- Location
- Isle of Man
I used the book with Coco - up to the proofing with dog distractions I found it excellent, but I didn't have access to other dogs in controlled scenarios.
Recall
- Thread starter Kelsey
- Start date
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
We all need to vent and ramble, it helps enormously.Not at all
It's good you have a friend to remind of these things, that you are not alone with this issue.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
I also had a pair of rose coloured glasses , I honestly thought that Sam had been a doddle , no issues at all . My goodness , I soon cast aside those damned glasses when Reuben came along to the point of wondering what the heck I had done 
Now nearing six years of age , he is fairly easy , most of the time 
Now nearing six years of age , he is fairly easy , most of the time 
- Location
- The Hague, The Netherlands
He's a teenager and full of hormones which means he has selective hearing! There was a recall challenge on Facebook and it made me realised I had sort of poisoned his name/recall and I needed another command. We have ready steady go. We also played games with a clicker which he loved. He is still learning and please do not be so hard on yourself. We have all been there and it is so easy to forget how hard the puppy/ teenage stage was. You will get there and a trainer is a great idea. You are doing a fantastic job with Hugo. X
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
The Barket Place one, that was really good, I remember doing it at the same time as you! Yes, ready, steady , go is great fun, Cass loves that, and also "this way".
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Just wanted to jump in belatedly and offer a virtual hug because I feel your pain. 23 foster dogs and 4 of my own dogs and ALL of them had good to excellent recall (eventually 
) but Carbón has taught me that there are exceptions to everything. 🫣 He’s such a good leeeetle Señor but he has zero recall despite all my efforts. I still think I may crack it someday (eternal optimist 
) but for now, boy do I know that sinking feeling when they disappear on the horizon. Or in Carbón’s case, when he must be the Official Beach Greeter of Padstow, enthusiastically greeting everyone whether they want to be greeted or not.
I have a great deal of faith in Hugo however, because of his age and that you’re working with him. I’d bet in a couple months you’ll be very proud of the both of you!
) but Carbón has taught me that there are exceptions to everything. 🫣 He’s such a good leeeetle Señor but he has zero recall despite all my efforts. I still think I may crack it someday (eternal optimist ) but for now, boy do I know that sinking feeling when they disappear on the horizon. Or in Carbón’s case, when he must be the Official Beach Greeter of Padstow, enthusiastically greeting everyone whether they want to be greeted or not. I have a great deal of faith in Hugo however, because of his age and that you’re working with him. I’d bet in a couple months you’ll be very proud of the both of you!
I worry I have done this, even though for months I was so careful. But that bad beach day I yelled his name so many times
Ohhh Carbón, I would love you to come greet us at the beach! You and Hugo would have a wicked time zipping around saying hello to everyone and everything!Just wanted to jump in belatedly and offer a virtual hug because I feel your pain. 23 foster dogs and 4 of my own dogs and ALL of them had good to excellent recall (eventually
I have a great deal of faith in Hugo however, because of his age and that you’re working with him. I’d bet in a couple months you’ll be very proud of the both of you!
Thank you for the optimism, I hope you are right!
Keep at it Kelsey, you will get there! I know I bang on a bit about retrieving and gun dog training, but honestly I think if you can do some sort of fun work with your dog, of whatever sort, so that he thinks YOU are the most fun and interesting thing in the world, then recall comes pretty naturally. We are lucky with labradors in that they are easy to train with food and/or retrieving toys. My suggestion would be to do some fun playing / training with him, and incorporate the whistle into this training. As @Jelinga says, never ever blow the whistle (or use your other recall cues) if he is not going to listen! It takes quite a bit of timing and getting to know your young dog - if he is racing around and wrestling with other dogs there is no way you are going to get him to come back so don't waste your recall cue - wait for a break in his concentration, when he looks around to check you are still there, then give your recall cue LOUDLY and firmly and if necessary start walking away. Huge praise and treats when he comes to you. He needs to BELIEVE that your recall will not stop his fun, but will be the portal to better things (be that food, huge praise, or a game).
