# Help! My puppy is dog obsessed and Recall problem



## 7Eleven (Aug 13, 2013)

Hi,
She is 7 month old golden retriever. She is too friendly, so she want to greet every person and every dog. She is very dog obsessed, she wants to play with every dog. We have made some progress on meeting the other dog when she is on leash. However the off leash recall is a nightmare. 

She is very good at recall until she sees another dog. So we put her on the long leash to restart the recall training. Maybe she is too smart. Now she is perfectly behaved when on long leash ( not even run to the other dog). After a few minutes, when the other dog gone ( we can not even see that dog), we took her off the long leash. She just run off to find that dog.:yikes: this happened several times now. Please help us, what should we do? If I just keep her on the long leash, will she grow out of this? I do not want to keep her on the long leash forever.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

7Eleven said:


> Hi,
> She is 7 month old golden retriever. She is too friendly, so she want to greet every person and every dog. She is very dog obsessed, she wants to play with every dog. We have made some progress on meeting the other dog when she is on leash. However the off leash recall is a nightmare.
> 
> She is very good at recall until she sees another dog. So we put her on the long leash to restart the recall training. Maybe she is too smart. Now she is perfectly behaved when on long leash ( not even run to the other dog). After a few minutes, when the other dog gone ( we can not even see that dog), we took her off the long leash. She just run off to find that dog.:yikes: this happened several times now. Please help us, what should we do? If I just keep her on the long leash, will she grow out of this? I do not want to keep her on the long leash forever.


Dogs do not grow out of things, they grow INTO them, especially if, as in your case, they are allowed to repeatedly rehearse inappropirate behaviour and get reinforced for it.

There is no such thing as a dog that is "too friendly" only one that is not under sufficient control.

To progress you must stop thinking that her behaviour is due to some personality trait and focus on your training. You are not currently training, you are TESTING, and the dog is failing.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

*Why can't I get a reliable recall?*

'Come' is no harder to train than any other behaviour but in real life it has a huge number of criteria that have to be raised one at a time in order to guarantee success.

Often when puppies are brought home to their new owners this is the first time they have ever been separated from their dam and siblings and so they naturally attach themselves to their new family by following them about everywhere. Owners find this quite attractive and wrongly assume that this trait will continue into adolescence/adulthood, whatever the circumstances. A dangerous trap to fall into…

At some point in time, usually from around 6 - 10 months, depending on the individual, "Velcro" dog will morph into "Bog off" dog (this is especially true of a breed that has been developed to exhibit a high degree of initiative). This is the time when owners suddenly realize that their dog will not recall when it sees another dog/person etc. Not only is this inconvenient but potentially dangerous as the dog could be at risk of injury from a car/train/another dog etc.

*How and when do I start* *with a puppy?*

My advice is to prepare for this inevitability from the day you take your puppy home. If you are lucky the breeder will have started this process whilst still in the nest by conditioning the puppies to a whistle blown immediately before putting the food bowl down during weaning.

Dogs learn by cause and effect ie sound of whistle = food. If you, the new owner, continue this from the moment your puppy arrives you will lay down strong foundations for the future.

By using the whistle in association with meals/food you need to establish the following criteria:

• Come from across the room. 
• Come from out of sight 
• Come no matter who calls
• Come even if you are busy doing something else
• Come even if you are asleep. 
• Come even if you are playing with something/someone else
• Come even if you are eating

Once this goal has been realized in the house, drop all the criteria to zero and establish the same measures, one at a time, in the garden.

Once this goal has been realized in the garden, drop all the criteria to zero and establish the same measures, one at a time, in the park/field etc.

To train this, or any other behaviour:

1. Make it easy for the dog to get it right
2. Provide sufficient reward

Do not expect a dog to come away from distractions in the park until you have trained it to come to you in the park when no diversions are around. Be realistic and manage your expectations; your sphere of influence/control over your dog may be only 20m to begin with, therefore do not hazard a guess that the dog, at this level of training, will successfully recall from 50m or more away. Distance, like every other criterion, must be built up over time.

