I was hoping someone would have some tips for me. My dog and I love to go hiking/walking through the woods. The only problem that I have is that she likes to run far up away from me and either wait for me there or run back to me. I would like to keep her in my eye sight and not have her run too far ahead. Maybe somewhere around 5-10 yards away from me. Is there a command or a way to train her to stay in close proximity to me while hiking/walking off leash.
I really don't want to have to go back to keeping her on the long line but if I have to temporarily I will.
(She will reliably recall, I just don't like not being able to see her)
P.S. she is e-collar trained if that will help with this
Thanks

 Quote: Dan Pomerleau

...she is e-collar trained if that will help with this.

When she gets as far away as you are comfortable with her going, then give her some command like Come or Stay or Wait or whatever -- Problem Solved on day one Unless I'm missing something here...

Yeah that's what I have been doing, but she has no idea what the word "wait" means so how am I supposed to teach her that when I say "wait" it means for her to stop moving/freeze? Do I need to just go back to the leash and when she is too far, just restrain her with the leash and say "wait"?

 Quote: Dan Pomerleau

Yeah that's what I have been doing, but she has no idea what the word "wait" means so how am I supposed to teach her that when I say "wait" it means for her to stop moving/freeze? Do I need to just go back to the leash and when she is too far, just restrain her with the leash and say "wait"?

Um-m-m... You can just use a command she already knows, like Sit or Stay

I just call them back until they get the idea to start checking in at the distance I want them to stop at.

I worked with a 7 month old Australian Shepherd that hardly knew her name and she was a runner.

The owner chased her every time she got loose....so she ran.

On a long line I simply let her take off and right before she hit the end I would give a "wait" command.

It didn't take more then 4-5 times and she was hitting the brakes on the wait command.

Even though she got the command quickly I kept the line on her for some time and gave the "wait" command at different distances from me.

This was about 50ft of line and the random distances had her pretty sharp within about two weeks.

Different dogs, different amount of time but you have to really know your dog before you consider the command, ANY command solid.

ANY command I give a dog will "randomly" get rewarded (marker training) forever.

The dog always has to believe any command will get a reward.

Doesn't matter if that reward is 1 in 5 or 1 in 50. They have to believe it will come.

The actual command isn't critical as long as your consistent with it.

 Quote: Cathy Goessman

I just call them back until they get the idea to start checking in at the distance I want them to stop at.

Yeppers, thanks, Cathy

 Quote: Bob Scott

I worked with a 7 month old Australian Shepherd that hardly knew her name and she was a runner.

The owner chased her every time she got loose....so she ran.

On a long line I simply let her take off and right before she hit the end I would give a "wait" command.

It didn't take more then 4-5 times and she was hitting the brakes on the wait command.

Even though she got the command quickly I kept the line on her for some time and gave the "wait" command at different distances from me.

This was about 50ft of line and the random distances had her pretty sharp within about two weeks.

Different dogs, different amount of time but you have to really know your dog before you consider the command, ANY command solid.

ANY command I give a dog will "randomly" get rewarded (marker training) forever.

The dog always has to believe any command will get a reward.

Doesn't matter if that reward is 1 in 5 or 1 in 50. They have to believe it will come.

The actual command isn't critical as long as your consistent with it.

GREAT details, thanks, Bob !!!

Dan,

What Bob said.

I train the dogs to not run into the road. I train to the command NO.

Initially, I use a long line and toss a toy and have the dog get it and return it to me. I toss it into the yard, and when I know they will go after the toy and return with it, I toss the toy across the road.

When I release the dog, and it goes for the road to retrieve the toy, just before the dog gets to the curb I bellow NO. There is only about three feet of line left and if the dog doesn't stop, the line stops it before the curb. Put another way, the dog corrects itself. I sit the dog and retrieve the toy, and toss it into the yard, release the dog, and the game begins again.

Lots of praise and the occasional treat for sitting until released, getting the toy, and bringing the toy back. Then every so often I toss the toy across the road. About the third or fourth time I bellow NO, the dog gets near the curb and stops, and sits before it runs out of rope . And every now and then I toss the toy into the yard and release the dog and before It gets to the toy I bellow NO, and the dog sits and looks toward the toy.

That is kind of a shortened version of my approach but my curb motivation has to do with not putting the dog at risk of darting in front of a car. But it has the effect of having the dog stop and sit, off leash, when I bellow NO. The curb is my motivation, but NO works in an open field or woods or squirrel, or cat, or whatever, where ever I want the dog to stop and sit.

No means stop. Coupled with Come, and the dog returns. And sit, and down, and go, and OK, and, and, and...

When I'm in the woods, and the dogs are running, I often get behind a tree, and it is interesting to see the dogs come back full tilt when they lose sight of me. But I work on recall and expect the dogs to respond to me. Lots of rewards and praise but the occasional correction if warranted.

Bob has a better approach than I. But you can easily train for the results you want to achieve with the dog. A plan, an approach, consistency, perseverance and voila. Marker training is very effective.

 Quote: Mike Arnold

Dan,

What Bob said.

I train the dogs to not run into the road. I train to the command NO.

Initially, I use a long line and toss a toy and have the dog get it and return it to me. I toss it into the yard, and when I know they will go after the toy and return with it, I toss the toy across the road.

When I release the dog, and it goes for the road to retrieve the toy, just before the dog gets to the curb I bellow NO. There is only about three feet of line left and if the dog doesn't stop, the line stops it before the curb. Put another way, the dog corrects itself. I sit the dog and retrieve the toy, and toss it into the yard, release the dog, and the game begins again.

Lots of praise and the occasional treat for sitting until released, getting the toy, and bringing the toy back. Then every so often I toss the toy across the road. About the third or fourth time I bellow NO, the dog gets near the curb and stops, and sits before it runs out of rope . And every now and then I toss the toy into the yard and release the dog and before It gets to the toy I bellow NO, and the dog sits and looks toward the toy.

That is kind of a shortened version of my approach but my curb motivation has to do with not putting the dog at risk of darting in front of a car. But it has the effect of having the dog stop and sit, off leash, when I bellow NO. The curb is my motivation, but NO works in an open field or woods or squirrel, or cat, or whatever, where ever I want the dog to stop and sit.

No means stop. Coupled with Come, and the dog returns. And sit, and down, and go, and OK, and, and, and...

When I'm in the woods, and the dogs are running, I often get behind a tree, and it is interesting to see the dogs come back full tilt when they lose sight of me. But I work on recall and expect the dogs to respond to me. Lots of rewards and praise but the occasional correction if warranted.

Bob has a better approach than I. But you can easily train for the results you want to achieve with the dog. A plan, an approach, consistency, perseverance and voila. Marker training is very effective.

Many more GREAT details, thanks, Mike