Dog not heeding (HELP!!)

Tartanmax · 6 October 2009 at 12:54PM

Hi,

I have an 8mth old Whippet/staffie cross dog, he's a lovely, generally well behaved little thing but at the minute he's driving me mad.

We had all the usual puppy training issues.. and he stopped doing 90% of the things we wanted him to stop doing but in the last month when he's out on his walks he will run off 2 football pitch distance for other dogs and will not heed me when he's called... i mean completely and utterly ignores me and my OH.
This morning I had to go and get him off another dog at the other end of the field:mad:

He did stop doing this months back when he was much younger and we thought that was the end of it.. but now he's worse than ever.
If i keep him on his lead he won't be getting the excercise he needs nor will he learn to come back but if he carries on like this what choice do i have?

Does anyone have any tips in training this out of him?

Thanks

Maxine

supermezzo · 6 October 2009 at 1:04PM

It's his teenage hormones kicking in. Re-start the recall training at home in a confined area and gradually move it outside and into bigger spaces using an extender lead (or two leads joined together). Take 2 different sounding squeaky toys out with you which are only used for recall (start to use those whilst practising in the house) and when he comes back, give him either a play with one of the squeakers or a food treat, whichever works best for your dog. He'll soon learn that squeakers=come back=good treat. The reason you need two is so that you have one all the time to recall the dog if he's got the other one!
If you're having him 'done' you'll most likely find that his behaviour will revert to his original training etc afterwards anyway, as he is clearly well behaved as a rule.
In the meantime, do some clicker training/sits/stands/waits etc during a walk on the lead and tire his brain out. If you let him off, use the squeaker to make as much noise as possible and then you run in the opposite direction and watch him come haring after you!

foreign_correspondent · 6 October 2009 at 1:25PM

what is the incentive for him to come back? you need to practice at home as supermezzo says, and when he comes to you after you call him, give him a tasty treat, a fuss or a game - whatever he likes...

Also, never scold him when he does come back, even if it has taken an age.. or he will learn that coming back = trouble, and will learn not to do it!

mrcol1000 · 6 October 2009 at 1:49PM

Tartanmax wrote: »

Hi,

I have an 8mth old Whippet/staffie cross dog, he's a lovely, generally well behaved little thing but at the minute he's driving me mad.

We had all the usual puppy training issues.. and he stopped doing 90% of the things we wanted him to stop doing but in the last month when he's out on his walks he will run off 2 football pitch distance for other dogs and will not heed me when he's called... i mean completely and utterly ignores me and my OH.
This morning I had to go and get him off another dog at the other end of the field:mad:

He did stop doing this months back when he was much younger and we thought that was the end of it.. but now he's worse than ever.
If i keep him on his lead he won't be getting the excercise he needs nor will he learn to come back but if he carries on like this what choice do i have?

Does anyone have any tips in training this out of him?

Thanks

Maxine

For safety sake you shouldn't let the dog off the lead until you have got the recall sorted. Also the dog can be exercised on the lead. If it was just running around the dog needed for exercise you could just get them to run up and down the stairs. Its the walking and the investigation of smells that the dog needs to exercise its body and mind.

Fire_Fox · 6 October 2009 at 3:19PM

Has he had the snip?

Tartanmax · 6 October 2009 at 3:43PM

supermezzo- Thanks for the advise, I know he loves his squeeky toys normally so that may get his attention. Re-call at home I have already started doing and the most annoying thing is that there is no hesitation whatsoever at home or when we are out if no other dogs are about!
I shall sort out some extender leads.

foreign correspondent _ He gets his big fuss made out of him when he comes back the usual "dog boy" loads of cuddles, I did try treats when he was younger but he really wasn't bothered about them. And yes I have discovered that scolding him work to my dis-advantage as we had fun for a while when he knew he was going to get into trouble thus stayed away longer!

mrcol1000- I'm in the middle of the countryside so it's not a situation where he can run off onto roads etc, I am completely surrounded by fields and not much else really.
As for exercise I do find that even when he's been kept on the lead and walked 3-4 times a day for an hour at a time he still gets very board and restless.. it's the whippet bit in him it does need loads of outdoor running time. If he's not walked for at least an hour off leash a day he is one hyper puppy! :eek:

Fire Fox - Not yet.. I've been weighing up the pros and cons for this for a few weeks now and i'm now leaning towards getting him done.

Thanks for your replies guys and gals... much appreicated.

ali-t · 6 October 2009 at 5:42PM

Keep him on a long line. Although he may be good natured at the moment when he reaches maturity his staffy tendencies may come through and he will have the speed of a whippet to chase a dog and the power and aggression of a staffy to attack. I have a staffy btw so this comment is based on experience not prejudice.