Some simple rules to follow when training the recall:

• Whistle/signal/call only once (why train the dog to deliberately ignore your first command?)
• Do not reinforce slow responses for the dog coming eventually after it has cocked its leg, sniffed the tree etc (you get what you train!)
• If you know that the dog will not come back to you in a certain situation, go and get him rather than risk teaching him that he can ignore you. (If you have followed the programme correctly you will never put your dog in a position to fail).
• Practise recalling the dog, putting him on the lead for a few seconds, reinforce with food/toy etc and immediately release the dog. Do this several times during a walk etc so that the dog does not associate a recall with going on the lead and ending the walk or being put on the lead with the cessation of fun.
• Eventually, when the behaviour is very strong, alternate rewards ie verbal praise, physical praise, food, toy and also vary the "value" of the rewards, sometimes a plain piece of biscuit, sometimes a piece of cooked liver etc so that you become a walking slot machine (and we all know how addictive gambling can be)!

In my experience recall training should be consistent and relentless for the first two years of a dog's life before it can be considered truly dependable. You should look on it as a series of incremental steps, rather than a single simple behaviour, and something that will require lifelong maintenance.

*What about an older or rescue dog?*

Follow the same programme as outlined above however for recalcitrant dogs that have received little or no training, I would recommend dispensing with the food bowl and feeding a dog only during recalls to establish a strong behaviour quickly.

Your training should be over several sessions a day, which means you can avoid the risk of bloat. It is essential that the dog learns that there will be consequences for failure as well as success.

Divide the day's food ration up into small bags (between10 - 30), if the dog recalls first time, it gets food, if it does not, you can make a big show of saying "too bad" and disposing of that portion of food (either throw it away or put aside for the next day).

Again, raise the criteria slowly as outlined in puppy training.

Hunger is very motivating!

For those of you who believe it unfair/unhealthy to deprive a dog of its full daily ration, not having a reliable recall is potentially life threatening for the dog ……………

*How do I stop my dog chasing joggers/cyclists/skateboarders/rabbits*/*deer*?

Chasing something that is moving is a management issue. Do not put your dog in a position where it can make a mistake. Again you need to start training from a pup but if you have already allowed your dog to learn and practise this behaviour you may need to rely on a trailing line until your dog is desensitised to these distractions and knows that listening to you results in a great reinforcement. Chasing is a behaviour much better never learned as it is naturally reinforcing to the dog, which makes it hard for you to offer a better reinforcement. If you want to have a bombproof recall while your dog is running away from you then use the following approach:

Your goal is to train so that your dog is totally used to running away from you at top speed, and then turning on a sixpence to run toward you when you give the recall cue.

You need to set up the training situation so that you have total control over the triggers. For this you will need to gain the co-operation of a helper. If you have a toy crazy dog you can practice this exercise by throwing a toy away from the dog towards someone standing 30 or 40 feet away. At the instant the toy is thrown, recall your dog! If the dog turns toward you, back up several steps quickly, creating even more distance between the you and the toy and then throw another toy in the opposite direction (same value as one thrown)..

If the dog ignores you and continues toward the thrown object, your "helper" simply picks the ball up and ignores dog. When dog eventually returns (which it will because it's getting no reinforcement from anyone or anything), praise only. Pretty soon the dog will start to respond to a recall off a thrown toy. You will need to mix in occasions the toy is thrown and the dog is allowed to get it ie you do NOT recall if you want to make sure it does not lose enthusiasm for retrieving.

For the food obsessed dog, you can get your helper to wave a food bowl with something the dog loves in it and then recall the dog as soon as you let it go to run towards the food; again if the dog ignores you and continues to the food, your helper simply ensures the dog cannot access the food and start again. (It is extremely important that the helper does not use your dog's name to call it for obvious reasons).

Gradually increase the difficulty of the recall by letting the dog get closer and closer to the toy/food. Praise the moment the dog turns away from the toy/food in the early stages of training. Don't wait until the dog returns to you; the dog must have instant feedback.

Once the dog is fluent at switching directions in the middle of a chase, try setting up the situation so that it is more like real life. Have someone ride a bike/run/skate past. (It is unrealistic to factor in deer/rabbits however if your training is thorough the dog will eventually be conditioned to return to you whatever the temptation in most contexts).

