# Long Lead Training and Recall



## r_neupert (Jun 22, 2009)

Hi There,

After chewing through our not so cheap retractable lead, i've opted for a 10m long lead, in effort to let Indy get her freedom, without worrying if she's going to head for the hills.

So firstly, in my excitement, i threw a ball, my rather large and strong dog obviously went guns blazing to get it, my lovely new lead wrapped around my ankle, flipping me and then dragging me across the field... :cursing: hah, sounds funny right, but i have to see a doctor this evening as i've now lost most the skin from my foot! (i can post a photo if you like :devil

Anyway, gross stories aside, anyone use these types of leads for training? My aim is to get our cloth eared dog to recall, and keep within a reasonable distance from me. But i'm tripping over metres of lead with no clue.... good intentions but no clue!!


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## alphadog (Jan 29, 2009)

OUCH! That sounds dreadful, although I do confess to laughing at your description before you mentioned the injury :blushing:

You can buy horse lunge leads that are 30" long and cost about a fiver. If your dog is very ball focussed you could take her out on a normal lead, then swap to the lunge line, BUT, let go of the other end and stand clear!! Throw the ball short distances for the first few times so that the lead is still within reaching distance, just in case. When she comes back to your recall command, make a huge fuss, praise, treats, clicks etc. Over the days you can start to increase her freedom knowing that the long line is catchable even if she isn't

(if she darts into undergrowth of woodland, the lead will get tangled, so be sure you're close by to avoid an injury to her, it's bad enough that you've been injured!)


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## r_neupert (Jun 22, 2009)

Yeah, i was trying to be a smartarse... throught the ball over my head backwards to confuse her, i wasn't attached to the lead (at the time!!) however i soon was...

On a seperate note, my damaged foot is now creating an orange squash-like liquid... let this be a lesson to everyone!! (Roll on the docs appointment i say)

I like to take the trial by error training technique, plenty of errors made! However i will now head to the field and try your advice, well at least the docs appointment is booked should i make any more training errors :smilewinkgrin:


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## Malibugirl (Jun 15, 2009)

I had to say I did laugh when I read this, purely because I have just started training my pup Lolly to recall on a 30m long lead and did exactly the same as you on Tuesday!!! (Only I haven't got the injury)! The long lead is an excellent way to give the dog a bit of freedom, but it is a bit infuriating when it gets caught up. The other problem I found with it is that when selfish pet owners dont pick up after their dogs, you can find the lead covered in excrament by the end of the walk :cursing:


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## r_neupert (Jun 22, 2009)

Just went out and played again on it - it does get tangled all round the dog!! Did forget the treats though, don't think mums love has quite the same pull as food it seems


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2009)

:lol::lol::lol: The joys of dog training


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## r_neupert (Jun 22, 2009)

In the past 2 weeks i have spent:

£7.10 on prescriptions for myself because of my dog
£89.20 on prescriptions for my dog, as she thinks carpet is good to eat (could've been a heck of a lot more may i add had she not have naturally got rid of the carpet)
£20 on replacing the lead she just ate
£? to be spent to get my house recarpeted

Roll on the joys of what this week will bring i say!!


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Oh dear, you're not having a good start!
Have you got an enclosed area you could take her to practice recall?

We fostered a collie who would tangle herself up in the longline and (im sure it was on purpose) tangle it round us to trip us up!

In the end what I did was tie a washing line to the end of the longline, and tie that to a bench, she had a harness on so if she ran too far (she never did tho) it wouldn't hurt her neck.

I would sit on the bench or stay kinda near it and get her to come to me. I did still have to be careful she didnt go round me!

Much better than the staff x I tried to train, who whenever he was on a long lead, just ran as far as it would reach, then run round whoever was holding it in circles for ages!

x


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

Hi...I posted an earlier threat about recall training and after listening to the advice and my sisters( she is a dog trainer) ..I just bit the bullet and took my 14 week old lab to a big field and let her off........ I had spent the day at home practicing recall...I would be in one room and she would be in another and I would call her with the command " Jet come " and she would then get a treat....worked brill at home. I was so worried about letting her off the lead as when she is on the lead she wants to get everything...but off the lead she is brill...keeps close and wont let me out of her sight...completely different to what I thought she would be. I keep calling her every so often and reward her so she gets the idea and so far its going well. I was advised to do it the ealier the better as the younger they are the more they want to stay close etc and now I totally agree. I did try recalling with a long lead but never worked. Maybe try it at home with you in one room etc and then when your dog gets the idea progress to a safe field... 


not sure if this helps xxxx


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## r_neupert (Jun 22, 2009)

When she was 3-5 months she was off the lead no problem.... she's got WAY too confident since then though and we can't trust her...

Hey posiongirl your dog looks a lot like mine!!