As an aside, when I get a puppy I start training them immediately to the whistle (and I mean from 8 weeks on) - whenever I fed Merlin I would give two quick pips on the whistle, so from the very beginning he associated this with something particularly good. I'm not saying it wasn't difficult to get him away from playing with other dogs, but compared to a lot of other young dogs I see his recall has always been pretty good.
As an aside, when I get a puppy I start training them immediately to the whistle (and I mean from 8 weeks on) - whenever I fed Merlin I would give two quick pips on the whistle, so from the very beginning he associated this with something particularly good. I'm not saying it wasn't difficult to get him away from playing with other dogs, but compared to a lot of other young dogs I see his recall has always been pretty good.
Thank you for the advice! It’s not too late to start whistle training at his age? Do I need a special kind of whistle?
Really hope today I hear from the trainer. I was hoping to do some group glasses but it is so hard for me to be able to commit to that being that I work shift work
but we will see what can be arranged. I was only thinking it would be great to do group classes to work on focusing on me around distractions. One day I would love to do fun classes with him, like sniff training, or something. But once again… shift work 🫠
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
I don’t think it’s too late to start whistle training. I made it a fun game in the garden to start with for a long time. I use an Acme 210 and a half and made up my own short whistle sequence. It’s firmly imprinted in Red’s brain
Ok thank you! I’ll check Amazon!I don’t think it’s too late to start whistle training. I made it a fun game in the garden to start with for a long time. I use an Acme 210 and a half and made up my own short whistle sequence. It’s firmly imprinted in Red’s brain
- Location
- Isle of Man
Never too late to whistle train. Coco was 16 months old when we got him & I started some time after that. Meg has never been whistle trained but she came to us aged 2 and picked up the recall whistle VERY quickly, copying Coco, in fact I'd say she was a bit better than him!
Definitely not too late to start training to the whistle! I would start by pairing it with something very positive every time, such as a treat, his dinner, loads of praise, a ball, etc. You want the whistle to have a very positive association! I would also make the whistle call something you can use very easily, such as two or three short bursts - toot toot toot. I would also recommend that you wear that whistle all the time to begin with, so you can use it every time you have something good you want to share with him. Come sit with me and have a biscuit while we watch tv - quick blast on the whistle. Come get your dinner - blast on the whistle. We're going out for a walk so come get your collar put on - whistle! You get the idea, the whistle means something fun / good is going to happen. Once he has got the idea around the house you can practice it out in the garden, but again paired with fun games, for instance if you throw him a ball and he likes to retrieve, blow it just as he picks the ball up and is on the way back to you, then lots of praise and treats when he comes back. These are the first steps, don't even try using it outside your home and garden until he really responds fast, well and consistently.
Beanwood
Administrator
This is excellent advice - especially the bit about the collar. So many of my training clients only pop the lead back on at the end of the walk. Dogs can often predict when the walk is going to end, because we as hoomans are creatures of habit! Saying all that - Woody (almost two, and VERY adolescent) is a nightmare. I just pick my battles, work on what his pea-brain can deal with and avoid areas where it is just going to be too much - meaning other dogs which are absolutely his nemisis right now...
I have to say when it comes to recall I’ve dropped on lucky so far with Hunter. Don’t get me wrong I can see a difference between his puppy recall and his teenage recall. He will now on occasion see if he can get away with ignoring or coming in his own sweet time and I would never describe him as having a recall because it isn’t 100% but he has a half decent recall which compared to my last three labs is quite frankly AMAZING. I definitely have rose coloured glasses on when I think of my first lab Murphy. Hunter is very like him in some ways the difference Murphy had no recall. He’d come back if he wanted to especially if a ball was involved. Murphy would retrieve all day. Hunter will come just to be with me unless his ball is involved then he stays away.
I need to retrain Hunter’s retrieve
I need to retrain Hunter’s retrieve
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
A good whistle recall is three short toots. Later you can introduce one longish toot on the whistle to stop him. Useful if they are chasing something or just about to do so, or running off etc etc etc.
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