The Plan Options

[jackied]

I decided I must not hijack Jennywren's thread, I'm very bad about doing that kind of thing.

So, scraping ludicrously discouraged self off floor with poo bag, here is my retraining plan. Extra suggestions welcome. I have just ordered a dog 'belt' and a bungee attachment.

(1) continue teaching Lucy that tug with new rabbit fur toy is the best thing ever, with the aim of it eventually being interesting on walks as well as in house. (She likes it more than any other tug toys I've tried.)

(2) Morning when there are lots of birdies: Walk both dogs in fields before their breafast on short leads (sorry, Twix, hopefully not forever ). Reward Lucy for every moment of attention. About every fourth treat, throw it into the long grass and tell her to 'find it'. In the long run I think it would be really good if I could teach her to do that with a toy other than a ball.

(3) Afternoon, when Twix doesn't go out and there aren't many birdies. Walk Lucy in fields on long lead recalling for treats or ball lots and lots and lots. Jackpot treats if she was being interested in a bird but came anyway. Also work on general training at recreation ground probably before we go into the fields. I think I can do that safely with the long line trailing - I'll have to judge it day by day I think.

4) continue to play impulse control games at home, (including 'don't charge the chicken run') add in more recall games.

5) Think of a new 'come' cue (suggestions?) Using a whistle backfired as she was going to other people's whistles, most embarrassingly a referee's whistle during a football match

6) Think of a way to stop OH poisoning the new 'come' cue. That is REALLY hard!

7) Hope she doesn't start barking at home even more because she's not getting any free running!

8) Consider taking her to the dog run on the Gog Magogs. However only the main field would be anything like Lucy proof, and I suspect she could squeeze under the gate even there, giving her performance on the rec on Friday plus we have the fear of the car problem, though that is improving.

[coinsky]

Sounds good.

A new recall....' Here' ? That's what I tend to use..

As part of the self control at home, I would also practice calling her back from exciting stuff in the garden, so in mid play with Twix...wind her up with a toy, throw it..send her and then recall her half way there and same with a sausage etc. That way she gets used to stopping herself and recalling at a time when she is excited!

[muttlover2]

so is the problem recall or chasing birds? Does it matter if she chases birds - or is it that you have no recall at all then? (Sorry I realise I don't know a lot about Lucy's issues and just trying to get up to date). I know a friend of mine was massively helped by specific springer training advice and nose work with her springer cross who wasn't recalling. And also a good class.

[riotous_uk]

I've heard to cracking recall cues which are quite difficult to say in a cross tone...'cheese' and 'bananas'

[tangojulie]

I discovered by chance that Flash recalls best to 'chicken wings' .

[nikirushka]

I use 'here' as well, I find it easier to say in a high-pitched, carrying voice than 'come' I also have 'biscuits' as a backup for Remy

I've heard to cracking recall cues which are quite difficult to say in a cross tone...'cheese' and 'bananas'

One woman I worked with last year used 'cheese', she used to say 'cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-eeeeese!' in the highest pitch I've ever heard, it made me giggle every time

This post has been edited by nikirushka: 26th Mar 2012, 12:38 pm

[GSDSian]

Celery's daughter taught Mabon to drop toys when she said 'cup a soup'

[muttlover2]

Well I do a kind of Come-come-come-come! very fast and high-pitched and excited and singsong. He likes this but I don't have a hope if there is something even more exciting (like a whole group of marauding dogs that he was marauding with happily this morning! My lovely recall fell on totally deaf ears today and I felt rather embarrassed.)

Or I have Come! in masterful tones. He does usually obey this one if he is doing something semi-exciting but if he is fearful (of sounds) I can't sound cross.

What I have found is that if he is worried (say by noise) then I have to use the first one. Or I can use the second one, but there is a point at which sounding cross in any way won't work. But the first high-pitched one can. However, a more cross one may be more likely to work if the distraction is just a fun distraction. So, it's all a bit complicated.

Usually stumping off in the other direction and yelling "this way" is most effective if he's ignoring recall and its not about noise etc.

What I'm trying to say is it's not the word but maybe the way you say it that is the thing to work out and have a particular way.

I came up with Come-come-come-come because he took off once in fear and I was calling and calling and trying to sound masterful and trying everything. And I felt bloody desperate. As he disappeared over the horizon I dont' know why but I suddenly did it - really high voice, very trilling and excited and he just whipped round and started heading back. My OH and I looked at each other in wonder. So I've used that ever since.

[jackied]

so is the problem recall or chasing birds? Does it matter if she chases birds - or is it that you have no recall at all then?

The problem is recall if there are birds to chase. Which of course there almost always are! Until very recently she'd get them 'up', then recall, but now she's started getting the first bird to fly away, and then immediately setting off after the next bird, and the next, till she's waaay over the horizon, or out of the rec onto the road, or wherever. Throwing the ball used to work really well, but now she just absconds with the ball.

If there are no birds at all she might go up to a human to say hello but apart from that is very good.

This has been a problem for less than a week but I am under no illusions that it will get better if I don't take action.

[celia]

5) Think of a new 'come' cue (suggestions?) Using a whistle backfired as she was going to other people's whistles, most embarrassingly a referee's whistle during a football match

quoting you, but that made me

A different whistle might not help I guess? There are some that have varied pitches so the manufacturers claim no two are identical.

For close work Beth recalls to "sausage" and me crouching down with a mystery squeaking noise, that I emit by sort of gurning and doing summat I cannot describe with my mouth. I hide the interesting invisible thing in my hands also. I know I have her when she does the puppy sideways head tilt. But for distance recall a whistle is best as she can't see my pantomine.

[jackied]

me crouching down with a mystery squeaking noise, that I emit by sort of gurning and doing summat I cannot describe with my mouth

Mutual !