Quote: David Crout

This is the part I am frustrated by. A pop correction is impossible when he has the lead in his mouth - although I still do it and hope I don't yank out a tooth. But his energy and aggression level with the lead only increases.

I'm getting lost, a little.

The long line -- you are using for the recall, right? It's for reeling him in, rather than for giving a correction. Slow down!


Are you starting with a not-full-of-frustrated-energy dog? Do you walk the dog and then start little (short and sweet) training sessions?

BTW, did you read the marker training article? And have you tried the drag lead (no handle and short enough to be not-fun to bit and play with) in the house to acclimate the puppy to the line?

Hey David, I just think your rushing it. Put the ecollar away and stick with what Sandy and Connie advised. That long line has probably become a nice little prey item that it's going to take a while to forget. Don't let him far enough away to worry about recalls yet, keep the line short for now.

I'm bucking some great dog trainers here with what I'm about to state. I trained my dog to come with a 6 foot leash.

I had the same problem David is having with the long line recall plus he was playing the keep away game.

I put the long line away and used the ecollar in my fenced rear yard.

INSTANT SUCCESS! He ran to me on the first stim and the recall is still one of his strongest training exercises. No more keep away games, ever. His recall is so strong I almost have to wear a cup to protect the family jewels.

It worked on my dog. It may not work on other dogs.

Edited by lee sternberg (05/10/2008 11:05 PM)
Edit reason: added jewels

Thanks Lee, for the levity and the insight.

His recall is getting pretty good - from 75 feet away, off leash in a fenced yard. I'm not sure what more I'd accomplish with the long line (for that). I use some treats and lavish praise for him coming. He is a little slow to start sometimes, or takes a detour to pick up a frisbee first, etc. - I think the ecollar can really help with that. Being able to give a long distance correction will be good.

Dave: Speed on the recall should come because the dog can't wait
to get to you.. try having someone hold him back and you call him, about half way to you, you run yelling and calling him. When he gets to you, no sit, PARTY!!!!!!!!
If you are using a ball, throw the ball along the same line that he is running!!!!!!!!!

Hey David, just to be sure, your question only had to do with him biting the line not any specific obedience like recalls right?

Hi Steve - You are correct. David did not specify any particular obedience. I read too much into it presuming it was a recall issue.

That aside I was having the same issue David is having with the long lead. I used a 6 foot lead for all my obedience work and then proofed him with the ecollar in a small fenced in area without any lead.

When I started using the ecollar I wanted the stims directed towards specific obedience exercises. My dog wasn't biting or chewing on the 6 foot lead. It was only the long lead for some reason.

So I tried to adapt to the problem and eliminated the use of the long lead. My particular dog was very responsive to the ecollar and "got it" without the long lead. He never tried to bolt. It was the other way around. He immediately ran to my side.

I always really liked that. Hopefully it showed our bond with each other is strong.

I've trained a lot of dogs but still don't consider myself a expert. I try to use common sense and see what works with the particular dog I'm training. Had the dog bolted in the other direction without the long lead on I would have gone back to the drawing board and figured something else out.

Like David I don't hesitate to get advice when I get stuck on a issue.

Great suggestions! I hate to keep the thread going on and on, but I appreciate the great tips and thoughts everyone is offering.

His recall is getting stronger, but certainly not where I want it. I like the idea of someone holding him back to increase his desire (I did see that demonstrated on Ed's DVD too). I've been rewarding the recall with treats, praise, and toys. That seems to help motivate. He will still ignore me if he is distracted, but I'm hoping the e-collar will help with that.

Hey Lee, I wanted to make sure because I have a real knack for picking one or two sentences out of a post and missing the actual point. Thanks.

Hey David, it may seem backward (and it may be backwards) but for my dog I think training the formal recall with a lot of motivation is what gave him a reliable casual call to me.