# Dog has suddenly stopped coming back on recall



## MrsSB (Jan 10, 2011)

Is it something I've done? Ben has been with us about three months and had done really well, learning to come back when called, and even sometimes just coming back when he saw my hand in the "treats pocket", even though he didn't get a treat every time he came back anyway.

Suddenly over the last week or so he has stopped coming back when I've just called him and I have had to resort to really shouting and being very demanding, shouting "Ben, come here now!" before he will even glance in my direction. I really don't want to have to do this and this is taking all of the pleasure out of walking him. What I had come to enjoy, I now really don't like very much at all.

I had also trained him to run after his ball and bring it back, but now he will only do it maybe once and then just runs past the ball and ignores it. In fact, most of the time I'm throwing the ball for me to go and fetch.

I can't think of any specific event that has caused this change in his behaviour and I'm really getting to the end of my tether over it. I'm thinking of just putting him back on the lead and not letting him have any freedom for a good few days to see if we can get back on track. Would that be a good idea? Or can anyone give me any other suggestions please. Thank you.


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

hi, how old is Ben, cos if he is a puppy approaching around 6 months it sounds like he is hitting adolescence and you may need to use a long line or pick the times you let him off lead carefully and go back to basics calling him around the house etc and practising with the long line on and picking very carefully the times you choose to recall him.

Also tactics like hiding or dropping very low, running backwards as though you are leaving can help.

I have a just turned 7 month old that i am having to do the same thing with, but keep your voice calm and dont keep repeating, cos if you get cross or keep repeating they will be more reluctant to come back to a cross person and if you repeat they get away with ignoring your repeatedly.

Hopefully in time it will return if the recall was in there in the first place, so I am told!:lol:

If he is older I would say although the reason is different probably he is now comfortable with you and confident of youll be there when he does return anyway so better when he wants than you. but i would say the tactics should be similar, but I am not an expert by any means!


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## MrsSB (Jan 10, 2011)

Thanks for your reply, Ben is around 2 years old. I would quite happily let him do his own thing, but there are a couple of places in the park where he could get out onto main roads, which seem to hold some sort of fascination for him, so I like to get him back onto the lead for those sections. Unfortunately over the last week, the only way to get him back onto the lead has been to almost scream at him (which I really don't want to have to do). I can't catch him if he gets ahead of me as he's way too fast for me (he's a Collie cross).

We did try walking ahead of him to see if he would just follow last night. Unfortunately (and we don't know if this was by accident or design on his part) he came running after us so quickly that he ran into my legs and I ended up on my backside in the mud . My husband is convinced that if we did just walk away he would follow, but I'm not so sure and wouldn't want to do that when I'm on my own with him. It's really destroying my confidence with him, I'd got to the point where I was quite happy to let him have some freedom, but now I'm scared that something will happen that I'll have no control over as he is so strong willed.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

I think you should try your husband's idea, just to see what happens. If you have been getting excited and, worse still, chasing him, that is now his reward to running off. Much more exciting than any old treat; it is a game. I know it is hard but try leading him farther away from any entrances before you let him off and if he doesn't come back, call him and walk in the other direction. Don't say anything, just keep an eye and see if he has at least stopped to look for you. I would not be going to fetch his ball, either. You may lose his ball, but why should he fetch it back when you are going to do it.

I am not saying it will work, but it is certainly worth a try. Never chase a dog; you won't catch him and you are making it a brand new game.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

If he's a rescue he's now 'feeling his feet' and testing his boundaries.

I think I'd put him on a line for now when you're in the park. Call him once and if he doesn't pay attention then reel him in. Don't shout or call him more than once because otherwise you are teaching him to ignore you. Its the same with the ball; if he drops it then he picks it up. Dogs are experts at training us!!


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## kimdelyse (Sep 6, 2010)

sounds like he is comfortable enough with you and his new surroundings now that he doesn't feel the need to be at your side. puppies go through this at adolsecence, Flo is doing it at the moment 

On top of all the other great advice, consider using a whistle instead of relying solely on your voice. I use an "all purpose silent" dog whistle. Its not silent but its less obtrusive that a normal whistle. If I call Flo half the time he'll either ignore me or give me a look of "ugh god mum, im busy!!" 3 pips on the whistle and he'll come sprinting for his treat. The sound will carry much further and more effectively than your voice.


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## kimdelyse (Sep 6, 2010)

newfiesmum said:


> I think you should try your husband's idea, just to see what happens. If you have been getting excited and, worse still, chasing him, that is now his reward to running off. Much more exciting than any old treat; it is a game. I know it is hard but try leading him farther away from any entrances before you let him off and if he doesn't come back, call him and walk in the other direction. Don't say anything, just keep an eye and see if he has at least stopped to look for you. I would not be going to fetch his ball, either. You may lose his ball, but why should he fetch it back when you are going to do it.
> 
> I am not saying it will work, but it is certainly worth a try. Never chase a dog; you won't catch him and you are making it a brand new game.


haha, all SO true!


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

kimdelyse said:


> sounds like he is comfortable enough with you and his new surroundings now that he doesn't feel the need to be at your side. puppies go through this at adolsecence, Flo is doing it at the moment
> 
> On top of all the other great advice, consider using a whistle instead of relying solely on your voice. I use an "all purpose silent" dog whistle. Its not silent but its less obtrusive that a normal whistle. If I call Flo half the time he'll either ignore me or give me a look of "ugh god mum, im busy!!" 3 pips on the whistle and he'll come sprinting for his treat. The sound will carry much further and more effectively than your voice.


Sorry to go off topic, but tell me more about this whistle, please. I am about to buy one but I have never used one before. So is it high pitched so the dog can hear it, but it doesn't blow everyone else's eardrums?


