him slowly so that you just touch his nose to your fist - before opening the fist and then the other one. And of course your dog gets the treat whether they guess it or not Gradually you'll find your dog touches the fist he wants to 'choose' with his nose.


4 - you could stop training recall and instead focus on a 'STOP' or 'WAIT'. This can be easier for some dogs - as they can still *watch* the other dogs, they just don't have to also return to you. If part of the reluctance to recall is because your dog feels uneasy turning her back on other dogs, then 'stop' or 'wait' might work better for you.


5 - when you again let your dog off lead, and if he doesn't recall on cue, immediately go over and put imr back on lead. And don't speak. Do this calmly but in total silence. Keep silent for a few minutes as you walk him away from the other dogs.

6 - when you recall him, start praising THE SECOND he turns and looks at you. Do not wait until he reaches you.


There are still times and places when I keep Dex on a lead - e.g. if we go to a new park, where we haven't practised recall. I think for some of us, achieving a perfect recall may not be realistic, 100% of the time in 100% of situations. But if you can get the recall up to 90%, as I'd say I have, you'll probably feel far more relaxed


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