Teaching recall to an older dog?

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Fat_Pony

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I have a jack Russell cross (rescue dog, not sure what she is crossed with) with an unknown past. She is a year old, so not old at all, but has had no past training. We now have sit (if I have a treat or a toy in my hand) and paw (only if she can smell a treat in my hand!) and she seems to understand leave when she is annoying the cat, but think that is probably the tone of my voice. Same with down when she jumps on the sofa. But recall is non existent. We have a large secure garden at the front of the house and the fields out back. I'd like to take her out with me when I poo pick etc, but she stays in the field for 10 mins and then is though the hedge and off. I have tried having treats in a tins so they rattle loudly, but running free is more exciting! She is walked regularly, goes for a run with my other half and is taken to the forest for time off the lead. Here her recall is not too bad, well - we haven't lost her yet!

i have been told, due to her age, that it may not be possible to teach her recall as it is hard to teach and needs to be done as a pup. I am not an experienced dog owner, but am giving it a good go! Any tips?
 
First thing - try to avoid 'down' for getting off the sofa - down means lie down on the floor - use off instead - avoids confusion as most dogs are doing what they believe to be 'down' when they are lying on the sofa, then when they don't get off we tell them off and that is not fair.

Right, on to the main event. Bear in mind she is an older dog and she is part terrier so she is genetically inclined to want to go off hunting and seek out small furry things hiding in holes.

Deploy a long line, attached to a harness, so that can trail but you can grab it when you need to.

I'm not a big fan of feeding additional treats on top of food - use her daily ration of food and feed it from your pocket and give it to her when she does something you want her to, if she is hungry she will soon get the idea that all her food comes from you.
I ALWAYS train a hungry dog. Don't feed first (dog won't be hungry) or feed afterwards (dog knows 'ah well, I'll get my dinner anyway')

If you hit big problems later you can break out things like chicken or mackerel or whatever.

Now think like a dog - if my mate and I went out for a walk, and my mate decided to play with her phone the whole time, well of course, I would go off on my own, and look at the trees and the birds and get all interested by them and I would make my own fun.
Why wouldn't a dog? It's unfair to expect certain types of dogs to dawdle around and wait for you while you're doing nothing stimulating or exciting for them - a lot WILL go off and find their own fun. I know some potter about but not all. At the moment you are giving her no incentive to stick around.

So I would either take the time to stimulate her while you are poo picking by involving her in some way or taking a ball chucker and sending her off on a chase while you do the work, or just keep her in the car or a stable, nothing will ever stop a dog going off hunting, 100%, except a physical barrier.
 
Won't be such fun if she decides to chase someone else's stock though. I wouldnt hesitate to shoot someones dog if it were in my field chasing my sheep, cattle etc. i have 4 spaniels, 1of which i took on as a 3 year old with no training behind her. she can go anywhere now without trying to ****** off, by using the harness and long line effect to train her. Patience and not taking your eyes off her for the time it takes until she is trained.

Get training like the post above suggests ................
 
But the post doesn't explain how to train her with the long line? Maybe obvious to you doggy people, but I don't understand :(
 
Fat_Pony said:
But the post doesn't explain how to train her with the long line? Maybe obvious to you doggy people, but I don't understand :(
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I know it is really frustrating, you just want the dog (especially a rescue) to be happy and have a good time. It is worth it though, because in the long term, you will have a happy dog, safe for you her, and for all others.

If you get a harness and a long line (as described above) and make sure you use it all the time it will work. I take a bum bag, with little meaty treats cut up and some smelly cheese, cut up spam - anything. Whilst walking, vary the length of the line depending on how she is relating to you. Chose you word - anything will do - I simply use 'come' and encourage her to you with excited voice, or changing direction - when she comes, give her a little treat and then move on. Sometimes hold her for a moment before you release her again. Sometimes toss the treat a little way and let her look for it (you have made it a fun game). Keep changing direction - remember you are the one with the big brain making he decisions - so that she will start to look out for what you are doing. Be vigilant when she is scenting, and break the hunting adrenaline surge before it starts by calling her back. Always be kind, but also be firm. When you go through a gate, make her wait until you have gone first, for example, if she trys to rush though, block her with your leg, until she waits nicely. The simple objective is for you to be pack leader, so she looks to you for safety and instruction. All of this is on the long line. Eventually you can let it trail, and then one day - you can lose it. Every dog is different and times vary, but you will get there I promise ! A dog or her age and background may take longer than some. Carry the theory at home too - off line. You go through a door first, you go upstairs first. You decide when and if it is playtime or which toy to use. Finish the game before she walks off - leave her needed to come to you for entertainment !

good luck - stick with it, it is really worth it. And we'll done for taking on a rescue, good on you.

hope this helps.
BDD
 
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I am sure there are training tips for long lines. My understanding is you have the long line on so that, if need be you can tread on or grab it if she ignores you recalling her and heads off elsewhere!