He may also approach the wrong dog one day and end up getting hurt. My staff is always on the lead if other dogs are around as I know she can be unpredictable but if an off lead dog came bounding over she would go for it if it got too close. Chances are my rott boy would join in too if my staff kicked off. It's not worth risking your dogs health when some serious training could help.

FWIW a tasty treat like hot dogs or cheese can do wonders at tempting dogs to stay close.

foreign_correspondent · 6 October 2009 at 5:53PM

I tend to think 'staffie tendancies' are often as a result of poor socialisation as youngsters - lots of staffies are very dog friendly - all dogs can have spats, and some dogs just are not great with others, regardless of breed - however, dogs really shouldn't be off lead if their recall is dodgy - if something attractive is across the road it could end in tragedy.

Also, your lad may well become more interested in b1tches, and may be harder to recall, which could end up being unpleasant if someone is walking a b1tch (on lead) on heat in the same area!

ali-t · 6 October 2009 at 6:06PM

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I tend to think 'staffie tendancies' are often as a result of poor socialisation as youngsters - lots of staffies are very dog friendly - all dogs can have spats, and some dogs just are not great with others, !

I would disagree with this. It is a breed trait and FWIW my staff was great with other dogs and very sociable and well socialised with other dogs until she hit 2 years old.

After reaching maturity her character turned over a matter of months and I don't believe that poor socialisation would be hidden for 2 years and only become apparent after reaching maturity. It would be more likely to become apparent during the teenage phase where boundaries are tested.

I would urge all dog owners not to become complacent with their dogs and be aware of the possible implications of their complacency.

sarabe · 6 October 2009 at 9:51PM

Tartanmax wrote: »

Hi,

I have an 8mth old Whippet/staffie cross dog, he's a lovely, generally well behaved little thing but at the minute he's driving me mad.

We had all the usual puppy training issues.. and he stopped doing 90% of the things we wanted him to stop doing but in the last month when he's out on his walks he will run off 2 football pitch distance for other dogs and will not heed me when he's called... i mean completely and utterly ignores me and my OH.
This morning I had to go and get him off another dog at the other end of the field:mad:

He did stop doing this months back when he was much younger and we thought that was the end of it.. but now he's worse than ever.
If i keep him on his lead he won't be getting the excercise he needs nor will he learn to come back but if he carries on like this what choice do i have?

Does anyone have any tips in training this out of him?

Thanks

Maxine

It is far easier to train a behaviour INTO a dog than to train one OUT of him.

Getting a reliable recall is not just about teaching a dog to come when called but more about getting a dog to want to be with you.

Try to shift your focus on to what you want him to do rather than what you don't want him to do.

Dogs are addicted to fun and this is probably one of the reasons why your dog is seeking the company of other dogs to play with.

Use a long line attached to his collar, something that he trails but that you can stand on to stop him from running away and meanwhile teach him to want to hang around.

Being half whippet I bet he just loves to chase things and being half SBT he must enjoy a game of tug. Get a tug toy and tie it to a length of rope and get him to chase you and the toy as it bobs along the ground. When he catches it play tug for a few seconds.

If he really enjoys playing tug with you then I would suggest that you let him win the toy and then immediately produce a second toy and get him into the chase again obviously taking a route where you can collect toy no 1 that he should have dropped by now.

If he is used to playing with toys on his own then don't let him have the toy but instead stop tugging and become boring until he drops it and then restart the game again.

Play for no more than one minute and then picking up his long line if necessary dismiss him to go and do his own thing. After a couple of minutes invite him to play again. You are looking for your dog to eventually be disappointed when you stop playing. You will also find that by giving him permission to go it will be a less attractive option to him.

To maximise the power of this game it is necessary to keep your dogs toys for interactive games with you outside only. He can have a suitable chew toy or two indoors but all other toys should be reserved for fun with you or the rest of the family.

By using the long line you can also teach him to check in with you when he sees another dog. By alternating play with you and free time for him you can keep a watch out for anything that might distract him. If he spots another dog just stand on the line. This will give you enough time to decide if the aforementioned dog will be a suitable play date for your dog and then all you need to do is wait for him to look back at you before either releasing him to go and play or attracting his attention and inviting him to play with you as a reward for checking in. If he doesn't want to play with you or he doesn't want to check in with you just pick up the line and move away in the opposite direction or walk up the line and put his lead on and leave the area.

Food can be used as rewards but is rarely as powerful as a game because a food treat is gone in a second and a game lasts much longer.

clairibel · 6 October 2009 at 9:52PM

Tartanmax this sounds just like my dog when she was the same age

Nothing we did seemed to stop her, but i would say it got a lot better when she reached about 12 months she just seemed to stop doing it as much and now comes back when called most of the time, she's now 14 months

She is just very friendly and wanted to play, but i used to hate taking her out because i knew when i let her off i'd be getting her back from miles away :rolleyes: and she has been spay as well after her first season so it wasn't that. Think she just needed to mature a bit??

Dog not heeding (HELP!!)

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