Ok, I known there's a hundred million threads about recall no here but I need some more advice.

After an adventurous year with Marley, most of which he's had to spend on long line and lead due to his sheep chasing adventures, we have finally found a field near home, close enough to walk to in fact, wheer we can get him off lead. Its sheep and livestock free, and the sorrunding fields are safe. Mostly its lined with houses. The only downside is its unkept long grass and so he's sticky bob nightmare when he gets home.

So now I need to work hard on his recall. We've not really solved the sheep thing yet, but its a work in progress and is on the agenda, there are some local sheep and we are desensitising slowly. But the recall away from sheep is something I really need to strenthen, the distraction are too great with him, he'll recall brilliant the first two or three times when we're out but then it goes to pot and he wanders much further.

I can get him back, but it takes more effort than it should and does my nerves no good at all. Most of the recall advice I've found on here seems to be based on working with puppies, this is an almost 2 year old strong headed monster and I think I may need a different approach. I'm willing to go back to basics with it, I accept I've been letting him free run where I can because its not often we go somewhere he can get off and I think he deserves the exercise. Now we've got somewhere safe close to home we need to wrok hard on it, especially before the dark nights arrive.

Any ideas? I good threads on this I may have missed?

i watched that Victoria Stillwell help an owner with a similar problem, firstly she used food and a whistle - and she also chose a new word for 'come here' as the dog had learnt to ignore the usual ones

take his favourite food out and recall him even if he is only a short distance. Make him sit and give him this treat. Do this alot and then you can lay off the treats a bit when he is recalling well.

There is a DVD that Tracey has Jen - 'Really reliable recall' I'm going to get a copy to loan out at my classes:

Recall DVD

I think Tracey really rates it and is following it at the minute.

im no expert but when anne trained stanley she had similar problem with recall , its right to alter the word as come or whatever you use has lost its meaning.We (sorry) ane did it with a long line and just thousands of repetitions making sure he was brought in each time.

As the others have said, change the word. And find a treat that he will do just about ANYTHING for! The one we've found is a variation on tuna bread:

2 tins of sardines/mackerel etc in oil or tomato sauce
4 eggs
liberal sprinkling of garlic powder

Mix them all together

Add flour (plain) - enough to bring the mixture together a bit so it's kinda cake mixture consistency

Then in the microwave for 7 minutes.

This produces an ultra smelly, less crumbly version of tuna bread that Murphy will go nuts for in most situations, unlike the standard version which isn't much good outside of the house or training.

The other thing I do, is asses how Murphy is on any given day before I begin training. Generally this is just by saying his name fairly quietly. Some days he will have deaf days, and saying his name produces absolutely no recognition whatsoever. On those days I don't even attempt to train.

Nice one Jen, think I know the field you mean


Take him out when he' starving hungry and use warm cooked chicken, don't just work on the recall but try lots of switches to this "this way", make it a huge game that way he is always focused on you.

His recall is good Jen, its just when he's not focused that he loses it, aim to keep him close with "this way"


But also don't over treat and nag him

Yep I know, helpful.

A different version of this way, is to get him to run and touch your hand, at first the said hand will have very smelly tasty treats in and he has to touch your hand before he can have the treat, then you throw a treat a small distance away from you to get him to leave you and then you yell Touch to get him tor ecall to touch your hand again etc etc throwing the treat further and further away to get him to recall to you with the treat in your henad again and again.

Needless to say make sure he;s hungry and at first do this at home to get him used to the really fun game.
Ruf's recall was atrocious and the fun Touch game worked for him.

Jen, theres loads of different things to try - but handfeeding, if he is motivated by food can be really useful

ta everyone. Trouble is he's not overly motivated by food, he will do stuff for it at home, but when we're out the instinct to hunt around is too great food isn't high enough on the motivator.

Nevertheless I'll be making some stinkin tuna bread and warm chicken this week and we'll see how he does, you don't know if you don't try eh!

We were recommended the following method which is really a variation of the above.

To blow a whistle before either giving a meal, treat or fussing, you do this everytime (is a bit of a pain but if it works it would be worth it). He stressed that you should whistle absolutly everytime. Initally give them treats and fuss them when they are near you so you don't actually have to get them to come, then once they have associated the whistle with food/fuss use it to call them from another room etc. Once they are coming to the whistle in the house and garden try it when out. For the first time he said to give them only a small evening meal (and give it a little early) the night before then take them out before they have their breakfast. Take their breakfast with you and then when they have had a run, whistle them and feed them their breakfast.

Jen, do you think that if he only got food from you for doing stuff, rather than in a bowl, and he had to 'search' for it on walks might change his mind???

Freddy was my recall nightmare.

So when I called him back sometimes he was treated for 'dancing in' and me not holding him, sometimes he would come in and I would restrain him by his collar before he went again, sometimes he would be popped on the lead, sometimes I would play a game as well as give the food reward, sometimes he would be asked for a sit, sometimes a heelwalk off lead before being sent to play.

What I am trying to say is that each and everytime he came back he got a treat (and he mostly still does) but I varied what recall meant so mainly it didn't mean the end to fun but it did mean come back to mum as something interesting may happen.

Bingo

Mum therefore is the most interesting thing on a walk


Thats how I worked on J n T's "this way", I am banging on about this cos I know Marleys recall is excellent, its a case of keeping him close and interested. Lot's of play with it and interacting, you have the safe space now to experiment and go loopy with him.

Jen, you will get there, you've done wonders with him and a lot would have given up but you haven't, believe in your ability with him

I don't know if you have tried "hide and seek"? Start with someone holding Marley, and you run a short distance away (say start in the garden) as you are running away keep calling, then get the other person to release him - he should be pretty psyched up and come charging at you. If he is good at his stays/waits use this at home then hide upstairs and call him - Angel isn't food motivated, you used to see her brain weighin up "hmm squirell or chesse?", so we have my toy - she isn't allowed to play with it at home only when we are out, i decide when to start/finish the game.

Sam and Angel