Wookie Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 So, Ted (ESS) is now 18 months old and has had two months of gundog training with a professional trainer. He has also been at home fopr a while and I have been keeping up his training in an enclosed area most mornings and just about every lunchtime since he got back. But, recently he has been failing to recall in some very specific sistuations. I shall explain... There are two places on his regular walk where people leave out food for the birds. Not bird food, but food like pasta, rice, bread etc. Anyway, Ted likes food and, when let off the lead will make a bee line to the closest area (nicknamed "Cake Lady") for a feed. He's also found that their kids leave tennis balls out and so invariably comes back with one. The other place is just food. Anyway, if I try and do any sort of training in the grassy area near these two areas, he decides it is much more fun to not come back to me. Short distances, long distances, the dummy goes out and he legs it with the dummy in his mouth. On a long lead, he's fine, but let him off the lead and ask him to do something simple, he messes it up. He _knows_ he's doing something wrong. He looks back at me when he legs it and you can see that he knows he's about to be in trouble. Anyway, I got him back today (no mean feat as I had to chase the little sod for a fair while before trapping him in someone's garden) and pulled him up for it, but I do not want to have to do this when I am training him. I'd like to have him come back to me all the time when I call him. Interestingly, when he's in another area (a field) near home, he's good as gold and retrieves/recalls well. So, has anyone got any tips/tricks for getting him to ignore the food and come back all the time? Cheers, Wookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeksofdoom Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 My springer has broke and ran off a couple of times while out beating, what i was advised to do was to go after her and meet her where she least expected it. So if you know he's heading towards this area and you call him and there is no response take off after him like the clappers and try to head him off. When you do meet him your meeting should be anything but pleasant . Don't make friends with him either remain sullen and keep him close on the lead to heal. He'll soon get the message. This has worked very well for me and now she is working like a dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 similar sort of problem but mines only 4mths. better off the lead than on it. comes back to the whistle every time. but theres this guy, kids call him bird man, he goes over the woods every morning and feeds bread, a carrier bag full of the stuff. it took a week or so but pups fine with it now and walks right over without touching it. i just kept him on the lead and walked over it, when he went down to eat the bread i popped the lead and said 'leave' and then walked faster so he didn't get time to get any. on the occasion he did get some i tried to take it out of his mouth but he eats quicker than i can move so i ended up picking some bread up and keeping it in my hand, when he grabbed some the next time i popped the lease with a 'leave' and tried to fish the bread out, it was gone but i had the back up bread in my hand so i put it on the floor in front of him and popped the lead again with a 'leave' it took a few goes but he then got the message that it was not good to have the bread. this i still keep up now. i dont avoid the area'S that the birdman feeds the birds in as it's just about the whole of the playing field and wooded area, so i would not be able to walk the dog in this area. he hasn't even tried to pick the bread up now. off the lead he runs around with nose to the floor, runs over the bread and doesn't stop. would be nice if i could get him to do the same with leaves..................stones.................grass...............and all the other things puppies eat. only reason i was so determined with the bread is this birdman has a go as people for the dogs eating the birds food so i wouldn't put it past him to poison the bread to get his own back on the dogs. best of luck regards Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallarben Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 one of the training i do is sit my dogs up in the garden put there food bowls about 30 yds away from them only let them eat when i say this makes them steady and not food controled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Best not to have the pup in any situation where it may fail. You can do that later on. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinker Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 and the golden rule is dont scold him when he comes back.it will make him hesitant on his recall, if he fails on a recall you must go to him and let him know he *****d up. to be honest if you are having any problems you should be taking the advice of the guy you sent him to for training so he only has one set of rules to follow. good luck with him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 wookie its one of the circumstances an E-collar will help, I'd almost bet you'd only need to use it once or twice to cure the problem, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 wookie its one of the circumstances an E-collar will help, I'd almost bet you'd only need to use it once or twice to cure the problem, I second that, You would only need to use it once or twice. But if you do use it you will have to use a program and follow it by the letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallarben Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 electric collars seem ok if you intend to keep a colar on your dog dont like them much as a trainer but everyone to there own i suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 How is he on his sit whistle? If you blow it in this situation will he sit and stay there? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted December 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 When he's in full "naughty" mode and legging it, no, he does not respond to the sit whistle. Every other time he's good with it. I've had him out on the long lead the last couple of days (about 30') and the first time he thought he had been let off and legged it. He made it 30 feet before stopping. He's been a bit more careful since then, but he has the hang of recall when on the lead now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Best not to have the pup in any situation where it may fail. Ironclad and you ought to abide by it. Not the dog. You. Nor would the e-collar be appropriate in this case--it's a simple obedience situation that's not so simple when a dog thinks with its appetite. Prevent the dog from this trifle with table scraps and make better use your energy training it afield. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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