Until your training gets to this level, don't let the dog off-lead in a situation in which you don't have control over the chase triggers. Don't set the dog up to fail, and don't allow it to rehearse the problem behaviour. Remember, every time a dog is able to practise an undesirable behaviour it will get better at it!

Most people do not play with toys correctly and therefore the dog is not interested in them or, if it gets them, fails to bring it back to the owner.

Play the two ball game, once you have a dog ball crazy. Have two balls the same, throw one to the left, when the dog gets it, call him like crazy waving the next ball; as he comes back throw the other ball to the right and keep going left right so that YOU are the centre of the game and the dog gets conditioned to return to you for the toy. Once this behaviour is established you can then introduce the cues for out and then make control part of the game ie the game is contingent on the dog sitting and then progress to a sequence of behaviours.


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## cbrookman (Jun 12, 2011)

7Eleven said:


> Hi,
> She is 7 month old golden retriever. She is too friendly, so she want to greet every person and every dog. She is very dog obsessed, she wants to play with every dog. We have made some progress on meeting the other dog when she is on leash. However the off leash recall is a nightmare.
> 
> She is very good at recall until she sees another dog. So we put her on the long leash to restart the recall training. Maybe she is too smart. Now she is perfectly behaved when on long leash ( not even run to the other dog). After a few minutes, when the other dog gone ( we can not even see that dog), we took her off the long leash. She just run off to find that dog.:yikes: this happened several times now. Please help us, what should we do? If I just keep her on the long leash, will she grow out of this? I do not want to keep her on the long leash forever.


There is a similar post running by Acer (Tearaway in garden) about his/her 3 year old Golden retriever. I have read that thread as I also have a 3 year old Golden Retriever male that sounds just like your's and Acer's. Yes I would describe my dog as 'too friendly' as other Golden owners may be able to relate to. Their friendliness brings its own problems. Acer seems to have done extensive training with his/her dog and still is having problems. I have posted on PF before and been shot down saying my training is inadequate yet have followed advice to the letter. Perhaps people who feel the need to shoot people down who come on here seeking advice should just say they have little or no experience of the breed's traits before suggesting one size fits all solutions that they trot out on a regular basis.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

cbrookman said:


> There is a similar post running by Acer (Tearaway in garden) about his/her 3 year old Golden retriever. I have read that thread as I also have a 3 year old Golden Retriever male that sounds just like your's and Acer's. Yes I would describe my dog as 'too friendly' as other Golden owners may be able to relate to. Their friendliness brings its own problems. Acer seems to have done extensive training with his/her dog and still is having problems. I have posted on PF before and been shot down saying my training is inadequate yet have followed advice to the letter. Perhaps people who feel the need to shoot people down who come on here seeking advice should just say they have little or no experience of the breed's traits before suggesting one size fits all solutions that they trot out on a regular basis.


Golden Retrievers are one of the easiest breeds to train.

Even blind people can control them.
So can those who are in wheelchairs.

And guess what, they are trained not to solicit attention from other dogs or people when they are working as assistance dogs.

Perhaps people who are seeking advice should not assume that others do not have extensive experience with the breed, the sub group and gundogs in general before they poo poo advice that does not fit into THEIR version of why their dogs behave as they do.


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## 7Eleven (Aug 13, 2013)

smokeybear said:


> Dogs do not grow out of things, they grow INTO them, especially if, as in your case, they are allowed to repeatedly rehearse inappropirate behaviour and get reinforced for it.
> 
> There is no such thing as a dog that is "too friendly" only one that is not under sufficient control.
> 
> To progress you must stop thinking that her behaviour is due to some personality trait and focus on your training. You are not currently training, you are TESTING, and the dog is failing.


Thanks for ur advice. Now I realize that I took the step too far too soon. I will work on this slowly


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## 7Eleven (Aug 13, 2013)

cbrookman said:


> There is a similar post running by Acer (Tearaway in garden) about his/her 3 year old Golden retriever. I have read that thread as I also have a 3 year old Golden Retriever male that sounds just like your's and Acer's. Yes I would describe my dog as 'too friendly' as other Golden owners may be able to relate to. Their friendliness brings its own problems. Acer seems to have done extensive training with his/her dog and still is having problems. I have posted on PF before and been shot down saying my training is inadequate yet have followed advice to the letter. Perhaps people who feel the need to shoot people down who come on here seeking advice should just say they have little or no experience of the breed's traits before suggesting one size fits all solutions that they trot out on a regular basis.


