Scary time today

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Goya

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Took the dogs for a run in a local large park (Delapre for those in Northants).
We were having a great time. Chasing balls, Monty was being really good with his recall as were they all until Skye noticed a flock of seagulls on the grass in the distance.
She just took off after them. Of course they took flight, but the stupid dog was still chasing them. At one point she swam across a small pond, then headed towards the road.
I was going frantic, calling her etc, but the silly dog just was in such a swithched off mode, I'm sure she didn't hear me.
Luckily she turned away from the road and ran back through the park, with me still in hot pursuit, yelling my lungs off!
Other dog walkers were just standing there. I'm not sure what they were thinking--probably look at that stupid woman who has naughty dogs!
Anyway after a good few minutes, Skye decided to come back to me. I was really scared that she was going on to the road. Am still shaking now.
Needless to say she went straight back on the lead.
Sorry to bore you with this, but needed to talk to someone. I'm now worried that she might do the same thing again.
 
Hi,

we have a 18 month old Parsons...she is a working dog (but a home dog at night!). When she was about a 12 months old she ran of towards a road after a hare...she got a big telling off when my OH got hold of her and she has never done it again. Don't get me wrong she still chases stuff but knows that by the second shout she needs to come back and pronto!

When she comes back she gets a fuss and told she's a good girl and we've only ever had to b****** her the once.

I'm not saying kick 7 bells out her but they do need to know you are 'in charge' so i think a smacked bum wouldn't go a miss.
 
As above, the first time Chlo did that to me she got one hell of a *******ing when she came back.....never did it again.

Am I remembering correctly that Skye is very nervous though? In which case, yelling is not a good plan!

Perhaps go back a step, long line if you did it. Or just taking out super tasty treats etc with you next time so that you're more exciting.

What idiots, nobody helping you though.

Hope you're ok and glad Skye is safe. xxxx
 
Poor you. Glad Skye decided to tune in at the right moment.

Once, we were walking Stella in a state park. We've done this walk many times, and part of the path goes alongside a cliff with a sixty foot drop. Only this time Stella heard a chipmunk in the undergrowth and went into full terrier mode. She kept going close to the edge, sniffing and then darting, and with her only having vision in her left eye, I was worried that she might tip over the edge. Luckily my husband caught her. She has yet to repeat the episode (thank goodness) but we did get quite a fright.
 
I did make it clear to her that I wasn't happy, without going "over the top" and as said, she went straight on to the lead. The other 2 seemed worried also (probably sensed my fear) so they had a treat and she didn't!
 
If I walloped my dog after he came back, he would never come back, it doesn't work with every dog, especially a sensitive one, where's the incentive to recall if the dog knows it is going to get a hiding? I do a good line in cold shoulders once the urge to kick seven shades of crap out of them has passed :o :o :o

B actually went into the sea and delivered an almost-dead half-seagull into my hand the first time he was ever at the beach :o :o :o I did the dirty deed seeing as he wasn't polite enough.....

B is on a lead unless the area is fenced/secure or he is chumming about with a dog with better recall than him (see Tikka :D). I really don't have an issue with it, we all get plenty of exercise!
 
Poor you, it just makes you feel so sick with worry. Just after xmas, mine had just had a nice long walk and I was actually thinking 'aww, look at the little guy, so good at coming back now' (he's 11 months).
You can guess the rest!
It was another dog, and he just belted off to play before I could even blink. Both of them ran across three fields (with cows) and straight towards the road. I was very, very lucky in that the other dog was just going back to his house.
Unfortunately they caught theirs by opening the front door, but left it open so Alfie went in as well.
I saw a lot of surprised looking children, but I now like to think they remember as The Xmas Where a Strange Dog Ran in the House!
He now spends random times on the lead on walks, and I've spent a lot of time on 'wait' (which he has to do by every single gate before going through) and 'come'. Plus trips to parks and learning to ignore other dogs- well, mostly ignore! I just have to watch when the ears suddenly reach 'full mast', cause then I'm in trouble
 
