Since the weather's been nice lately, my wife and I took Duke down to the local soccer fields to have some fun, last week. He chased a few flocks of birds around at first and we were so busy laughing we completely forgot to get pictures. Then we brought out the soccer ball and I remembered about the camera.

I was really impressed with the Leerburg recall training. At one point he was at least 50 yards or more away and broke off of his bird chase to immediately sprint back to me the first time I called, three different times. I was pushing my luck but, I've never proofed his recall before and while in full prey in a fenced area seemed like a good time to try it out.

Less talk, more pics.
01) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/5a73d9f4.jpg
02) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/0d6c5a32.jpg
03) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/75f17ade.jpg
04) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/d67304f5.jpg
05) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/62d31c7c.jpg
06) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/40eeffb4.jpg
07) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/27c7dfa8.jpg
08) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/dc91c19f.jpg
09) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/0ef12454.jpg
10) http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/91SiZ6/pets/65641749.jpg

Great job Duke!
Very nice pictures- so focused!

Great pics! and great work on the recall, what a cutie!

 Quote: Scott Garrett

I was really impressed with the Leerburg recall training. At one point he was at least 50 yards or more away and broke off of his bird chase to immediately sprint back to me the first time I called, three different times. I was pushing my luck but, I've never proofed his recall before and while in full prey in a fenced area seemed like a good time to try it out.

Awesome!

I have seen some real improvement since I started using the Leerburg recall training methods. Just this morning I got to see the results in real time at the park.

We were playing with a frisbee. Tasha was on her 50 ft long line, out at the very end of it picking up he toy. Two westies came running up over the hill and one of them play bowed to her. They were about 10 feet away from her this point.

I don't know these dogs, and their owner wasn't in sight. I didn't want her playing with them.

I called her and the most amazing thing happened...

She came to me!

Then I yelled at the westies to go away.

Just wanted to share since you were the one who originally recommended he Basic Obedience DVD to me when I had some recall problems. Those recall techniques are gold!

Really great pics, BTW. He's so smiley and cute

Thank you, ladies.

We call him "the happiest dog in the world" because his tail pretty much only stops wagging when he's asleep.

Lauren, that's awesome! Thank you for sharing. Did Tasha yell at the westies with you? Duke sure would have, hahaha.

eta:
Oh, and I'll pass the picture compliments on to my wife. We have a Cannon PowerShot A480.

Its so nice to see the hard work pay off!

I since I got the dvd I have been working that recall every single day, multiple times a day, with many different distractions in all different locations.

I call her from the end of the leash on walks, sometimes with the automatic pop. I call her and have her chase me. I call her from the kitchen and give her something nice like a big greasy marrow bone.

She passed a big test today. I'm proud of her


Tasha did not yell at the westies, which was surprising.

We had another (separate) run in with an off leash dust mop at the park today where she did yell, and I ended up screaming at the owner!

This nasty little dog charged us barking aggressively! It was a nightmare, I'm trying to restrain my big dog with one hand and I'm throwing things at the rat with the other. Finally the owner comes over and puts it on leash. I lost my mind on her!

I would be banned from the board if I wrote here exactly what I said to this woman.

Kudos to all small dog owners who put in the time to train them, but unfortunately so many people let them run around acting like jerks. Imagine if tables were turned and my dog acted like that? She'd probably be in the pound right now and I'd be going to court.

Just had to vent.

Oh, dude, no doubt. I can't stand people who don't train their small dogs just because they're small dogs. And you're absolutely right. My late dog, Rasta, had AC called on him a few times. The last time was when he got out and started barking at road construction machinery down the street. The workers felt that they were being menaced. On the flip side, a lady on the other side of the street and a few houses down, literally right across from the road work, let her two small dogs run around on the street a few times a day and they'd even come into our yard to potty and menace our cats. Those small and extremely fearful dogs would've been far more likely to have bitten than my very socialized dog, that AC said was absolutely no trouble to catch. His Vet and the staff loved him and how well behaved he was. I finally got tired of it and told her that if people were so willing to call AC on my dog I was calling them on her. She didn't believe me so I did it the next time I saw them running around. She told them she did that because she didn't like them going in her nice yard or cleaning up after them. AC gave her an easy choice, keep them contained or lose them. She started letting them out into her fenced back yard after that point, until they got their front yard fenced. What's good for the goose and all.

I was having a wicked allergy attack this morning and forgot to put this in. I tried playing frisbee with Duke once. It had two new puncture holes from his top canines every time he brought it to me. It lasted about two minutes before he destroyed it and it was a strong disk. So far all I've found that he hasn't been able to destroy are extreme kongs and bite suit linen tugs.

Sounds like your hard work is paying off! And I just have to say your dog is so cute (handsome) and I swear he has a glint in his eye and a smile on his face as if he has a great secret and is lovin' keeping it from you guys!!! (check the fridge when you get home... your dinner might be gone!LOL!)

I use the fabric frisbee made by Kong, its pretty tough. We tug with it, too.

She's in a whole new chewing phase right now. It's worse than when she was teething. I hear ya about things being destroyed. Her new thing is trying to tear up the dog beds.

I actually called AC the other day with a general complaint about off leash dogs at this park. I told them that I walk there everyday and that the warm weather brought out every stupid owner who suddenly has the desire to walk their dog off leash, after apparently not walking them at all over the winter.

I also made the point of bringing up that not only is it a nuisance for me (that I am trying to properly train my dog and these people make it nearly impossible) but that I also worry about the elderly people who use the park for exercise and the little kids who go there to learn how to ride bikes.

They are going to start ticketing and checking licenses. At $200 a pop for an off leash dog ticket, I'm hoping this problem will get better real soon.

 Quote: barbara schuler

Sounds like your hard work is paying off! And I just have to say your dog is so cute (handsome) and I swear he has a glint in his eye and a smile on his face as if he has a great secret and is lovin' keeping it from you guys!!! (check the fridge when you get home... your dinner might be gone!LOL!)

Thank you, very much.

I wouldn't put opening the 'fridge past him. He's so smart that he knows our three cats by name and what they aren't allowed to do, just from observing. For instance, he'll direct (not really herd) them away from our bedroom doorway, because we have a no pet policy, by getting in front of them and nudging them away with his muzzle. Neither of us have ever trained him for or encouraged this behavior, he just does it on his own. In fact, we've tried to get him to stop, hahaha. My wife says, "the only thing that stops this dog from taking over the world is his lack of thumbs".

 Quote: Lauren Jeffery

I use the fabric frisbee made by Kong, its pretty tough. We tug with it, too.

She's in a whole new chewing phase right now. It's worse than when she was teething. I hear ya about things being destroyed. Her new thing is trying to tear up the dog beds.

I actually called AC the other day with a general complaint about off leash dogs at this park. I told them that I walk there everyday and that the warm weather brought out every stupid owner who suddenly has the desire to walk their dog off leash, after apparently not walking them at all over the winter.

I also made the point of bringing up that not only is it a nuisance for me (that I am trying to properly train my dog and these people make it nearly impossible) but that I also worry about the elderly people who use the park for exercise and the little kids who go there to learn how to ride bikes.

They are going to start ticketing and checking licenses. At $200 a pop for an off leash dog ticket, I'm hoping this problem will get better real soon.

Awesome! I can't stand irresponsible dog owners.

I was just looking at Kong frisbees and I think he'd need the new extreme version.