Good to know that we are not alone. I am still trying to figure out what is in her mindShe is so into saying hi to other dogs. Once she sniff the other dog, I can recall her without any problem, even when they are playing She is just so desperate to sniff that butt


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## cbrookman (Jun 12, 2011)

7Eleven said:


> Good to know that we are not alone. I am still trying to figure out what is in her mindShe is so into saying hi to other dogs. Once she sniff the other dog, I can recall her without any problem, even when they are playing She is just so desperate to sniff that butt


Same with mine, he just likes to check them out and then comes straight back.


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## Riff Raff (Feb 12, 2013)

It is easy to be dismissive when talking about recalls, because MOST people that complain about lack of recall really just haven't put in the work, and / or are failing to manage the dog effectively. 

However, we shouldn't lump, because there are some dogs who are so socially motivated to interact with other dogs that it is a really much more difficult task to train in sufficient impulse control than with most dogs. Lets not forget that some very nice goldies and labs flunk the guide dog program, or do not make the grade as service dogs, for a variety of reasons. There are some good owners who have done a lot of work on recalls but are still struggling in certain situations.

One of my three dogs was at least 5 x the work of the other two when it comes to recalls away from other dogs. In fact, I would put recalling him away from other dogs in the same degree of difficulty as recalling my other two very highly prey driven dogs off a bunny chase. There is nothing on earth that will trump the opportunity to meet other dogs for him, so that was the first challenge. He was easy to keep away from another dog if I spotted it before he committed to meeting it, or after he had had a sniff, but to call him off when he had made the decision to approach and I didn't want him to was very difficult. This dog is now an old man of 12 and still not as easy as the other two. 

There are some things I think were key. I think these types of dogs do well in group training, and benefit from being around other dogs but having to learn to ignore them and focus on handler. Training probably needs to continue well past adolescence. Be selective about which dogs you allow your dog to greet so that you don't set up an expectation that he will be allowed to interact with any dog he sees. I recommend asking for a polite behaviour on cue (eg eye contact, hand target or a sit) before I released him to 'go say hi' when it is appropriate off lead to do so. Find some likeminded people and organise a number of play / training dates. Not only does this give your social dog a legitimate outlet for play, thus lowering his frustration level, but it also gives you an opportunity to limit play to a certain area where you can gain control easier (tennis courts are useful), have dogs drag longlines etc initially if necessary. Practice (by agreement with other owners) recalling all the dogs, asking for a calm sit or other behaviour on cue, then releasing the go back to interacting with the other dog as the reward. Because highly social dogs want nothing more than access to the other dogs, then this is what you need to use to train them to recall. Recall no longer ends their fun, but rather it enables the fun to re-start as soon as possible. This works best initially if you use an older well trained dog who WILL recall, thus lowering the distraction level when you call your own dog.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Can I ask what you do with your dog? How do you interact with her on a walk? Lots of people let their dogs off and just expect them to potter close by and never do anything with them. A lot of dogs are managed better if you learn how to interact with them. I always have something to throw for my dogs, and I don't just walk them, but walk and train them every single time.


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## 7Eleven (Aug 13, 2013)

Sleeping_Lion said:


> Can I ask what you do with your dog? How do you interact with her on a walk? Lots of people let their dogs off and just expect them to potter close by and never do anything with them. A lot of dogs are managed better if you learn how to interact with them. I always have something to throw for my dogs, and I don't just walk them, but walk and train them every single time.


I do a bit sit, down, heel etc.. Throw the ball ( she is not very into this fetch game, so we do not do it much now), play tug (this is her favourite game so far), pick a odd wood stick to let her chew ( she likes it if it is the stick she prefers) , occasionally hide from her. And the recall training as well. So 'come' to get a treat, tug play, odd stick etc. All the things are good until she sees the other dog. Sometimes, I feel sad, it seems I am in the second in her heart, the other dog is always more important. I guess she will follow the other dog home if I do not call her back..T_T

Now she gets the idea of long leash, she will not run to the other dog if she is on long leash. Once off the long leash, she will run to the other dog.

