Hi Everybody!

[Dogster]

Hello, my name is Maya. I love dogs and art. I just signed up. I have a female dog named Shivon, she is a lab whippet mix. I am taking her to obedience class, because no matter how hard I try, I cannot teach her how to come. I need help getting more tricks to teach Shivon. Also, can somebody tell me how to teach my dog crawl, please!

 

[Bosun]

Recalls ("come") are tricky! Sometimes we break the word. If you think Shivon may consider that word something that is optional to listen to, change it! You can use "here, now, you-hoo, side, front, spagetti" ... you get the idea, any word can (to a dog) mean 'come'

Once you decide on the command word... treat like crazy... you know how your dog will instantly come to you if you open the treat cupboard? or bag... well, that the response you will get... if they get treated EVERY time. It is explained at length here, in a few other threads, browse around, there is so much good info here to read.

The short answer for the crawl is... from a "down" slowly lure (move a treat) in front of your dogs nose. Give treat... move an inch at a time treating (without raising the expectation) until Shivon needs to creep... if your dog starts to get up instead, you've gone too far too fast. Only work for 5 or so minutes, keep it fun and quit before you dogs gets frustrated.

Welcome aboard... you've found a terrific, brilliant bunch. We do a lot of positive.clicker training here. We try to look at things from the dogs perspective. We encourage and learn , just like you!

 

[Dogster]

Thank you soo much! I'll definately use the information. I hope it works!!

 

[running_dog]

There is lots of info on the site, just remember that your approach to recall with your dog might depend on whether your dog got the labrador appetite or the whippet sooner starve than eat attitude, the labrador fetch drive or the whippet chase drive... all of the labs I've met are easy to teach recall (with food), all of the whippets have been difficult to teach recall.

I'm always working on Zac's recall, I do use treats but not as much as works with other breeds, some of the best recall tips I've found are:
1) Never call your dog if it isn't going to come (if there are disapproving observers and you need to look like you're making an effort use something like "get here you mangy hound" DON'T use your dogs name and recall word)
2) Play lots of recall games (video in this discussion)
3) Never chase your dog - run in the opposite direction
4) Ping pong dog (Sara's method for 100% recall with a deaf dog)
5) Call your dog when it is going to come anyway
6) Be unpredictable - hide sometimes, suddenly run away, throw a ball, toss treats with no warning. When your dog is on its way then call her.

 

[Dogster]

Thank you for replying. I am so greatful that you responded because you're experienced with hounds and dogs like Shivon. My dog is more whippet than lab. When I call her name, she looks at me, doesn't matter where we are. But when I say "come", she just looks away. Other problems I have with recall is that Shivon comes indoors when food is involved, but when I don't have anything, she comes halfway, then stops and just stares at me. Also, anytime I take her outside (off leash), she won't come even if her life depended on it. She just runs and runs and runs... But the weird thing is that she learns tricks extremely fast. I taught her "touch" today and she mastered it in 5 minutes.

 

[running_dog]

LOL this isn't just a sighthound problem and my only experience is a dog that used to run away and still would except I watch his ears and if they go to a certain angle I get him on leash FAST. But he has got better through all the advice I got here.

When she looks at you DON'T CALL HER, run away instead - squeaking her favourite toy, bouncing a tennis ball, showering treats, anything, get her wanting to be with you. DON'T EVER CALL HER IF SHE ISN'T GOING TO COME.

It isn't about cleverness nor a learning issue, it is simply that your rewards don't match the level of reward she is getting just by being free. Being more rewarding that the great outdoors is SO hard!

Do look at the recall games video - it shows you how to reward your dog with running and chasing - what your dog loves best.

 

[Dogster]

Wow, I never knew teaching my dog recall could be so challenging! Being more fun than the great outdoors is a huge role to take on. By the way, the video was great! Another thing is that my dog sleeps A LOT. Maybe your dog does the same. Is that breed related?

