Mydog is perfect in everyway except RECALL help..........?

This works for all dogs - even lurchers!!! :-)

Get a whistle (not a silent dog whistle, but any one - Acme make great ones - see Acme Sonec Working Dog Whistle No 211.5 at www.acmewhistles.co.uk). The reason for the whistle is that the dogs have probably already learned to ignore your voice or anything else you've used so far so change the stimulus to get a different result.

For the next few weeks, do a sit and wait with her just before you're going to put her food bowl down. Wait a couple of seconds once bowl is down, blow the whistle (start quietly so you don't scare her!) and then tell her to go for the food. Build this gradually over a couple of weeks (and let her go to the bowl on the whistle without you prompting vocally) so that the bowl gets put down further and further away - even to the other side of the room (but don't go too far too fast because you want her to get it right and not get confused). Once you're at this stage, play "hide and seek" around the house at other times than meal times - be somewhere really obvious upstairs when they're in a room downstairs, blow the whistle and treat her immediately when she come to you - if she doesn't come running on the first whistle, don't do it again because you don't want her to learn to ignore the whistle. If she doesn't seem to get it, you've gone too far (or she's stuck somewhere!!), so bring it back to being just outside the doorway, half way up the stairs, etc.

Once you can blow the whistle and get her running from anywhere in the house, the garden, etc, take and extendable lead and some very high value treats (like chicken, ham or whatever their favourite thing is) and go to the park. Run her for a while so she's got rid of the excess energy then when they come back, pop them on the lead. Practice the sit wait, walk to the end of the extendable lead length and whistle/treat. Once she's done it successfully a couple of times, let her off again to have a run - don't be tempted to whistle for recall when she's free. Next day, run her again then start with the extendable again. After a couple of successful goes, lett her off but keeping control in the sit/wait (which is again why you do it after a run) then whistle/treat as normal from a little way away. Build this into your walks over the next week but do it when she can get it right initially - ie when she's coming back to you anyway, whistle and treat, hold the collar, fuss then let them go again. Once she's got it - you've got recall.

Important - Don't make recall just about coming back to put the lead and go home. Yes, put the lead on, give her a treat and fuss, but then let her go again. Do this a couple of times through the walk so she doesn't know when it's going to end.

Also, alternate your treats. When she's learning, give food EVERY time, but once she's got it, alternate so one time give chicken, next a toy to play with, next just a fuss, next time a smoked bone (but only do this by a bench because it will be a while before you move on and be prepared to be there a while - maybe do this when you meet friends in the park and decide you're going to do it with all your dogs?) Alternating rewards makes the desire to come back stronger - because she won't know what she's going to get. The best recall I've ever seen was from a dog whos owner took out a whole boned roast chicken a couple of times a year and, at some point during a walk, recalled with that as the treat - it never strayed far after that, just in case!

Only other thing to remember is to be interesting!!! If the outside world is more interesting than you then she's going to want to be out there instead of with you. Don't be predictable and go the same way all the time - change direction or hide behind a tree (but come out and call her AS SOON as she looks even a little bit lost or stressed looking for you). Rough and tumble with her, get silly, run about and play with toys. All of this will increase her bond to you, her enjoyment of being with you and the desire to be around you to see what you're going to do next!! (ok so you may need to do it when there aren't many people around but most people will just love to see someone enjoying their dogs.) She sounds lovely and like you've done so well with everything else. Good luck

No, no, no, never use spray and/or shock collars. Would you use them on people?

Keep treats in your pocket and with her on a very, very long but thin rope attached to her as a lead call her back regularly. If she does not return you can gather the rope and pull her to you. When she gets to you tell her she's a good girl after she has sat down. On the occasions she comes on her own giver her a treat. Initially you'll be giving her a treat every time she comes back on her own, then sometimes and eventually just rarely. If she never knows when a treat is 'in the offing' you are worth returning to to check.

She could indeed get herself into trouble on a road or be attacked by another dog and really should never be off the lead (even 20-30feet of rope) until you are sure she will come back when called. Your walks with her will be more fun and much less stressful affairs when you know you can get her back easily, and at two she will learn this pretty quickly

You can get long lines from pet stores which are thinner and lighter than conventional leads which allow the dog to really stretch their legs, but you get to keep hold of them. But if you do want them off lead it's about persistance.

You need very high value treats - we use tiny bits of cheese or sausage - and repetition (even when you think you've got it cracked, you need to practice over and over). Don't go far (just a few steps), get her to wait and then call. Build up the distance each time they come straight to you. When your dog comes, make a fuss. Don't call your dog and then turn your back; wait until they get to you, reward them and use an excited voice to praise her. Remember, training needs to be fun or an intelligent breed like a collie will soon get bored so involve the whole family and train in different locations so the dog knows that wherever you walk, when you call she needs to come back straight away.

You could do lead training as well to reinforce the message. Short lead, get her to walk to heel and when her attention wanders (another dog etc.) make her pay attention to you. Make her sit, let the distraction pass and reward her. Again, this is about reinforcing the fact that you are the most important person in the park and far more interesting than a dog... especially when you have cheese on you!

Finally, you could go to classes. They are not expensive and you will get support to deal with the issue. You sound like you have a wonderful dog, that just needs a bit extra training.

