http://www.10news.com/news/8147188/detail.html?subid=22100481&qs=1;bp=t

Also another reason why a 100% effective recall is so important.
Leah

Leah, at what age did you feel your dogs were at 100% recall? Mine is 12 mos. old today. From my amateur point of view, his recall is at about 99% when there are no distractions but this drops when there are other dogs loose with him (in a controlled environment - his weekly group lessons) or if say, someone has rang our doorbell he hesitates a second or two before he comes to me.

We have a stream in our backyard. Today he was in it when he spotted 4 ducks quite close to him (within chasing distance). He chased them. When I whistled he stopped chasing them but didn't bolt to me like I wanted. He came to me right away but he hesitated. Is he still too young for me to expect 100% under all conditions?

Judy, We have spoken & you know that I am not an expert, but my dogs, especially my female that I have had since 9 weeks is very well trained. Age is only a part of the equation in training.....doing the training is the biggest piece. Your dog should come to you when you call no matter what, period, NO exceptions. Obviously, a young dog is not capable of proofing due to the fact the you don't want to use corrections on a young dog. But at a year old you should be more than able to begin training recalls with distractions. You need to train the recall on a long line so that you have control of the dog. Make it fun for the dog to return to you....more fun than the distraction. Use markers in training. Use food or a toy whichever your dog likes best as a reward for the recall. Start with small distractions & work up to the bigger ones. You can't take a dog that can't handle little distractions (another dog or critter) & expect him to come when you put him in a situation with multiples of these distractios. When you are sure that he knows that he is supposed to come & doesn't do so, correct him. It is possible that a perfect recall could save your dogs life. It is probably the most important command for them to learn. My female was 100% on recall at a little over a year no matter what the distraction with very little corrections. My dogs know that come means come, period. If they once in a while test that I mean it they are corrected and usually think better about trying it again for a very long while. It is the one command that I will not accept being ignored. I hope that this helps. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi Anne. I use a trainer who is adamant about the come command too. She demands instant response and speed from my dog. I agree with this and Gunnar does respond to the come command in this way except when there are distractions, it's that 1 second hesitation I'm trying to perfect. I was hoping it was his age and not my training that allowed for or contributed to this mistake <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> ! Yikes, I've gotta work harder! Thanks for the help.

We have a 20month Mal x GSD bitch.
Her recall response is abysmal, due, no doubt largely to my poor training <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I can only allow her off-lead in a fenced area. She is SO easily distracted.

However, my question is: How do you give a correction once you have gone past the long line stage and the dog is running free?

 Quote:

However, my question is: How do you give a correction once you have gone past the long line stage and the dog is running free?

E-collar.

An excellent remote trainer works just like magic -- It only took ONE really short session with my dogs (on extra-low electric stimulation) to produce perfectly reliable recalls offlead & ever since then, they don't require ANY e-stim at all <:-)

Get Ed Frawley's DVD, "Electric Collar Training for Pet Owners" (see below)...

http://www.leerburg.com/318.htm

Judy, I am sorry if I implied by my comment that I am some great trainer with perfect dogs. Far from it! I have a three year old lab and I am *still* working on distraction-proofing her recall. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> (Perhaps if I actually invested in an e-collar I would have more luck. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I was just using the article as yet another example of why a solid recall, or even leash training, is so important. My apologies to all y'all if there was any confusion.

You're forgiven <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> . I'm glad you started the thread in the first place because I have an e-collar but was not using it to perfect the recall at home. It was being utilized on the recall in his group lessons only. DUH!

I would not let my dog off lead UNTIL I had a reliable recall. (or only in my fenced back yard) That's what long lines are for. Or as Mike said an e-collar, although I did not use an e-coller on my female until she was over 2 yrs old & even then it has only been a handfull of times that she has worn it & less times that I have actually stimed her & that was when she was doing protection work in extemely high drive, for an out off the sleeve I did all my work motivationally & then with corrections with a prong & I didn't use that until she was almost a year old. It takes alot of time to proof a dog to distractions. You start with small ones & work your way up. If you can't find the kind of distraction that you need to work your way up...set them up yourself. Enlist the help of friends & their dogs, kids etc. But go slowly. You want your dog to have a feeling of success not constant failure to build confidence & cooperation & trust. You want a dog that is happy to work & enjoys your companionship & leadership.