I'M A NEW K-9 HANDLER FOR MY DEPT. AND I WAS GIVEN A MALINOIS (RUDY).WE DO GREAT ON EVERY THING BUT RECALL.SEEMS HE IS SO KEYED ON THE BITE SUIT THAT HE TURNS HIS EARS OFF.ANY TIPS THANKS

Hello Mitch:

Congrats on you new position/dog. You might want to try the recall off the training field and without an agitator present using a long line/prong/e-collar. Once your dog is in the proofing phase, then you can use the agitator and try this. Keeping your dog on the long line, send the dog towards the decoy, prior to him getting to the decoy, do a call off and return your dog to you (don't down your dog in front of the decoy at this point). As soon as your dog comes to you (either recall or heel position) then you send him back to the decoy very quickly for a bite. After a while, the dog will learn that the quicker he comes back to you, the quicker he will get a bite, then you can increase the time and distance little by little and vary the reward (verbal/physical,etc). I hope this helps (and by the way - I had the same problem and nothing that I tried before was working. I actually learned this technique from the members on this board, it worked for me, so I hope it works for you.
Train Smart,
Brandon

Mitch,

I've found that a consciously applied application of electronics is perhaps the easiest, best timed, most effective meathod of fixing that problem. I would be sure you know how to operate one correctly. Timing is the key. KNowing how to use electronics properly is very important. It is not just a matter of getting a shock collar and shocking the dog. Used properly, that problem will cease to exist.

DFrost

Mitch, I'm not much of a fan of the e-collar (even though I have one and use it on certain terms), but We train the recall not using a decoy. We find what toys the dog likes best, and use those. Ex. we throw the ball then send the dog. Before he gets the ball, he is recalled. As soon as he looks at the handler, another ball goes the other way from the original, thus getting him to turn back towards the handler. If the dog has too much drive for the ball, We use a toy that he does not desire quite as much. Ideally, We use a KONG instead of a ball. When a decoy is used, We still have the trusty KONG. The decoy just stands there, no agitation, and the dog is sent. The handler doesn't let him get very far from before recalling him and throws the KONG. After progression, We can let them run right up to the decoy, recall, and they are flying back, waiting for the KONG the other way. Of course, We have to not throw the KONG a few times to work on a true finish, but have had great success doing this. We train the out the same way. The dog lets go of the suit to get a reward with the Kong or a bite tube. They way we look at it, for liability sake (especially our dept where K9 unit is the step children), who cares if the dog lets go of the bad guy when given a command and wants his KONG. Of course he doesn't get it, but with the hype of the officer and everything else, the dogs focus is very quickly redirected on its own. Then you go back to training with the KONG so ensure the dogs still gets it reward.