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## beltabout (Dec 11, 2010)

You are just not as exciting as the park, simple as that and the recall was not spot on before.

First things first go back and re teach the recall, don't do it in the park, the garden will work for now get it spot on. Then take him out somewhere not as distracting as the park and retrain the recall.

When you go back to the park vary your route and practice recalls with him. Don't chatter to him "Ben come here now" Does he know what all of these words mean? When you trained the recall you may have only used "Ben Come"

I teach the recall whistle at the same time, I rarely use the word outside "pip pip pip" and if the dog is looking (can see me) I tap my thighs with both hands. 

When teaching this I use the sit first 
1st - Sit (look at me I am going to give a command) (one long whistle)
2nd - Come (come back to me)(Pip, pip, pip).

When the dog comes back to you give reward this need to be of high enough value for him, fun, have a rough and tumble, tell him how cleaver he is, or an nice juicy bit of liver cake mine love cheese.

Walking off works best with a young dog who is not sure outside so wants you reassurance, as does hiding. You can simulate this by using an new area for training and walking.

Sorry this is a bit rambly but I'm sure you get what I mean.

Nick


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## beltabout (Dec 11, 2010)

newfiesmum said:


> I am about to buy one but I have never used one before. So is it high pitched so the dog can hear it, but it doesn't blow everyone else's eardrums?


I use both the acme silent and the 210 here is a link 
ACME Whistles

ACME Whistles
When you use a whistle you keep it in your mouth or you often miss the opportunity so it needs to be comfortable.

Even the silent one I use so I can hear it just to give me reassurances and to know that the dog is ignoring me and it is not that the whistle is broken.

I train words first then hand signal and whistle together. For obedience I only train the STOP - Which is a sit command, which should mean stop, sit and look at me I am going to give another command and the RECALL, Pip, pip, pip which means come back to me. A hunting dog is also taught a turn whistle (pip, pip) which means you have hunted far enough turn and come back across the other side.

The stop command I use is "Hup" and I hold my are up in front at head height palm up.
http://www.sunstarkennels.co.uk/images/WalterGoodHandSignal.jpg

Recall is "Here" and tapping my thighs with both or one arm.

Hunt is "HILOST" and I wave my hand at waist height in a wave in front of me.

Nick


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## cutekiaro1 (Dec 15, 2009)

it seems you need to make yourself more interesting over the park.

When we were teaching Akira recall we used to go into a secure gated area and when she wasnt paying attention we used to run away from her and say 'bye' if she still didnt want to follow we used to hide behind tree's & bushes.

She would come looking for us and as soon as she found us we would reward her with either a treat or a belly rub.

If you can turn training recall into a big game it will be much more interesting for him and will be something to do rather than being left to his own devices. As he is part collie im sure he would love to hurd you about the park lol

When we are over the park now we still do this with her. OH will go one way and I will go the other and she runs between us trying to herd us together.... when we meet up again she thinks she has done a great job and is very pleased with herself and again she gets rewarded.

You should prob put him on a long line and harness to start off with and use very high value objects like a tennis ball or a high value treat.

With the long line we found that running away (or backwards) got a better response than just trying to call the dog.

Hope you can get it sorted soon x


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## kimdelyse (Sep 6, 2010)

newfiesmum said:


> Sorry to go off topic, but tell me more about this whistle, please. I am about to buy one but I have never used one before. So is it high pitched so the dog can hear it, but it doesn't blow everyone else's eardrums?


looks like someone may have bea me to it but yes you're right. Mine was a cheapy - about £6 from PAH. you are supposed to adjust the pitch (they end screws tighter or looser) but i never bothered. you probably need to glue it in place once you have it how you like it though because it can unscrew and you loose half of it! It is high pitched but not horribley so. It's sound travels really far (i don't know the distance but until i can barely see Flo in the distance!) withour being loud. couldnt be without mine, if he ignores my voice he never ignores the whistle.


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

cutekiaro1 said:


> When we were teaching Akira recall we used to go into a secure gated area and when she wasnt paying attention we used to run away from her and say 'bye' if she still didnt want to follow we used to hide behind tree's & bushes.


I have done similar successfully in woods, where there's cover to get out of sight, it is amazing how hard it is to not have your parting detected by a Collie.

Another recall practice game, is for 1 person to stay and hold the dog, the other to dash off and hide, release dog when he's called and the natural instincts lead to a very keen search, with nose and ears fully engaged. If the does get confused by the ground or previous trails then a call soon fixes the situation. My dogs have all seemed to really enjoy it, and when 2 were together, they like to be in the active seek team rather than hiding.

A different tip, I didn't see in skimming the previous posts was to carry some toys in a backpack, this lets you keep them out of sight, option to reward a recall with play. You can also reserve a favourite tug toy say, for moments where you want really want to distract him, or to avoid a natural dawdling habit develop on way out of the park. The pack helps avoid having the dog focus on a toy that's carried, and I guess the added mystery of what's coming out does no harm at all.


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## Jonesey (Dec 30, 2010)

Don't know if this will work for you, but you could try not calling him at all, just stopping and turning your back on him. If he sniffs around you, but doesn't stop keep turning your back to him on the spot. We try to get a little off lead time at night or early morning with ours, either at the school yard if I'm by myself or the park if OH is with me. We whistle or call while she's running round and she'll zoom past or check in for a treat, but when it's time to go back on the lead I/we refuse to move or look at her. Usually within a minute or so she'll come and sit in front of us. Gets a treat and the lead goes back on. I do the same if she's pulling on the lead, just stop and turn my back till she comes and sits in front of me. Like I said I don't know if it would work for you, but it's worth a try. I'm still learning all this stuff.


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