Please c my new 'idea' below, please let me know if this is practical?

I will keep her on short leash at the beginning. When we see another dog, my husband will go and follow that dog ( keep decent distance of course). Then I will let her off leash, she will run to the other dog for sure. Then my husband will grab her before she reach the dog. Once she is not focus on the dog, I will call her 'Come' , then yammy treat, big fuss etc. Then my husband talk to the dog's owner, if he/she allows, I will let her off leash again and 'OK, go play'

This can be a quite funny picture. I guess I need a Ninja husband


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## Riff Raff (Feb 12, 2013)

I suspect your dog would simply learn to avoid capture by hubby after a few repetitions of this game. It really helps to have a controlled set up with other dogs who are part of the training plan initially, to help your dog learn to succeed.


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## 7Eleven (Aug 13, 2013)

Riff Raff said:


> It is easy to be dismissive when talking about recalls, because MOST people that complain about lack of recall really just haven't put in the work, and / or are failing to manage the dog effectively.
> 
> However, we shouldn't lump, because there are some dogs who are so socially motivated to interact with other dogs that it is a really much more difficult task to train in sufficient impulse control than with most dogs. Lets not forget that some very nice goldies and labs flunk the guide dog program, or do not make the grade as service dogs, for a variety of reasons. There are some good owners who have done a lot of work on recalls but are still struggling in certain situations.
> 
> ...


My dog is exactly the same as your dog. If I spot the other dog before she does, or if she sniffed the other dog, recall is not a problem. I can recall her from toy chasing, recall her from food without problem. I think this is because toy or food are not her really driven. I can see the eager and spark in her eyes if she spots another dog. Different dog has different drive. I think dogs are driven by other dogs or the rabbits will be more difficult to train recall. Not because they are more active or stubborn etc.. Simply because we are difficult to control their reward. 

Thanks very much for the advice. I will definitely to go more group walk with her. It seems a dog trainer with a well behaved dog may be helpful when we practice this training.


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## Riff Raff (Feb 12, 2013)

7Eleven said:


> Thanks very much for the advice. I will definitely to go more group walk with her. It seems a dog trainer with a well behaved dog may be helpful when we practice this training.


Yes, that would be very useful. You can also, if you have a range of dogs to choose from, start with a dog-tolerant but non playful (ie boring) dog to call away from, and gradually increase difficulty until you can call away from fun play pals.

Starting in a smaller confined area such as a fenced garden or tennis court will also help, aiming eventually to build up to a big open field or park.


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## cbrookman (Jun 12, 2011)

Riff Raff said:


> It is easy to be dismissive when talking about recalls, because MOST people that complain about lack of recall really just haven't put in the work, and / or are failing to manage the dog effectively.
> 
> *However, we shouldn't lump, because there are some dogs who are so socially motivated to interact with other dogs that it is a really much more difficult task to train in sufficient impulse control than with most dogs. Lets not forget that some very nice goldies and labs flunk the guide dog program, or do not make the grade as service dogs, for a variety of reasons. There are some good owners who have done a lot of work on recalls but are still struggling in certain situations.*
> 
> ...


Couldn't agree more and motivation to socially interact with other dogs may also be known friendliness


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

The way I trained recall with my golden retrievers is to let them off lead and give them a few mins, call them back, give a treat, then let them go again. 
I don't call their name about 20 times, after a couple of times if they're not listening and they're in a safe environment like in the field, I wait a few mins, then call the dog again. If they're still not listening, I just go and collect the dog put it back on the lead to get it walking, then let it off again and do a basic reinforcement like this video
Obedient dogs in library park 1 July.mpg - YouTube
Just ignore the clever down bit, you don't need to do that yet!


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

Could you join a local good dog training club, your dog will learn lots of social skills there, plus recall and much more


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Or you could go to a specialist workship with one of the top trainers and behaviourists in the world and eplain how you have "unique" issues. 

There are also some other very good resources here, one book has been written by a gundog specialist. 

