[pizzajesus60]

My dobie is now 7 months and though he is AMAZING at training, he still has banana ears when it comes to dogparks. Any advice on how to enforce my Recall? (I do go after him and walk with him to where i called him to but sometimes he just runs away and im not enforcing that.)

 

[MMcCown]

Stop going to dog parks.
7 months old is awfully young for a reliable recall off leash. Get him a long line and work on recall multiple times a day, away from distractions. When this is 90%, move closer to distractions and keep working. Also, ensure that you have something better than what he can get elsewhere, like a tug toy. Finally, never chase him. Call him in a high happy voice and go the other direction. Chase is a game dogs love to play as in, “chase me, you’ll never catch me”.

Short story, it is irresponsible to have him off leash, let alone at a dog park. Get him out of the dog park, on a long line and keep working.

Denise Fenzi has some good stuff on recall: Recall Training: The One Cue Every Dog Should Know

 

[js4fnn]

Start short distance again. Recall he has to come if not get long rope reel him in. He has to come to you so you can get his collar teach he can’t just run by you he has to let you grasp the collar then release quick to go play again but he has to come under your control

 

[pizzajesus60]

Start short distance again. Recall he has to come if not get long rope reel him in. He has to come to you so you can get his collar teach he can’t just run by you he has to let you grasp the collar then release quick to go play again but he has to come under your control

i have a 5m leash i can attach on him. Do you think it will be okay in the dogpark though?

 

[pizzajesus60]

Stop going to dog parks.
7 months old is awfully young for a reliable recall off leash. Get him a long line and work on recall multiple times a day, away from distractions. When this is 90%, move closer to distractions and keep working. Also, ensure that you have something better than what he can get elsewhere, like a tug toy. Finally, never chase him. Call him in a high happy voice and go the other direction. Chase is a game dogs love to play as in, “chase me, you’ll never catch me”.

Short story, it is irresponsible to have him off leash, let alone at a dog park. Get him out of the dog park, on a long line and keep working.

Denise Fenzi has some good stuff on recall: Recall Training: The One Cue Every Dog Should Know

His recall is 100% when we are training outside. Also when he is in training mode i cant really improve something that is already pretty amazing in his age. The dogpark is something my dogs love to death and i dont plan to stop going. :/ all the dogs that go there are regulars and he loves them.

 

[pizzajesus60]

His recall is 100% when we are training outside. Also when he is in training mode i cant really improve something that is already pretty amazing in his age. The dogpark is something my dogs love to death and i dont plan to stop going. :/ all the dogs that go there are regulars and he loves them.

I also cant train something that doesnt occur elsewhere. i have to grasp this in the midst of the problem.

 

[js4fnn]

i have a 5m leash i can attach on him. Do you think it will be okay in the dogpark though?

Don’t like dog parks
But if you could possibly buddy up with someone with a dog. That dog being on leash and you practice recalling your dog in away from the other dog then take turns let that person recall his dog from yours.

50’ of quarter inch rope is cheap 50’ is freedom to a dog. 15 feet not so much

 

[KristenC]

If anything, you could work on the recall with the dog on a longline outside of the dog park if going to the dog park is not something you plan to stop doing (although I agree with the others, they really can be a problem, especially as your pup gets older). That way the distraction of the other dogs is there, but your dog is safely restrained and unable to run off.

I work on recalls with my dogs from a young age, but honestly never consider any of them 100% reliable as it only takes 1 time for them not to listen to have a problem.
I wouldn't expect a solid recall at that age, either. If he doesn't come as reliably as you'd like, he shouldn't be allowed off-lead. You can't enforce a rule if you have no control over the outcome

 

[pizzajesus60]

If anything, you could work on the recall with the dog on a longline outside of the dog park if going to the dog park is not something you plan to stop doing (although I agree with the others, they really can be a problem, especially as your pup gets older). That way the distraction of the other dogs is there, but your dog is safely restrained and unable to run off.

I work on recalls with my dogs from a young age, but honestly never consider any of them 100% reliable as it only takes 1 time for them not to listen to have a problem.
I wouldn't expect a solid recall at that age, either. If he doesn't come as reliably as you'd like, he shouldn't be allowed off-lead. You can't enforce a rule if you have no control over the outcome

I do training sessions depending on how he acts infront of it. Like I would make him do certain commands like staying, focusing on me etc. He truly is amazing when it comes to actual work. His focus is 100% on me, like i said above i go to a professional trainer on saturdays. Hes surrounded by puppies that cry and whine to play with him but hes always on me. Im even allowed drop the leash depending on what im doing. But its really the dogpark that he doesnt listen to. I made it sound worse then it is because he does come 70% of the time. Im so glad i never had a problem when leaving though because I see alot of dog owners where when they want to go, their dog runs away and tries to stay inside. I also think him being a teenager is a big factor as to why he ignores me as well.