Note sure how long you've had her but to be honest, I would keep a new dog on a lead as long as I could and make being with me 'fun'! My dog is terrier x collie type and is ball-obsessed so if I have a ball or something to play with she is not interested in anything else. She is a bit people clingy though and, although she does have a very high prey drive I don't worry about her not coming back. What I do worry about is her reaching a road so I am very careful where I let her off lead. She will not chase livestock, I know that BUT I do not want her running across farmers' fields after rabbits as, as far as a farmer is concerned she's in a field of livestock and they are within their rights to shoot!

I think the tips of feeding her 'meal' via treats is a good one. The only problem I have come across with terriers is they're not always very greedy. If yours is then great but if that isn't her motivation then maybe you need to find what is - be it a squeaky toy or whatever. For now, I would keep her on a lead and maybe attach this to your waist whilst you're poo picking so she gets the idea she is supposed to stay with you!
 
Thanks, that is very helpful. We have one of those retractable leads, a 5m one, is that what you mean? When we go to the forest we let her off and she runs about, but doesn't go too far and goes where ever we go. Should we keep her on the lead to help with this training or can we still let her off here? Elsewhere she is on the lead, but always on the end of it sniffing around. She isn't at all interested in a ball or toy unless we are at home as walks are much more interesting, but food would work to keep her attention
 
Fat_Pony said:
But the post doesn't explain how to train her with the long line? Maybe obvious to you doggy people, but I don't understand :(
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Fair enough, I didn't realise you weren't in the know so to speak (sorry) - grab a couple of books from the library then on dog training maybe - that should tell you the ins and outs of how to go about the long line method, or last resort find a dog trainer who specialises in recall (might be expensive - but worth it in the end) if the lucky dog will get more freedom.
 
Fat_Pony said:
Thanks, that is very helpful. We have one of those retractable leads, a 5m one, is that what you mean? When we go to the forest we let her off and she runs about, but doesn't go too far and goes where ever we go. Should we keep her on the lead to help with this training or can we still let her off here? Elsewhere she is on the lead, but always on the end of it sniffing around. She isn't at all interested in a ball or toy unless we are at home as walks are much more interesting, but food would work to keep her attention
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Personally I wouldn't be letting her off the lead (bit again I don't know how long you've had her) and no, not a retractable lead, more a lunge line so you can, in theory let them 'free' but stamp on the lead if you feel she's going too far away/not responding to you calling her. That's my understanding of the long line anyway but I am no expert by any means and it might be worthwhile you reading some books or online tips on training. Also maybe a training class would help as you can teach her to focus on you even when there are distractions about. Terriers are generally always wanting to be 'in' to something so you have to try and get that focus on to you. It is not easy with a dog with a high prey drive but it will come. Mine used to streak off after things and I wondered how on earth I would stop her. However, I've had her about 20 mths now (she was 9mths when I got her) and she is loads better and I can trust her in most situations. As said though, I am not daft and wouldn't let her off lead in a new area if there was any livestock about.
 
Apologies, sorry, others have gone on to explain much better than I did!!

Please bear in mind it will take lots of time and repetitions and it is time consuming. You cannot train her to do anything if your back is turned and you are picking poo.

If she is prey driven you can also use a flirt pole (a raggie or toy tied to a stick) to get her attention from a distance.

One key to recall is, as mentioned, catching her attention before she is off hunting, once the nose is down and the tail is up, it's too late. You will get to notice the 'I am about to bog off!' signals.
 
A lightweight lunge line, or a tracking line (this sort of thing http://www.medicanimal.com/setSessi...k_googlebase&gclid=CNHk7systrkCFYOWtAodGRcASA) is probably preferable to an extendable lead for this. The flexi-leads can teach them that pulling on the lead gets a result, and also they are quite bulky in your hand - it's much easier to reel a tracking line in.

There is a good book on this issue called 'Total Recall' by Pippa Mattinson - it's worth a read http://www.amazon.co.uk/Total-Recall-Pippa-Mattinson/dp/1846891493
It does cover training dogs with established recall issues as well as starting from scratch with a puppy.
 
Fat_Pony said:
Thanks, that is very helpful. We have one of those retractable leads, a 5m one, is that what you mean? When we go to the forest we let her off and she runs about, but doesn't go too far and goes where ever we go. Should we keep her on the lead to help with this training or can we still let her off here? Elsewhere she is on the lead, but always on the end of it sniffing around. She isn't at all interested in a ball or toy unless we are at home as walks are much more interesting, but food would work to keep her attention
Click to expand...

Other people have mentioned about long lins but I'd also work on her general lead manners. When walking mine they are expected to be walking at heel without the lead ever really coming into use, they are not wandering about at the end of it sniffing around unless I stop and allow them to.
 
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