*Courses*

How to Change Predatory Chase Behaviour in Dogs with David Ryan

Saturday 5th April 2014
Wheelgates Canine Behaviour and Training
Buxted Park Cricket Club
East Sussex
TN22 4AY.
https://www.facebook.com/Wheelgates?fref=ts

Saturday 5th July 2014
DOGS TRUST 
Roden Farm Lane
Telford
TF6 6BP
9.30am - 4.00pm
£50.00: which includes lunch
David Ryan

4 Day Ultimate Recall Course with John Rogerson

Date: 27 - 30 April 2014
Venue: Devon
Contact: Pauline Wise at [email protected]

Date: 24 - 27 May 2014
Venue: Birmingham
Contact Dawn Cox at [email protected]

Date: 3 - 6 July 2014
Venue: Wales

Contact Gail Gwesyn Price on Tel. 01686 688920 or [email protected]

.
*Books*

Line Training for Dogs
By Monika Gutman

Chase! Managing Your Dog's Predatory Instincts 
By Clarissa Von Reinhardt

Stop! How to control predatory Chasing in Dogs
by David Ryan

Teach your Dog to Come When Called
By Erica Peachey

Teach your Dog to Come when Called
By Katie Buvala

Training your Dog to Come When Called
By John Rogerson

The Dog Vinci Code
By John Rogerson

Total Recall
By Pippa Mattinson

*DVDs*

Line Training for Dogs
By Monika Gutman

Really Reliable Recall 
By Leslie Nelson

Training the Recall
By Michael Ellis

Your clever dog: Getting your dog to come when called 
By Sarah Whitehead

Does your dog whizz back to you as soon as you call his name?

Can you call him to you even when there are other dogs or distractions? Teaching your dog to come to you when you call is the cornerstone of training and the gateway to allowing him more freedom in the park.

If your dog has selective deafness, ignores you in the garden or the park, or would rather play with other dogs than come when you call, this specially designed training session is for you.

Ideal for starting out with puppies or rehomed dogs, and also for dogs that ignore you or are slow to come when called, despite previous training.

Including:
• How to know what's rewarding for your dog and what's not
• Five times when you shouldn't call your dog!
• Using your voice to call versus using a whistle
• What to do if you call and your dog doesn't come to you
The pack contains: A clicker, long line (worth £10), training manual, instructional DVD: 55 mins approx running time including Bonus trick, Bonus Training Session, Intro to Clicker Training, Q & A with Sarah

Dogtrain.co.uk

*Website articles:*

How to use a long line properly here (under information to download)

www.dogspsyche.co.uk

http://www.apdt.co.uk/content/files/training-tips/RECALL.pdf

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/reliable_recall.pdf

Deposits into the Perfect Recall Account

List of Reinforcers

http://www.clickerdogs.com/distracti...yourrecall.htm

http://susangarrettdogagility.com/20...call-collapse/

How to Create a Motivating Toy

http://www.cleverdogcompany.com/tl_f...e recall.pdf

Teaching Come | Ahimsa Dog Blog

http://www.dog-secrets.co.uk/how-do-...y-dog-chasing/

Train a

http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/te..._to_you_on_cue

http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/be...me-when-called

The First Steps to Teaching a Reliable Recall: Kathy Sdao - Bright Spot Dog Training

More on the Reliable Recall: Kathy Sdao - Bright Spot Dog Training


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

My young Golden is also very friendly and wants to greet other dogs. Whereas it's a blessing to have such a friendly dog, the dog she might go and greet may not be friendly or want a young bouncy pup all over it. If I am uncertain whether there may be dogs about, then she is on the lead and let off when the coast is clear (making sure I can see things before she does). I'm allowing her to greet other dogs, if permitted, on lead and then encouraging her to come to me and carry on our walk rather then pulling her away. She responds well to treats and particularly well to verbal and physical praise. One advantage I have over you, is she is not inclined to let me out of her sight and if I walk off she will rush after me and not try to leave with the other dog. 
She is like this at home, follows me everywhere including the loo and I cannot creep away if I think she is fast asleep, she pings awake and is after me. Now some say this is a sign of dominance and she is controlling me, but frankly I'm not bothered as I know she won't go far from me when we are out and I prefer that. When she is off lead in the safe place, I don't let her go to far ahead of me, calling her to 'wait'. I'm also introducing a sit to a peep on the whistle. I want to get this so ingrained that it becomes an automatic response whatever she is doing. This is very much a work in progress as her recall is so good to whistle and one peep will bring her to me rather then the sit I want, never mind it will come with practice.
Does your dog want to follow you everywhere or is she not bothered if you leave a room? I'm wondering if this is why she would happily go off with another dog. Have you found a treat she will sell her soul for? Bits of cooked sausage will get Isla away from playing with her litter brother who she adores.
I hope you can find a solution to this, it is lovely having a good natured dog, it it has it's drawbacks as well.


