Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

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Wes
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Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Wes »

I was out with Rosie in our backyard, taking advantage of the fact that the neighbour's Aussie was safely indoors, at about 8 last night. The days are getting longer here in NH, so I like to take Rosie out a little later to play ball when it's not so hot and humid.

We were getting ready to go in when I heard a rustling by the wooden fence. The other neighbours have a Jack Russell, so I just assumed it was him digging by the fence. I tossed the ball to Rosie, but she totally ignored it and instead charged the wooden fence. After a minute or two of sniffing, she ran in circles around me whining. I had no idea what she was after, but figured it'd be best if I took her inside. As I got to the top of the patio, I saw a little black and white shape tottering toward the shed. Before I could call out a Watch Me, Rosie had spotted the baby skunk and was off like a shot. The baby skunk fled under the shed and Rosie managed to get her head into the hole and was working on her shoulders when I barked out "LEAVE IT! ROSIE, FOOD," in my best Voice Of Doom ("food" is her recall command as my partner ruined the word "come").

I was shocked when Rosie backed out of the hole and ran toward me and sat, still whining and overly excited, but thankfully not smelling like skunk. I quickly was able to herd her inside with the tennis ball and she got some hotdog with her supper. :D

Just wanted to post this to show that the Recall technique posted here is amazing and definitely works if you spend the time to teach it. I never thought I'd be able to pull Rosie (who reminds me more of a rat terrier than a pit bull terrier at times!) off a rodent chase, but she did it!
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Mattie
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Mattie »

That brought a tear to my eyes, well done Wes and Rosie, you have worked really hard and it paid off. I do love the success stories :D
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Noobs
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Noobs »

Love that! My favorite part is that your recall word is "food". :lol: :lol: :lol:
jacksdad
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by jacksdad »

Noobs wrote:Love that! My favorite part is that your recall word is "food". :lol: :lol: :lol:
why didn't I think of that for Jack....hummmmm

nice work on the recall. well done.
Fundog
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Fundog »

Wow, that is definitely awesome. I too love that recall word-- very cool, lol. And you are especially to be applauded for calling Rosie away before being sprayed. My Annie intercepted a skunk once, and oh my! Of course, we were out walking at 2:00 am, so of course I didn't know what she had run into until we smelled it. :shock:
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
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Wes
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Wes »

I think I got lucky in that it was a little tiny baby skunk that was so petrified it just ran. :lol: Had it been an adult, I don't think I would have called her off in time.

I need a new recall word when my partner stood at the edge of a soccer field going "Rosie, come. Rosie, come. Rosie, come" over and over again as she trotted this way and that. I used a 30 ft lead to work on the command and found that she came running every time I said "I've got yummy food!" and produced her string cheese, so I just ended up shortening it. :lol:
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Mattie
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Mattie »

It worked and that is what matters, Merlin's recall to "What have I got" was incredible, I had taught it to him without realising it when I was working on his guarding. :lol:
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GllntKnight
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by GllntKnight »

I'm glad it works for others it just does not work for mine even when not on chase she comes if she wants to which is never if I can coax her close enough with food and quickly grab her and carry her in that's it and half the time even the food doesn't work anymore. I keep saying fine then just stay out all night but then I would worry if something happened to her.
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Author Unknown

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by emmabeth »

GllntKnight - there is a reason it is working for others and yet not for you. That is because other people are putting the effort in to do the basic groundwork and solve the problems they have.

You havent yet posted a proper thread about your dogs issues and how we can help you to address them, you just post one/two line posts about how something doesnt work for you or how you cant do something and never ever engage in discussion about how we could work out ways for you to employ positive training methods within your capabilities.

It might be 'one method' - but there are SO many ways to apply positive dog training, limited only by the human brain that thinks them up.

If you WANT help with your dogs we can do that - what we cannot do is wave a magic wand and fix everything without you lifting a finger or making any sort of commitment.
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GllntKnight
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by GllntKnight »

She went through obediance and socialization and passed my other dog never had any formal classes yet he will come off a chase and I am committed as much as I can be in my condion she just has a mind of her own and won't listen like people each one has their own personality. And I don't expect anyone to wave a magic wand so I will just learn to live with it. Thanks for nothing.
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Author Unknown

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner
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Mattie
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Mattie »

GllntKnight wrote:She went through obediance and socialization and passed my other dog never had any formal classes yet he will come off a chase and I am committed as much as I can be in my condion she just has a mind of her own and won't listen like people each one has their own personality. And I don't expect anyone to wave a magic wand so I will just learn to live with it. Thanks for nothing.
GllntKnight that is extremely unfair, you have never given any details of your problems for us to help with but are attacking us because we haven't helped. We can't help if you don't give any details and you also need to think positively, at the moment you are thinking that you can't do this, you can.
I'm glad it works for others it just does not work for mine even when not on chase she comes if she wants to which is never if I can coax her close enough with food and quickly grab her and carry her in that's it and half the time even the food doesn't work anymore. I keep saying fine then just stay out all night but then I would worry if something happened to her.
Coaxing her and grabbing her, I am not surprised she doesn't come to you, that isn't teaching her to come back to you, you have taught her not to trust you when she is free. Think about it, would you trust someone who lured you close the grabbed hold of you then picked you up and took you somewhere? I wouldn't, I would never go near them again, it is the same with your dog.

I am going away soon, just finishing my coffee before putting my clothes in the caravan and we are off, will be back on Sunday and I will write down how I teach my dogs to recall, this will give you time to think through what you are doing and what you have done in the past. We can't do this for you, you are very down about it at the moment, it does work, Greyhounds are well known to have bad recalls yet Merlin had a very good one even if I did teach it without knowing I had done so but that taught me a lot about how dogs think.
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GllntKnight
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by GllntKnight »

What more details do you want? She doesn't recall, what else can I say? She is mimicking my previous dog who also had no recall she grew up with him and she is also mimicking the territorial biteing. He was a rescue with numerous issues, thankfully she didn't pick up his other issues.
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Author Unknown

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner
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Wes
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Wes »

GllntKnight, I had worked with Rosie in very tiny increments for about half a year (working solely on recall that is, working every day with clicker training for about a year and a half now). It was only now did I see the results. Yes, I would see little improvements, but this was the first time I *knew* my work had paid off. For how long have you tried working on recall? It's not a thing they'll pick up quickly, and so many other things factor into it, especially for a terrier. I'm doing the same method now with a little Dobe pup and he's catching on very quickly - far quicker than my terrier girl did. :D
jacksdad
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by jacksdad »

ah yes...learning the joys of a terrier.

I think it's nettles or maybe emma, can't remember, who are regularly reminding us that terriers are bred to think for them selfs. you have to take that into account when you are working with your dog. I have only recently started working with Jack (who is a terrier mix) on his recall. he has had a couple amazing recall moments ON LEASH. but there is a lot of work to go. I still don't feel ready to risk him off leash yet. different breds, different dogs will take a different amount of time to work through different training objectives.

step one, don't just accept that this is the way things will always be.
step two, ask for help in your own thread so you get the proper attention
step three, put the work in and realize it will take the time it takes to get the result you want
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Mattie
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Re: Recalled a terrier off a chase!

Post by Mattie »

GllntKnight wrote:What more details do you want? She doesn't recall, what else can I say? She is mimicking my previous dog who also had no recall she grew up with him and she is also mimicking the territorial biteing. He was a rescue with numerous issues, thankfully she didn't pick up his other issues.

How have you tried to train recall in the past? How much exercise does she get? What food does she have? As much information as you can give.

I have just posted a post on recall, viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7155 hopefully it will help.
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