 

[pizzajesus60]

Don’t like dog parks
But if you could possibly buddy up with someone with a dog. That dog being on leash and you practice recalling your dog in away from the other dog then take turns let that person recall his dog from yours.

50’ of quarter inch rope is cheap 50’ is freedom to a dog. 15 feet not so much

The people that come to the dogparks i befriended so im sure i can find someone to do this with. I live in a small village and the people know each other. I also liked that when i first arrived there that people ask if they can come in.

 

[js4fnn]

The people that come to the dogparks i befriended so im sure i can find someone to do this with. I live in a small village and the people know each other. I also liked that when i first arrived there that people ask if they can come in.

Sounds good maybe a third would join and set up a triangle and pull your dog from the other two all taking turns. Little fun class for all won’t work if people all over the place tho

Best to recall with whistle you make with your mouth no other would be same sound

 

[Sunje]

I do training sessions depending on how he acts infront of it. Like I would make him do certain commands like staying, focusing on me etc. He truly is amazing when it comes to actual work. His focus is 100% on me, like i said above i go to a professional trainer on saturdays. Hes surrounded by puppies that cry and whine to play with him but hes always on me. Im even allowed drop the leash depending on what im doing. But its really the dogpark that he doesnt listen to. I made it sound worse then it is because he does come 70% of the time. Im so glad i never had a problem when leaving though because I see alot of dog owners where when they want to go, their dog runs away and tries to stay inside. I also think him being a teenager is a big factor as to why he ignores me as well.

Do you work on recalls while in the dog park? I worked w/ a trainer years ago who talked about how people take their dogs to the dog park and don't ever ask for anything in return for this glorious reward. So outside the gate, you ask for sit, down, focus, etc. Reward with treats! Go inside the first gate, do the same--get the dog's focus on you. Then go inside the main gate (and NOT when other dogs are crowded around--not allowed and certainly not safe), ask for a sit and focus on you, then release the dog to play. Back when I used to go to dog parks (and I don't anymore, for the same reasons others here don't like them), I would call my dog to me periodically during play, grab her collar and give it a light shake, praise and give her several treats, and then let her go again. I saw it too that dogs would run away when the owner called them--well why not?! They are having fun, and coming to the owner means that the fun ends, so why would they want to come back? So you could try doing recalls (like every couple minutes while you are there, at least at first), grab the collar, praise and treat, and let the dog go again. Make it a BIG reward for the dog to break away from play and come to you, and soon recalls at the dog park are no longer an issue. Even my basenjis had good recalls at the dog park.

 

[pizzajesus60]

Do you work on recalls while in the dog park? I worked w/ a trainer years ago who talked about how people take their dogs to the dog park and don't ever ask for anything in return for this glorious reward. So outside the gate, you ask for sit, down, focus, etc. Reward with treats! Go inside the first gate, do the same--get the dog's focus on you. Then go inside the main gate (and NOT when other dogs are crowded around--not allowed and certainly not safe), ask for a sit and focus on you, then release the dog to play. Back when I used to go to dog parks (and I don't anymore, for the same reasons others here don't like them), I would call my dog to me periodically during play, grab her collar and give it a light shake, praise and give her several treats, and then let her go again. I saw it too that dogs would run away when the owner called them--well why not?! They are having fun, and coming to the owner means that the fun ends, so why would they want to come back? So you could try doing recalls (like every couple minutes while you are there, at least at first), grab the collar, praise and treat, and let the dog go again. Make it a BIG reward for the dog to break away from play and come to you, and soon recalls at the dog park are no longer an issue. Even my basenjis had good recalls at the dog park.

Yes i do actually! Before i enter the dogpark i walk slow and if he gets pushy i turn around until they are calm and with me, once i enter they know to sit down and relax until they get the release. Ill definetly try the big rewards! I dont know how it is in other countries but in holland people are really respectful so i never really had a bad experience to be fair.

 

[pizzajesus60]

Sounds good maybe a third would join and set up a triangle and pull your dog from the other two all taking turns. Little fun class for all won’t work if people all over the place tho

Best to recall with whistle you make with your mouth no other would be same sound

that sounds like fun! We do this at his training too! But he really knows when he can work and when he can play. I was on an offleash walk with him and there was a huge tractor speeding our way and when i screamed his name he knew something was up and came running regardless of his best friend being there and normally those two are inseperable.

 

[MMcCown]

The dog is great, except when he isn’t, right?

That is not reliable recall. It doesn’t mean the dog is 100% in one location, it means the dog is reliable in ALL locations, even those that are brand new to the dog.

Beyond the issue of a knucklehead puppy, and despite the fact that people are nice in Holland, is letting your unreliable dog off leash in a dog park respectful of others? Dog parks in any country are inherently risky and really not worth it. Better to have one of these amazing people with a great dog meet you two for a leashed walk. It sure will teach impulse control a lot better than unreliable off leash time.

