Off leash work
Becca and I just got back from a week at my mothers. It was nice because Becca was able to be off leash most of the time. She did a fabulous job with her recall and loved to run. Now that we are home I would like to continue with the off leash work, but it is a little more difficult here. Mom lives on a 3 acre lot surrounded by hundreds of acres of potato fields, nearest neighbor is more than a quarter mile away.
I live in on a corner lot in town. The two streets are quiet, but a main road is only a few house lots away. There is also a neighbor a few houses away with an aggressive chow. It bit my last dog after it pulled the leash out of the owners hand. They are careful to keep it on leash, my incident may have been a fluke. The neighbor who backs my lot has offered to let us train in their yard as well. The two yards are about soccer field size.
So far at home I have been working with Becca trailing her leash or a 20ft trainer. Most of the time she is great. I have been trying to set her up for success If there are any kids out playing she stays on leash. They are too irresistible. One day she did demonstrate just how short 20ft can be. One of the neighbors and their dog was walking by and Becca thought she would go too. They caught her, but it showed me how impulsive she can be. I worry that she would run after the aggressive dog as well.
Any suggestions on how to nail her recall and work on impulsiveness? Now I'm using chicken or another high value treat when we practice. As soon as she knows I have the "good stuff" she sticks so close it is hard to practice the recall.
We start another class tomorrow "Fur Fun", obedience practice with introductions to agility, flyball, and tracking.(same trainer as basic obedience and trick class) There is another class starting in a few weeks, Pet Dog 102, that would pick up where basic obedience left off. I haven't worked with the trainer, but it is positive based and she comes highly recommended. They will overlap by three weeks. Should I do two classes at a time? Fur Fun in on Monday and Pet Dog 102 is Tuesday, both have a 45 min commute.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ludi on
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Nailing a recall is something that requires a lot, and I mean a LOT, of repetitions. To become bomb-proof, a recall needs to be proofed in nearly every possible scenario, many times. Start small, set Becca up for success. You want to make coming to you the best possible thing in the universe.
It sounds like you are doing alright for now. Remember to take a step backwards if she refuses the recall word. As for her "hovering" when you have chicken, try to send her away and out from you with a "go sniff". It's a command I use for Ace to release him from recalls, and is built on the Premack principle. It helped him to understand that coming to me was great, but it didn't mean that OTHER fun activities had to cease. If she doesn't know it yet, try lancing low-level treats (like some of her kibble) out into the grass for her to pick up.
Ace has what I would call a reliable recall. It did not get this way overnight, let me tell you that. Today I was able to pull him off being chased at full tilt by another dog, to come to me. A few months ago, I wouldn't have thought it possible. EVERY day, I do tons of reps of recall and the "name game" with Ace. I have ceased using his name for anything but the recall and name game, because I want it to be almost as powerful a word as his recall cue. It has paid off tremendously!
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Permalink Reply by Marcie on
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Thanks. We have been working on placement with a hula hoop and a touch mat. I may try taking those outside with me. I can direct her to one then try the recall. Becca did fabulous with her recall in class tonight. Full run, and sliding stop to her sit in front. I think she was the most joyful worker there tonight.
What is your opinion of the overlap with classes?
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Really awesome job! As for classes overlapping, why not! If I were in your shoes, and had access to a car + regular dog sport classes, I'd be there every night until my husband complained about gas fees. :D I really love to work, and I think our dogs do too!
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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
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The training you're doing is great, but no way would I be letting go of that 20 ft. leash in the circumstances you describe. There is little to gain and much to lose. But then I'm not one to take chances with my dogs.....
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I am careful about when and where I try her off leash. She just so loves to run while playing and can only go so far on the 20 ft leash. I had a border collie when I was in college (20 years ago...). She was almost perfect and could be off leash reliably anywhere. I would like to work my way there with Becca.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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I've posted here about "Really Reliable Recall" or "Emergency Recall". We've had some success with surprisingly little effort. Their emergency recall word is "venite' " (Italian for "come!", never heard in casual conversation). They think it means "bacon!" (the only time they taste bacon). They also know they can resume play after they get their bacon. We do regular refresher training.
Keep a dedicated dog fanny-pack with treats (tiny) in screw-cap odor-resistant can like a pill bottle.
Introduce the emergency recall word when you KNOW they will come running (and have to be restrained from coming too soon). Make it fun and super-exciting. Lavish, over-the-top praise. Do it 3x per session, one or more sessions per day, every day for weeks. Eventually, fade out the treats. Sporadic, unpredictable refresher training.
Try NEVER to use this word for any negative consequence (like, "playtime's over, come inside").
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