Good luck!

agree with the other answers about the long line - it has the added advantage that if your dog does make a bolt for the horizon you can quickly step on the leash! persistance is the key - and really yummy treats. you've got to make it worth her while to come back to you so use her absolute favourites - try making your own (loads of recipes on the web for liver cake etc). If she's not that into treats use her favourite toy as a reward - one of my dogs would run off to see other dogs and wasn't too fussed about food but she would sell her soul for a tennis ball so used that instead. now whenever she sees another dog she comes straight over to me and demands her ball for being a good girl :)

The key is to keep doing it - then, when she is returning every time you don't have to always give her a treat (keeps her guessing!) but every so often let her have one - even in 10 years time when she's old and slow still give her treat every now and then to reinforce you're worth coming back to. It also goes without saying that however long she takes to come back to you, you must always give her huge praise

And don't let anyone tell you lurchers can't perfect recall - I've had lurchers from pups to taking on rescue dogs as old as 15 - some of these were ex-working dogs (as well as some ex-racing greyhounds). Some may have taken longer than others but if you put the effort in and have some patience you will always be rewarded. The fact she's got collie in her is an added bonus for training (although likely to make her more energetic!)

good luck, she sounds lovely :)

Why would you want to punish your dog because you failed to teach a reliable recall? Instead of using an aversive (a 'training' collar), try using positive reinforcement for teaching the recall. When done correctly and consistently, it really works! You start by training in a low/no distraction environment and build to the kinds of distraction you mentioned. it won't happen overnight and you will need to proof the recall at least once/week after it's learned. If you don't do clicker training, you can still use the general principles for teaching the recall. Clicker training is used on all kinds of animals - including killer whales, etc. Trainers do not use (or need to use) punishment/aversive training devices with these animals, so why should we use them on our best friends?

While spray collars have their place I would not recommend them for this situation. They are most helpful for unwanted noise behavior like barking. My suggestion would be to work on basics. At this point you are reenforcing poor behavior and she will just get worse. I would go to you local pet-supply and pick up a 20ft leash, some REALLY yummy soft treats and a sturdy collar or harness (NOT a choke chain).

Next time you take your dog into the field attach the long leash to your non-choke collar and let it drag the ground. Have your pockets full of yummy treats but don't let her know you have them. This would work best if the first few time there were no other dogs present for distraction. Let your dog get 10-15 feet away from you and call her back to you - the response should be immediate. If it is not, step on the end of the long leash to stop her then pick it up and reel her in, all the while telling her she's great dog and to "come". This part should be very happy and energetic. Once she gets to you give her the special treat and tell her how wonderful she is. Repeat this at various (and surprising) times for the next few days. Keep the leash on until comes no matter what the distraction. Slowly you will be able to remove the leash and she will come to you without it. NOTE: the leashes purpose is to enforce what you are telling her to do -- Remember - commands without follow through is just nagging and we all hate to be nagged.

Good luck and be patient!

I wouldn't reccomend a spray collar for this problem.

You can get vibrting collars that may work better.

The whole point is to get the attention of your dog so a long line maybe a good idea as well

We taught our pup recall in an enclosed tennis court it worked brilliantly!

Wow. Talk to breeders/trainers of hunting dogs about this one, as they deal with it most often, actually. A beagle often will chase deer, etc., rather than just the rabbits it is supposed to. They train the problem ones to stop this, or the dog is no good to them, so they know this better than most trainers would. Get help, if need be, as this is hazardous to dog, and owner, should the animal do wrong (even accidentally) while off lead, you are the responsible party, legally speaking. Also, if it chases deer in PA, it is allowed to be shot on sight for doing this, by law. Not good for the beloved family member, huh? Good luck, sincerely, I hope I helped, if only a little. Peace.

Same problem sounds like my dog except mine spinoneXfoxhound, try this it working for us. Buy a 30 foot horse lead rein clip this on let your dog off, have plenty of treats that your dog cannot resist let it know that you have them, then just keep shouting your dog, every time it comes back reward it.You may have to clap buy a whistle look silly if it works then all well and good, if it doesnt then you have 30 foot of lead to stand on.Keep at it like me we are hampered by the fact we have hounds and if the tail is up and the nose is down its hard. Good luck

BYB Micheal Vick, I've never heard such rubbish, i have always owned Lurchers and any dog that is half collie is a very intelligent dog and should be allowed off the lead.

As for not letting a dog off the lead, especially a working breed in my eyes is cruel, they are bred to run and should be allowed to do so.

My Lurcher was a working dog (used to catch rabbits and hares) (i would then take them home and skin them for my dogs and cats to eat, before anyone starts on me for that)

and if i didn't want him to chase something i only had to change the tone of my voice when calling his name and he would stop (obviously had to be done BEFORE his was chasing, when he was looking at the prey), you could see his body shake with excitement and his instinct pulling him towards the chase but he always listened and would come back feeling sorry for himself!

To answer your question, i would buy a long training line and you and your husband take her out on the line with her favourite treats and just keep calling her back and making a huge fuss when she comes back, when you feel ready try it off the lead, but receptiveness is the answer, you need to make yourself more appealing then the other dog. if you ask her to do something at home make sure she does it, however small, you must have her respect and then she will listen to you.

Good luck x