Greetings Folks,

Ok here is my situation: I've been training my nine month old German Shepherd male for four months now and he is rocking and rolling in most respects. His best move is the recall where he is lightening fast and sits dead on ahead of me right up close.

The problem is that I've been training him by calling him and then taking steps back as he gets closer so he is sprinting pretty fast. However, I'm trying now to get it so that I don't have to take steps back after calling him, but he is having trouble not running into my groin area nose first.

Needless to say I'd like to get him to learn to put the breaks on. Any advice on how to make this happen?

Wear a cup :=)

yell SIT when he gets close.
Or try stepping into the dog. I think you've got some oposition reflex going on. When you back up you attract him more? It's like when you start the recall. You run away to get the dog to come. If you chase him, he just backs up?
If you step into him when he gets close. I ber he doens't slam into you?

What worked for my female that is like a missle on a recall is: when she didn't put on the brakes fast enough on recalls & hit me ( she would just about take me down when she would come in so hard & fast...I felt like a bowling pin) I would just tell her 'no' & send her or put her back to where she started & do the recall again. Since she is very smart & learns things very quickly & is so extemely drivey & wants her toy or food reward or just to please she never had a problem with this method. After a couple of times of not getting her reward or BIG praise when she hit me she would be more careful when she would come speeding in. BTW it hasn't slowed down her recall or effected her in any way. She is just as fast, just a little more careful, most of the time. If she comes in too fast & hits me she will usually just turn around & rum back to where she started & sit there waiting for me to give her the 'heir' command again. I was also starting to do these recalls at about 1 yr of age. I don't know if this method will work for everyone. It might be good to start back doing recalls from a shorter distance with Big praise when he is correct & gradually increase the distance & really praise it up big time when he does it correctly & doesn't hit you. Depending on your reward system....don't know if you reward each time or mix up the times that he gets a reward of food or toy & if so he will not expect one each time so not rewarding when he does it wrong & BIG praise & reward when he does it correctly might work with him. I also find that if I want it fresh in her mind to not hit me on recalls on the field when it counts...I just do a couple before heading onto the field (shortened distances of course) but remind her not to hit me by telling her 'don't hit me' & then it is fresh in her mind not to come slamming in at me. That is what has worked for me I am sure there are others with different & possibly ideas better suited to your traning methods & your dog. I just wanted to come up with a solution that would make her stop slamming into me without slowing down her recall. It is so very nice to have a dog with a lighting fast recall, I didn't want to put any kind of physical corrections on her ( I didn't really put any corrections of any kind on her at all until she was almost a year old)or dampen her spirits in any way so to keep her happy to do the recalls, just be more careful. Hopefully, this might give you some ideas work with.

Have you tried using a long line, you would need help, and the person controlling the line would need to have good timing, as you recall and he comes in the person controlling the line could give a small jerk at the position you want him, we had a dog that either did slow sits or came into quickly and it was corrected with the long line it takes a bit of patience but the dog now sits on command and presents
without damaging the owners family jewels <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Our Mal x GSD comes(when she does come!) at breakneck speed, but fortunately is clever enough to 'overshoot' rather than collide! I am just happy that she has come back, not too worried about 'perfect presentation', at this stage!

The problem is that her recall is so unreliable; if she gets distracted, as she so easily does, she develops 'selective deafness' <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
At home, and on a long line she is fine(she knows she's gonna have to come, so she does!)

Once off the leash (in a fenced field) she comes when she feels like it <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I can't think of any alternative to an e-collar (I have Ed's dvd) ...... any other suggestions?
(Sorry, slightly OT!)

Just curious...WHY would you feel the need for an 'alternative' to an ecollar?

Hi Brigita
Well for a start, the financial outlay involved and the inconvenience of having to get one sent to Spain <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

There is also the slight problem of possibly having to deal with know-all 'dog experts' who regard prong collars(which I use) as an invention of the devil so an e-collar would be seen as the old boy himself <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
(Not too worried about that one!)

HI Roger,

This is going to sound simple and maybe a little sarcastic, but don't take it that way :-)
If she doesn't always come when you call her off leash?
DON'T CALL her when she is off leash?
Have her dragging a long line. The next 100 times you call her. Have a hold of the line, so you can pull her in. When she gets there. It is all treats and play and fun. After 100 + recalls on line with fun and treats etc. You can try off line. The first time she doesn't come. The line goes
back on for another 100 recalls.
As far as what others think about e-collars or prongs?
That is their problem not yours VBG