Recall for a houndy type - help!

E

ElaP

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 May 2009
Messages
125
Visit site
I wonder if any of you guys can help. I have a 4 year old trailhound (ex racer, was apparently rubbish
blush.gif
) that was a rescue. He is lovely dog, big softie and daft as a brush, quite thick until it comes to ways of stealing food - typical hound I am told! Hoever, he has one problem which I would love to solve - recall!

We've managed to train him to the extent that maybe 70% of the time he will come to call really well (with treats), but for the other 30% of the time he suddenly goes deaf; we can usually tell if he's going to bog off, as he gets his special 'hunting face' on (scrunchy eyebrows!). He has done runners to the extent of being found a few villages away... he can move fast
crazy.gif
! Because of the 30% risk, he is always on a flexi out walking, except in some nice enclosed woods opposite the house where he can sort of be trusted. I would LOVE to be able to walk him more places off lead, as he loves to run and although he doesn't mind the flexi, I worry he is not getting to exercise he needs (ideally he'd get 2 hours off lead a day, at the mo he gets maybe half an hour off lead and the rest on).

Any ideas - perhaps those of you with hound types have cracked this problem?! Thanks in advance.
smile.gif
 
Oh this is the eternal problem and I feel for you! Firstly, I am not sure what a trial hound is... is it like a bloodhound? We had an Irish Wolfhound and he was the same at first, however, niot food orientated in the slightest. We found the cure was miore exercise when he was old enough. We were fortunate to have reasonably safe areas near by but drove (even though we lived right in the country) around 200 miles a week to take him to safe areas with things to chase that would keep him entertained. He did 6 hours a day at peak fitness and this ensured he always came back. Because of the distances he would go we found that a two tone howl always brought him back to us.... It has to be as realistic as you can make it and let rip! It sounds odd but it worked everytime!
Best of luck!
 
A howl! I'd never have thought of that - I will try it, and see if it breaks through the selective deafness. We do take him to the beach sometimes which seems to be a good place for him - sometimes i wonder if he actually gets lost (he is a bit dim, and we have seen him run back on to a path, look around for us and then hare off in the wrong direction if he doesn't sport us...). It would be great to find some big flat fields with no stock on to do the same thing.. hmm.Thank you for the advice!
smile.gif


Oh, and trailhounds are a foxhound derivative, with bits of greyhound and saluki in - closest to a fell hound but less chunky. They race them up in Cumbria over the fells - there is a video of it here: http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory...tage/index.html

Needless to say, my lad is not quite as skinny as those hounds after a year of home comforts, although we work hard to stop him being a podge!
smirk.gif
 
He sounds scrumptious! Get some piccies up!!! Where abouts in the country are you? If anywhere near Norfolk or Rutland I can give you some great walks!
Ours relied on sight mainly and if we were out of sight, he would rely on the howl for direction. We would often 'spy' on him from behind trees looking for us.. and the silliest thing was he could trail a rabbit for miles but never seemed to use his sense of smell to track us!
 
Don't have a hound, but with my boy I found lots of hide and seek and doing daft stuff like rolling around on the ground (dogs are very nosy!), silly squeaky voice to recall (nothing harsh, he is meant to think it is fun and enjoyable to return to me) and then rewarding with food or a ball and making a huge fuss when he came back, worked.

I used to be terrified to let him off as he has a very strong prey drive, so we started out with a long line/lunge lead (you might find that works better for you, they get a longer reach and it replicates being 'off' much better than a flexi lead, you can use a harness if you think he might get tangled)
With him on a long line, he can think he is off the lead, but if he does go to tank off, you have a hold on him.
Then just repeat, repeat, repeat the recall technique.

He now goes happily off lead for the vast majority of our walk and I even managed to call him off a hare the other day!
 
Thank GOD it is not just my dog being a complete numpty - me and OH have also hidden behind trees!! And yes, ours also seems to lose his sense of smell when it comes to us - I have contemplated carrying anniseed around with me to see if that helps...
confused.gif


Ok, now I will try and put in a pic when I have learnt how to do it... will post anon!
 
Hacking_Hack, that's how we started the training, although not on a lunge - will definately try that as with the flexi he knows he can't go anywhere so doesn't bother trying. It's just that moment when he suddenly ignores... however, it's really heartening to hear that you got there - I could never be able to call him off if he was chasing a small furry thing!

Right, pictures for woolly... sorry if they are huge, never done this before!!

DSC02014.jpg


And because I think this shows his legs to advantage...
tongue.gif


sleeping.jpg


Oh for god's sake, I really can't work out how to make them smaller, have resized and everything. Sorry!

Edit due to terrible spelling and to say that that is NOT his bed in the second photo - it belongs to a cat, but doggie decided it was cosy...
 
He is lovely!

If you'd told me a few months ago I'd be able to let him off anywhere except for our field, I would have laughed, but it can be done!
I don't even use the long line anymore except for the beach, the rest of the time he is either off the lead or walks beside me nicely on a normal lead.

Good luck!
 
He is lovely!
smile.gif


Sorry I don't have much in the way of advice other than what others have said about rolling round on the floor and playing hide and seek...
grin.gif
 
Thanks all of you - I think he is the bee's knees as well, even with his little moment! Strange to say, I just to him to a different wood than normal, which he usually runs off in - let him off and he was an angel. He's obviously been taking note!! Am going to take all the advice here though, as I need to get it sorted.

Oh, and if you want one
wink.gif
go here...

http://www.trailhoundwelfare.org.uk/

And here is another pic of my lad
grin.gif
:

weswalk.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top