Dog ran away whilst on walkies...

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Dottyfordylan

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Got a phone call from my bf while I was at work, he was hysterical told me they were walking in the woods together by the park which Is our normal walk and she went off sniffing and just didn't come back!
I headed up to the park pulled into the car ark to find her stood by my boyfriend car looking up at the window?!

She does often run off when she gets a scent but only for a minute and doesn't go far then meets us back on the path. She is nearly two years old has always gone off the lead without a problem.

Should I be concerned that she might do it again? Should I do things differently on our walks? I'm happy that she went back to the car ark but what if there's a next time and she heads for the road instead:(
 
Others may disagree but I think you might try long lining her for a while. Yes, the line will get wet, yes, it is a pain in the bum, yes, it will get tangled in things but I think it is worth it to reinforce recall. Cut the hand loop off the line and tie a knot in it instead. Use a short lead for short work, keep that in your pocket or clip it around you.
What breed is she?
I am inclined to leave the long line trailing (attached to a harness or a flat collar which is quite tight fitting) and the MINUTE the dog starts to circle and put the nose down, recall. If this does not get a response, grab or stand on the loose line, recall (reel her in if you have to) and reward. The minute the nose is down and the tail is up and the dog is running is too late.
I am also a fan of hand feeding, IE tip some or all of the dog's daily allowance of food into your pockets (you can use a fishing jacket or camera jacket with big pockets) and every time she recalls, feed her by hand, so she identifies you with the food.

My pup is nine months and he is in his tanking off phase :p so he has a long line attached for free running, as mentioned with roads and livestock and even dog thieves about, I like to be safe rather than sorry.
 
she's a jrt i didn't long line as a pup as recall was good. I have tried reinforcing recall with food but she's to hyper and not interested in food when out on a walk. Although food plus long lining sounds like a good option. If she doesn't come straight away to the voice she normally does to a sqeaky ball but apparently this didn't work today...
 
Well as a terriorist :p she will have a penchant for going down holes and after small furry things :p the thing with hand feeding is that it is not ON TOP of their daily food, it IS their daily food, if you see what I mean? Ideally the dog will be hungry when you take it out so will be more interested in the food. If she is more toy orientated, experiment with squeaky things, furry things (a furry toy on a line or stick/flirt pole, like a lure is fab for terriers) something that she goes NUTS for, not something she has constant access, a special toy, and try that out on walks as well :)
 
Good advice from cc! You could also try a whistle, as i find this gets a nettra response. Introduce it at mealtimes to begin with, then only use it when the dog is already coming back for a good few weeks before you rely on the whistle alone. Long lines are a pain but they can be very effective, so definitely worth a try!
 
When using rewards you also need to introduce them in a "non interesting environment" i.e garden, in the home, you have no chance of getting that initial attention with positive rewards when she is far more interested in " smells, noises, little animals;)
Also don't allow her to go totally from your sight without attempting to recall her first, its too late when she is "gone".
 
Good luck with training your recall to your JRT! Mine retrained me in everything I thought I knew about recall training :D

Mine, like yours are not motivated by food, even when hungry its just not high value enough, plus I dont find a treat breaks the thought pattern enough, they would sit, wait, take it and return back to the very same duty they were after when I produced the treat.

I found a kong wubba useful, great squeak and great ratty appearence! I took it out hidden in my inside pocket and the moment I saw them latch on to something else I'd produce it and start a game. The frenzy that ensued for that toy well out matched the desire to run after a dog/human/butterfly :rolleyes: and by the time I put the toy away they had forgotten what they were after anyway :D

*although as an aside I could NEVER let them have the toy otherwise I'd never catch either of them ever again - that's how high value it was! :D :D*
 
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