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## Riff Raff (Feb 12, 2013)

smokeybear said:


> Or you could go to a specialist workship with one of the top trainers and behaviourists in the world and eplain how you have "unique" issues.


I am not suggesting that the OP has unique issues, but I am simply pointing out it is easy to be dismissive when someone says their dog is highly socially motivated and it makes training a recall away from other dogs more of a challenge than for most dogs. All dogs are not created equal in this respect.

If someone came on here and said they can't train their husky to recall reliably, nobody would feel the need to patronise or assume they had done no work on the issue.

If someone complained about their high prey drive lurcher not being able to be called away from bunnies, again, there would be no surprise.

My point is simply that for some dogs, calling away from other dogs can be every bit as challenging, and require more work and proofing than the average dog does.


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## 7Eleven (Aug 13, 2013)

Siskin said:


> My young Golden is also very friendly and wants to greet other dogs. Whereas it's a blessing to have such a friendly dog, the dog she might go and greet may not be friendly or want a young bouncy pup all over it. If I am uncertain whether there may be dogs about, then she is on the lead and let off when the coast is clear (making sure I can see things before she does). I'm allowing her to greet other dogs, if permitted, on lead and then encouraging her to come to me and carry on our walk rather then pulling her away. She responds well to treats and particularly well to verbal and physical praise. One advantage I have over you, is she is not inclined to let me out of her sight and if I walk off she will rush after me and not try to leave with the other dog.
> She is like this at home, follows me everywhere including the loo and I cannot creep away if I think she is fast asleep, she pings awake and is after me. Now some say this is a sign of dominance and she is controlling me, but frankly I'm not bothered as I know she won't go far from me when we are out and I prefer that. When she is off lead in the safe place, I don't let her go to far ahead of me, calling her to 'wait'. I'm also introducing a sit to a peep on the whistle. I want to get this so ingrained that it becomes an automatic response whatever she is doing. This is very much a work in progress as her recall is so good to whistle and one peep will bring her to me rather then the sit I want, never mind it will come with practice.
> Does your dog want to follow you everywhere or is she not bothered if you leave a room? I'm wondering if this is why she would happily go off with another dog. Have you found a treat she will sell her soul for? Bits of cooked sausage will get Isla away from playing with her litter brother who she adores.
> I hope you can find a solution to this, it is lovely having a good natured dog, it it has it's drawbacks as well.


At home, she is not following me everywhere. She is totally cool if we leave the house. When we go to a new walking place, she will keep herself quite close to me. If she is familiar with this place, she will go further but still within the sight. I start to change the direction very very frequently now, once she is ahead of me, I go the other direction. It seems worked, she is checking me more often. She is quite into wet cat food and sausage, but still will not sell her soul for that I will keep working on this.

BTW we have the same looking dog.:w00t::w00t:


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

I really empathise. My Lab was so obsessed with greeting other dogs, I really thought I would never get any level of recall. He was on a harness and flexi for quite a while because of this.

I found two things really helped:

1 - turning the recall into a game. As soon as I stopped simply handing him the treat for returning, and instead began hurling it and yelling 'FIND!' something seemed to 'click' and his recall slowly started improving.

2 - I managed to find him two lovely buddies, also young dogs, that we could meet regularly and that he could run around with and play with. Once he had regular play sessions, gradually he became less fixated on trying to get every other dog around to play.

I also found it helpful to praise and treat ANY time he came towards me, wherever we were and EVEN IF I had not asked him to come to me. And try to praise the second your dog turns and looks at you once you've recalled - shout and cheer if it makes it more fun for him


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

7Eleven said:


> BTW we have the same looking dog.:w00t::w00t:
> View attachment 134534


That's amazing, they are so alike


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