 

[sissl]

Recall is working for my 9 month old in a dog park. But it would not likely work in the crappy dog park. We go to a park that has a regular small group of responsible owners. It isn’t crowded with dogs. It isn’t a wide open fields that encourages dog packs (over-stimulating - I’ve never seen dogs recalled well out of mobs). The one we go to is wooded with many places to trot off and sniff. Some open space for play or fetch. There’s a ten month old lab mix that my dog has a lot of fun running around with.

I head away from her and any dogs or people, not too far, and call her over. Treats (I stay isolated because people with treats at dogs parks are annoying - I bring boring kibble). I practice from across the park. I don’t do recall just when I need her. Most of the time I’m calling her over to to congratulate her for coming to me. This is easier also in a smaller dog park, or less crowded one, and one with some natural barriers like trees - less distracting and overstimulating for dogs. We’ve done really well with recall in that setting. But like I said, a different dog park - many I just would not bring my dog to for all the reasons listed in this forum.

 

[pizzajesus60]

The dog is great, except when he isn’t, right?

That is not reliable recall. It doesn’t mean the dog is 100% in one location, it means the dog is reliable in ALL locations, even those that are brand new to the dog.

Beyond the issue of a knucklehead puppy, and despite the fact that people are nice in Holland, is letting your unreliable dog off leash in a dog park respectful of others? Dog parks in any country are inherently risky and really not worth it. Better to have one of these amazing people with a great dog meet you two for a leashed walk. It sure will teach impulse control a lot better than unreliable off leash time.

I actually do meet dogs on walks as well, where we walk neutrally next to each other. It took a while for my doggo to learn to just ignore it but he's really great. I love this dogpark and it makes me sad that some people really dislike them. It makes me wonder how it is in other places.

 

[pizzajesus60]

Recall is working for my 9 month old in a dog park. But it would not likely work in the crappy dog park. We go to a park that has a regular small group of responsible owners. It isn’t crowded with dogs. It isn’t a wide open fields that encourages dog packs (over-stimulating - I’ve never seen dogs recalled well out of mobs). The one we go to is wooded with many places to trot off and sniff. Some open space for play or fetch. There’s a ten month old lab mix that my dog has a lot of fun running around with.

I head away from her and any dogs or people, not too far, and call her over. Treats (I stay isolated because people with treats at dogs parks are annoying - I bring boring kibble). I practice from across the park. I don’t do recall just when I need her. Most of the time I’m calling her over to to congratulate her for coming to me. This is easier also in a smaller dog park, or less crowded one, and one with some natural barriers like trees - less distracting and overstimulating for dogs. We’ve done really well with recall in that setting. But like I said, a different dog park - many I just would not bring my dog to for all the reasons listed in this forum.

Honestly it's the exact same here. But I'll definitely try to just randomly call him with big treats! Also haha I am a lady who always has treats. Not to give to dogs though just to train my own. :^)

 

[sissl]

edited because I flaked out which post I read at 6am. Random recalls work for us. Sometimes she’ll run over now just to check in or say hi. I don’t always give her a treat because she’s just looking for them at that point; I never called her. I might ask her to sit, then treat. Or I just snuggle her head good and she runs off. But I do think even that is a helpful way she is staying attentive to me and also not overstimulated. So I give her a little treat maybe one for three times she runs over with no recall. That’s probably not a thing. I like it for her though.

We use kibble mixed with cheap little treats. Not yummy high value. Still some dogs will sniff that out, so I keep shifting away from areas the congregate. Easy with wooded areas in our park. Yeah, the people who just hand out treats, then treats for everyone - I don’t get it. Luckily I almost never see that

 

[dogperson]

@pizzajesus60 I understand that in Holland owners are a lot more responsible (I lived in Switzerland before and it was the same there - people know a lot more about dogs than the average owner in the US or where I live now). The risk is just that every time he fails to respond to recall at the dog park, the less impact that command will have in the future. So I agree with the posters who suggested keeping him on a long leash or practicing recall in areas where he will have more of a chance of responding around his dog friends and then increasing the level of distraction gradually so that he doesn't go back to ignoring recall. I went through a similar problem with my dog at parks and realized he would NEVER be reliable off leash anywhere where anybody could have food. At one point, recall at this one park took on a new meaning for him - "come" meant "turn around and run really fast because there's a picnic 10 yards behind you". So I no longer let him off leash - I only let him loose for short periods when the environment is set up for him to succeed.

The other reason it is VITAL for him to have solid recall is that he's only 7th months old and a large breed. In fact, the reason I found this forum was because of a doberman puppy who started frequenting our park - his recall was not good, and he wouldn't lay off the dogs who clearly did not want to play with him. This ended up creating conflict between the dogs and the owners. So for the safety of the other dogs and your own dog - whether your dog starts playing too rough or enters a rowdy teenage phase, it's safer to make sure you can 100% call him back if he ever starts being too much for another dog.