We’re patiently working on recall and know it’s not something that will come magically. This post gives a little more insight into off leash issues though, and I’m glad I stopped by!

His time on the streets was 12 1/2 years ago. I’ll just carry his favorite treats and maybe I can retrain him.

At Christmas, I turned her loose in my grandparents’ HUGE backyard and was very happy with her attention and responsiveness, and yes her recall. So maybe there is hope, should the occasion ever arise.

Another “tool” I’ve noticed for recall is a slight lack of confidence. Tigger is incredibly dependable off-leash, and will even fetch and recall Mort if she feels he has strayed a bit far or we call for him when he is out of sight (she looks at us “oh you want him? yeah I can’t see him either, let me go get him for you” and she will literally push him back to us). When we are out on off-leash hikes, she largely sticks behind my leg other than the odd sniff. “Ohmigod where’s Tig? Oh… in my blind spot behind my leg as always” However, she cannot be off-leash at our local field where we play fetch with Mort on a daily basis… because she is so comfortable there she feels she can chase the squirrels in that park, and shouldn’t listen to listen to us (it does not matter what we might have in our deck of cards – squirrels near our house will be chased), but then will trot back and nudge our hand after she lost the squirrel up a tree. My best guess is the difference in her level of comfort, and that it’s her – I think it could be her thought process saying “no, it’s OK, I have this under control: I know this spot and my genetics ask me to take care of vermin at home, don’t you understand?”. Our off-leash hikes include fields littered with vermin-holes, but the dogs only ran after them once – and they both returned to me when I called them (shrill and urgent!) So my best guess is a change in confidence level, “home base” vs “environment we go to on occasion”. Vermin at “home” bad and must be taken care of, vermin farther away are interesting but less important. It could be a question of genetics vs her recall training – genetics will overrule training.

Of course there is also the slightly aversive training that plays right into the statement of making the human the best thing in the world – you make the thing they want to chase something they don’t want to be near anymore, and you might just leave and they are alone with that now-scary item. The setup and timing is pretty critical. Apparently it can be pretty dependable if you have a life-and-death recall problem, but only appropriate for last-chance dogs I feel.

Last note I have is – frequency of practice in real-life is absolutely key in a solid recall, but don’t waste your efforts when playing against genetics (it could reduce your recall elsewhere). And make sure you always posture backwards and move away from the dog when recalling – never towards the dog.

I wish that I could trust my crazy pups off leash. Bella’s Beagle nose takes over and she tends to forget everything else when she follows it. Tavish has crazy bursts of energy – while he’s mostly a good listener, the sight of a squirrel makes him forget everything else. Sometimes I wonder if I am too paranoid (we’re compulsive gate-users in this house), but I figure better for me to be too paranoid than the alternative!

We love it and the dogs love it and I hardly have to bring treats. We trained them with lots of love when they return (because I kept forgetting the training treats). So when they come back, sometimes they come in for their hugs – LOL.

And that’s the difference between a dog bred for generations to guard huge flocks on their own and a dog bred for generations to retrieve things for their people. 🙂

Glad your people are smart about keeping you safe.

Isn’t it funny how things are different with the mom and the dad? Honey acts very differently around the two of us too.

If you ever want to explain it to me, Sugar, I’d love to hear why. 🙂

Not that I’d be in a big hurry to test it, do you think BJ is any more likely to listen to you after his scary time on his own?