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## dohaspecial (Jun 2, 2009)

im fortunate enough to have a very large beach and open areas around me, otherwise known as the desert! but i too have recently take the plunge and let Deefer loose whislt praying to all available gods that he wouldnt bolt.

However he knows what side his bread is buttered and once he got too far from me for his own liking he soon came bounding back and is starting to respond positively to his name and a quick whistle. apart from one small incident involving a washed up, half eaten carcass of a baracuda which he took a particular liking to! despite a full de-contaminating shower on arrival back at home his nose still smells decidedly fishy!!!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

r_neupert said:


> ............. I like to take the trial by error training technique, plenty of errors made! However i will now head to the field and try your advice, well at least the docs appointment is booked should i make any more training errors :smilewinkgrin:


I love that, I don't think I know anyone who doesn't take this approach, I certainly have made some priceless 'errors', and my advice to other people is usually based on my own experiences, but at least I learn from them and hopefully am not quite as bad at handling as I was a few years ago 

What sort of dog have you got? It looks like a JRT in your pic, although I haven't woken up properly yet, so could be anything until I've had enough sugary tea :smilewinkgrin:


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

I feel for you! lol I know exactly how it feels, I used to get in such a mess with the long line, and it was winter back then too so the lead would be all soggy and even more painful to try and grab. Zach is so bouncy, it just didn't work taking him out with other dogs, I would just get stressed and we'd end up back at home!

I found the long line useful in an empty field, but I couldn't use it properly when there were distractions (which is the time you need it for effective training...). Most people advise not to let them off until their recall is 100% and I can totally see the sense in that, but for us it just didn't work. We put him on the long line in an empty field in the end, and instead of treats, we got these squeaky balls from the pet shop (I think they are Kong brand), and Zach went loopy for them. I guess its just a case of finding out what gets your dog going lol. For him, he couldn't care less about treats when other playmates were around. But the squeak of the ball he couldn't resist.

So after keeping the same command of Squeak then "Zach, come" we knew he would ALWAYS come, and associate the "Zach, come" with it, so after a few months of always having the balls in our pockets until his recall was 99% he now comes to our voice alone. If your dog likes fetch be sure to have two squeaky balls, and he will soon learn that unless he comes all the way back to your feet and sits (and then I suggest grabbing his collar for a second or two) you won't throw the ball. It is also useful for getting him to bring his ball/toy back lol rather than just dropping it anywhere like he used to. We still take the balls out now and then but failing that I still make sure I do have treats in my pockets so he is always being praised for coming back, even if its a bit of kibble.

I think a combination of that, taking him out with dogs that always did come back, and him maturing has helped. It will get easier  good luck!


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## Bobbie (May 3, 2008)

Must admit I couldn't get on with the long lead as my dog use to get his legs tied up in it plus when it gets wet from the long grass then it becomes more trouble than it's worth ( to me )


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

With using a lunge line/long lead, please hold it without making loops around your hand!! If you fold it in lengths of about 1 foot or so and hold these bunched together, then if dog DOES run off you wont get pulled along as you are stuck in it, you can still hold on etc, but you wont get dragged, learnt this from playing with horses for so long, lol!

Roo was superb offlead from about 4months - 8 months, now he just has complete selective hearing. I can long lead him and randomly shout 'sit' and 8/10 times he does, but as soon as the lead is off I'm invisible and he is deaf, food or not etc, I think its a bit of a phase and just intend to keep him onlead most of the time until he is better at it again...


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## r_neupert (Jun 22, 2009)

Indy's a Bull terrier/Old Tyme Bulldog (i just wrote bullgod; that she definately isn't!!) cross.... Maybe if you're squinting about 100m away she'd look like a Jack Russel  I should make a bigger picture really, save your squinting... But anyway, she's rather large, well probably not in comparison to some other dogs.... but she'd 30kg at 10months... she ate all the pies...

I'm going to take the squeeky balls on board (they are currently banned in my house, but if it's outside....!), i look like a mad fool trying to get her attention, i try be very nice and chirpy (as if that'd help!!) but infact i want to rugby tackle the mutt!!!

Long leads are good in theory - like mentioned but only in big spaces! But yep, i am living (just about living) proof of how blinking dangerous they are!! I have been rather over zealously been bandaged up, and have a check up and redressing tomorrow!! Whilst i'm on the topic, i was the third lead incident of the day - one guy got a burn round his butt from another owners dog!!!

Oh to add to my dog expenses - add the collar she just snapped!!


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## brackensmom (Jun 15, 2009)

ahh bless you hope you are feeling better soon from the injury. I also learnt the hard way with an extending lead, never be using one of them again, my dog (choc lab) suddenly saw a rabbit in the field and pulled me over!! bruised legs and hands!! Also hope that you can get the recall mastered soon. take care


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