 

[running_dog]

Often dogs do sleep a lot but particularly whippets, greyhounds and lurchers are often described as running at 100 mph to the nearest armchair .

 

[Bosun]

Bosun sleeps really well! Greyhound is part of what went into making a Ridgeback... once upon a time.

 

[Dogster]

LOL! (Shivon is sleeping as I'm writing this) I don't usually get to take her for more than two walks a day because she sleeps basically the rest of the day. I tried to wake her up yesterday to take her to the dog park, but she wouldn't get up. She doesn't even want to cooperate with me. She just stays limp as I try to put her coat on, then goes right back to sleep. She is one LAZY dog!

 

[running_dog]

Zac is sleeping as I write this too. On an average day Zac is probably awake for up to 5 hours - this includes: one long walk, 2-3 training/play sessions, people watching. following me around, chewing his kong and patrolling the yard for cats. That said I have NEVER known Zac refuse a walk at ANY time of the day or night unless he is sick.

Bosun - At risk of a thread derail I didn't know Bosun is a ridgeback, I have only met a couple. I once suggested to some Brazilian friends that ridgebacks might be good dogs in jaguar territory as all their ranch dogs got eaten (or died of snake bite) they looked at the pictures and said, "that's more or less what all the local dogs look like" Convergent evolution?

 

[Dogster]

Shivon doesn't refuse a walk most of the time, except when she's sick, or when it's raining or very cold outside. Because of the whippet in her, she gets cold very easily, so when I take her for a walk, I put on her sweater, coat, and booties. She looks like a total idiot, and I think she knows it. She won't move until I open the door. Over the course of one day, Shivon is awake for about 4 to 5 hours. That is- one long walk, one short walk (sometimes), 1 training session, 2-3 play sessions, 45-minute cat watch (we have a snobby cat) and 1 hour for looking out the window.

 

[brody_smom]

Hello, my name is Maya. I love dogs and art. I just signed up. I have a female dog named Shivon, she is a lab whippet mix. I am taking her to obedience class, because no matter how hard I try, I cannot teach her how to come. I need help getting more tricks to teach Shivon. Also, can somebody tell me how to teach my dog crawl, please!

Hi, Maya! I've been going back through the old intros to "meet" people who were on the DTA before I joined. It's interesting to see where people were with their dogs when they signed up, what kinds of issues they were dealing with and even what dogs they had at the time. So have you been able to overcome your challenges with Shivon's recall? If so, what worked for her?

 

[Dogster]

Recall? Nope. It's going to take a really long time... I'm working with a 30 ft. long line. I can't practice recall directly (ex. restrained recall) because it's too boring for her. And when Shivon gets bored, she runs away. I found that she loves to play Frisbee, so I take the Frisbee, treats and long line on the field and practice some toss and catch. I'm also doing a lot of focus training which will help with recall as well as agility training, so she can stay more focused on me than other people/dogs/smells in the environment.

 

[brody_smom]

Recall? Nope. It's going to take a really long time... I'm working with a 30 ft. long line. I can't practice recall directly (ex. restrained recall) because it's too boring for her. And when Shivon gets bored, she runs away. I found that she loves to play Frisbee, so I take the Frisbee, treats and long line on the field and practice some toss and catch. I'm also doing a lot of focus training which will help with recall as well as agility training, so she can stay more focused on me than other people/dogs/smells in the environment.

I have problems with Brody's recall as well. Even on leash, we have been working with loose leash walking for over a year now, and still, he likes to walk ahead of me, scanning the environment about 80% of the time. He doesn't really pull, but he isn't beside me either.

I bought a 30 ft. line last summer, the cheap yellow nylon rope kind. I got frustrated with it because it always gets tangled up and then he is dragging sticks and clumps of grass around. And I was afraid to use it in a really open space because I wasn't sure I could grab the end fast enough if he suddenly took off. How do you use it effectively?