Although I've been obedience training for a long time I've recently run into a problem that I've never had before,here goes:I have a three year old female rottweiler that some times bolts away from me when she is off leash.We are in my back yard and she decides that she is going "exploring"She will not come back when I call her,no offer of a treat or toy will get her to come back.This has occured at least four times in the past three years.Her explorations last between two hours and two days.It happened once when I was running back to the house with her after taking her out of her kennel.I dropped the leash while running and I could see a look in her eye that seemed to say I'm Free!That was the time she ran off for two days.At this point I'm no longer letting her off the leash for any reason.I've never had a dog that wouldn't come when called.At our local obedience club she does great recalls(off lead).Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Ken Mathews

You need to be working on her recalls, as well as her other obedience, and not have her off-leash until she's 100% reliable. If you absolutely MUST work her off-leash, talk to Lou Castle about working her on the electric collar. That way you can correct her if she needs to be.

http://www.loucastle.com

I agree with kristen ! E-collars are great !
When I picked up our terrier (9 months at the time)I knew he was a runner . After work one morning 0530 no one out at that time ! So I gave him his chance and did he bolt! no response to a voice command . By the time I grabbed the transmitter which was hanging around my neck and touched him with a 100 level zap he was 35-40 yards away, he yelped like some one stuck him with a pig sticker but my voice command was now effective . It was a month before he even tried to venture away and thats only by wandering he never has bolted since . Now that is this dog and an extreme example and what I felt he needed at that stage . (To much typing to give full back ground ,I hate typing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ) I just wanted to give one of my experiences on this type of situation and on the effectiveness of an e-collar. Note : your dog may react differently and may not need this extreme of correction especially if your ob and recall, with or without an e-clloar are done correctly and consistantly . And absolutly go check out Lou Castles web site very good if not the best info on training with an e-collar <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> !

Is Bolting away from the handler a Dominance issue? Is the dog thinking that he is the boss and he doesnt hafta do what we tell him too?

My 13 week old GSD recently got loose twice... and boy was i mad! I know it was my fault but i was pissed at his behavior. The first time he didnt know what to do, but the second time he had that look in his eyes, like you cant catch me!! And i had that.... im gonna get a shock collar for your A** look! I am wondering if maybe establishing more dominance on the dog as well as reinforcing the recall will help... with the help of the shock collar.

 Quote:

Originally posted by Luis Santana:
My 13 week old GSD recently got loose twice... and boy was i mad! I know it was my fault but i was pissed at his behavior. The first time he didnt know what to do, but the second time he had that look in his eyes, like you cant catch me!! And i had that.... im gonna get a shock collar for your A** look! I am wondering if maybe establishing more dominance on the dog as well as reinforcing the recall will help... with the help of the shock collar.

You are kidding right????? ecollar for a 13wk old puppy!!!!!!!!!!! Why not try a leash on the dog and work on the command come??? If you chase him, it becomes a game.

Ecollar on a puppy, REALLY <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Luis, I LOVE the e-collar but agree with Angela on this. NOT with a 13 week old puppy!

I'd be carrying a treat bag with roast beef, going on off leash romps, and CONSTANTLY calling the pup to me (running in the opposite direction gets them TEARING over) and when they get to you, reward with praise, the food AND LET THEM GO. Continue the walk and the off leash. If 99 percent of the time you call them for a fun run back to you and a treat, the 'negative' of the one time you call them to leash them, or end the walk isn't a big deal.

The goal is for 'come' to be the BEST command in the entire world. You want them DYING to come cause you are the light of their life and are carrying the cheese/roastbeef/hotdogs/pizza/whatever. Make it a game! Hide behind trees, run in the opposite direction! Carry a toy that you tug with the dog when they get to you, or throw. If you can make this 100% fun now when the pup is young, it's WAY easier when the pup is older.

http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/2525/recall.htm gives some good recommendations. I'd just be adding alot more food and toys to it! I want that pup to DRIVE it's way to me!

Luis, don't even think about an e-collar for a 13 week old puppy! He's running from you because he thinks you're playing a game. As my trainer says, the best way to get back a loose pup is to run AWAY from them. Then the game becomes them chasing you, not you chasing them.

The only way to get a shock collar for a 13 week old pup is if YOU put it on YOUR GROIN and I get the button for every time you screw up!

I really hope you were kidding, sadly I don't think you were.


Pups NATURALLY become more investigative and bold at this age. This is why they ALWAYS wear a line and drag it around. By not having the dog on a line so that you can manually bring it back to you, you have in essence taught it that your voice means nothing. With small pups we set the stage for the rest of that pups life.


I am often asked by family members why my dogs never run away. I honestly do not think they know they can, and why would they want to? I am the keeper of all good things.

Puppy raising is an art, sadly too many people want to blame the puppy. It is all about stacking the odds in your favor. Dog can't run away if it is on a line. Handler has goodies, most dogs won't run in the first place. If this means looking like a fool for the first couple months of a dogs life, so be it. It pays off ten-fold later when you are able to verbally tell the dog NO, have it stop in its tracks, and finish an exercise- with no collar. Your dog knows the VOICE is his controller.

I was serious about the ecollar! I was just mad!!
I know that a correction that severe would not be acceptable.


I do know that it was my fault for chasing him, and letting him loose. I did notice that he looked like he was playing a game and wanted me to chase him. BUT I found the real culprate! My little sister chases him alll over and that is probably why he is doing it. I caught her chasing him in the yard, max had ball in his mouth and my little sis was chasing him to get it back.

I explained to her why not to chase him. So hopefully things will change.

I understand that we want "COME" to be the best thing for the dog (food reward) but if we are giving the dog food everytime he comes he is coming because he knows he is gonna get food. That theory is good but isnt the goal for the dog to come because we told him to, and not because he should come for a treat??

I'm a little lost.

but if we are giving the dog food everytime he comes he is coming because he knows he is gonna get food. That theory is good but isnt the goal for the dog to come because we told him to, and not because he should come for a treat??
For puppies, this shouldn't be a battle of wills. YOU WILL COME NO MATTER WHAT CAUSE I TOLD YOU. If that pup is off leash, it may not come, and any 'battle' will certainly not increase it's joy for running to you. If you want your pup to really learn the word 'come' (and why can't it be a POSITIVE and fun thing, that your dog actually WANTS to come?), using a treat (you start with every time they come, and then wean the food with praise as the pup ages) and TOYS!

If you really want to 'train' the word come, then you will have to use the long line, because if you say 'come' you have to be able to make sure they don't run off and can get them too you. Course you can still use the line WITH the treats and the toys.

You tell me, would you rather have a dog slowly come to you because it knows it 'has' to? Or TEAR over to you with joy and fun because they love you, you mean yummy treats, fun toys and games, and praise/pets/and love?