Its a horrible feeling when they head off into the distance isn't it. Glad she switched back on to you eventually. Like you CC I am very wary where Evie is let off lead as I know she is a hunter (no one told her she was a GSD, shethinks she is a hound of some sort :p). I have lost her after a fox, and probably the scariest one was after a hare, quite a distance from a road but knowing how hares can run I was panicking. Luckily she decided she hadn't a hope of catching it and came back to me.
Tempting as it is I would not advocate hitting a dog if it does come back to you. I put her back on lead, and do a bit of sharp heel work, sits, downs etc so she knows she has to pay attention to me, not fast running furry things.
 
Never hit a dog when it comes back to you (If it has run off) this will only instill in it that it gets told off for returning and you will find it will not return.

Go back to basics on a long lead and if need be put the dog into a situation where it could chase something and then as it runs off pull the long lead sharply and give the command strongly "NO"

Mine are all whistle trained.
 
With all due respect, Chlo got a smack and now comes back every time....

What works for one may not work for another, but it MIGHT.
 
CaveCanem said:
I've had to rugby tackle B a couple of times. Not sure if that helped or hindered recall :p
Click to expand...

Ditto!

B has only really swanned off once. She took off into the field infront of my parents house and decided she wanted to play with the wild horses in it. Stupid little animal.

I rugby tackled her in the end and she was given a stern talking to in my high pitched recall voice.

She wouldnt come back if I smacked her.
 
Gizmo has done this before it was awful he thought he could catch a flying blackbird, when i see birds on the ground and we are heading towards them i alway try and makesure i have his attention and fingers crossed he wont chase it.
 
I agree with some dogs responding to certain tactics that others don't. Our now 13 yo collie x (some terrier type) has always had shall I say 'selective' hearing and before he was chopped he would regularly wander off for a hour or so if he got away from you on a walk but he seems to know the serious recall and the normal recall. He is ridiculously intelligent which makes him a bit of a sod. He is one of those who always knows where you are on a walk though even when you have no clue where he is, although he's not so bad these days thankfully.

However, I am bit paranoid about dogs running off now since we lost one of our dogs who would just get in 'the zone' and b*gger off. She had no sense of direction at all and we would often get calls form people who had found ber when she'd got lost on a walk when she's gone on the chase. She would manage to find random strangers houses but nevre her own!

Sadly after we'd had her 5 years, one evening down the stables she just took off as she remembered the farmer across the road ( a fair way from the stables) had cat food in his barns. I will never forget that night going to search for her in the pouring rain. She had been hit by car on the road which was a fast country lane. It was horrid and although vets tried what they could she had to be PTS due to her injuries. Because of that i like to know any dog i have has decent recall. I would hate to go through that again!
 
My ex's lab used to do this all the time found a scent and good bye!!!!! Once we lost her for a whole 5 mile walk x-country. Not the romantic walk we planned. We gave up and headed home to get the car, to find her sat on the pavement waiting for us grrrrrrr!!!! I was just so glad he had her in the habit of sitting whilst waiting to cross the road. Funnily enough I saw the lab today she was looking a tad grey bless her (must be 12 now), ex is still looooking fiiiiiiit though damn it lol. Trust me nice to look at and thats about it though.
 
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Ours was a lab too but one of those leggy athletic ones. I blame her first owner TBH. We rescued her from Dogs Trust but I think she was mentally scarred from being shut in a she most of her early life by her elderly owner who found her too much to cope with. She just wanted to run and be free I think as she'd never had the chance. She'd also never been socialised so didn't care for other dogs, just her toys and anything she could chase. Such a shame as she was a beautiful dog and we thought we'd cracked her behaviour.
 
I didn't hit her at all--would never do that especially as she is (all mine are) a rescue dog, but I made it clear that I wasn't pleased by body language. I insisted on some sit, down, stays etc as well. as another poster has said and praised for that good work.
 
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