When recall fails...

[Ouch05]

Out with my two mutts yesterday with my OH having a lovely walk in an area we know well as do my two girls. We have not done this walk for about a year as it was closed off due to sheep.

Just going around one corner and we were not quick enough to spot a hare and get the girls back. Next thing we know a black and a ginger bum were off up the hill giving chase, followed by two terrified owners. I spotted the little black one next to the hole called her back and put on the lead but the other terror was off giving chase like her life depended on it. Up a massive hill, down another field. Both OH and I are at pull pelt after her as she was getting closer and closer to a main road.

I over take my OH (I am a XC runner) calling her, screaming at her anything to break the hunt instinct that has kicked in. At this point I am crying, screaming wildly snot everywhere still waving around a poo bag when I finally catch her attention and she just sits. Just like that, hey mum I didn't hear you I will just and wait now. This was one meter away from a main road. I grabbed her and collapsed in a heap until OH caught up.

I have never felt so sick, the thought of her running in to the road and any further accidents that may have resulted is just too much to bear.

The girls are very good off the lead normally and recall is not an issue, we do not walk where livestock is and they get popped on the lead when we think there are hares/dears around.

No really point to the thread apart from I now have damaged hamstring and we will not walk the girls on the route again off the lead.

 

[Griffin]

What a walk, bless you. I think every dog owner has had a recall fail that has made them completely terrified at some point or another (mine ended up in the next village, to this day I don't know how she avoided getting run over). You got them both back though and that is the main thing though.

 

[Clodagh]

Hamstring injury nasty. Do get treatment if merited, I still suffer from mine that I tore years ago.
This was a classic example, @ArklePig why one dog is easier than two! We have all bricked it at some point.
I once watched Red, when I hadn’t had her long, trailing a deer across a field and it had gone over the fence into a field of sheep. Sheer terror. Like yours she suddenly realised the hysterical me meant ‘come here’.

 

[ArklePig]

Yikes! Glad it ended well and I hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Moobli]

I’m sure all dogs owners have been there at some point. Hope your injury isn’t long lasting and your heart palpitations have calmed down now.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

OMG heart in mouth moment, glad all is ok!

 

[DabDab]

Oh the terror . It's amazing though that voice that comes out of you in that kind of situation - an adrenaline-fuelled foghorn of a noise that's more like something off a battlefield. And then when whatever you are shouting at just suddenly looks back at you like "Jesus, what's up with you?!"

Hope your hamstring heals quickly

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Sorry you managed to injure yourself but what a relief, so close to a catastrophic ending but saved just in time.

 

[gunnergundog]

Not sure what breed you have but teach the stop whistle. Stop often works when recall fails and gives you the chance to catch up with the reprobate. In the eyes of the dog, it is still getting a small reward as it can still watch the prey away, which it can't do it if it turns and recalls to you.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Not sure what breed you have but teach the stop whistle. Stop often works when recall fails and gives you the chance to catch up with the reprobate. In the eyes of the dog, it is still getting a small reward as it can still watch the prey away, which it can't do it if it turns and recalls to you.

This. My dog (Labrador) is trained on stop whistle and recall whistle, stop whistle is much more effective then anything else for stopping him doing whatever he shouldn’t be doing!

 

[MyBoyChe]

This thread has made me feel better about our own recall fail a couple of weeks ago. 8 month old pup picked up the scent of a hare and was wrong side of field from us but still in view. He lost the hare but both he and we spotted a deer and he obv also picked up the scent. At one point he was 2 fields away, dangerously close to a sheep field and also the road! Our other 2 older dogs stayed with us so he was hunting alone. At one point he was almost within grabbing distance of me but just kept running, his instinct kicking in. I was screaming at him, OH was just trying to keep him in view, we were both having a mini breakdown. After about 10 mins he just seemed to give up the will to chase and came trotting back. We havent walked that route since, I think there are just too many smells at this time of year and too close to sheep to risk him doing it again. We have since deployed a harness and longline with a tube of cheese spread. He is now off the leash and recall re established, but OMG, it was so frightening

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Your heart just leaps round, doesn’t it? I had a recall fail with Brig once, looked round and he was heeling some random couple at a fair distance in the woods and had apparently gone deaf. I had to properly scream for him to realise that he wasn’t heeling me! So bizarre, particularly as they must have heard me shouting for him but didn’t even pause. I’m very careful where we take the youngsters, fortunately the mad one (Goose) responds to the recall whistle even if he spots a muntjac.

I hope you have only done something very minor. I remember dad running up the street and snapping his Achilles tendon, he was in plaster hip to toe for weeks!

 

[Ouch05]

Thank you everyone you have made me feel better. Injury is slowing getting there.

Dogs are both mutts. I will google the stop whistle

 

[Landcruiser]

It's horrible, isn't it. in his younger days our lovely lurcher Joe took off after various wildlife so we stopped any off lead time except in enclosed areas. He was well trained, obedient, great recall, but absolutely deaf once he locked onto something. A few years ago (now very much old enough to know better) he spotted some deer before I did and took the extender lead out of my woolly gloved hand and went after them. It was terrifying - early feb, absolutely freezing, sheep and lambs in various fields around the area - and Joe gone, trailing a 20ft extender lead. I lost sight of him very quickly as we have thick hedges around here - I followed as best I could, gasping like a stranded fish with panic and asthma (always at its worst in the cold). I managed to phone the local farmer and warn him that our dog was loose and to keep an eye - very aware he could be shot if he did get in with sheep. My other fear was NOT finding him and having him caught up somewhere - it's not very populated and no footpaths, so he could freeze or starve...or the main road a few fields over...all this went through my head.
He was found about 4 hours later, yelling at the top of his voice, thoroughly tangled in a bramble thicket in earshot of a livery yard a couple of miles away - thankfully someone had gone to investigate the barking.
Lessons were learned

 

[Annette4]

I had the same happen with Dobby and Ginny once, they ended up on a quite lane boxed in by 2 cars having lost the hare. I do think (given their types and that we have a real issue locally with lampers) that the locals thought it wasn't an accident until they saw my snotty crying face charging after them. I was terrified as neither had ever done anything like it (Dobby has always called off anything and Ginny had never even chased anything). We haven't done that walk since but if we do they will both be on long lines next time!