any doggy training tips?

[alfie2244]

6 Month old puppy, very alert, intelligent, training very well and will do almost anything when asked (treats) Except she runs away as soon as we get withing about 50mtrs of the car....then ensues at least a 15 minute stand off and any movement towards her and she runs further away.......treats, coaxing = no effect nor does raising voice or firmness.........when I do eventually catch hold using other dog as subterfuge she will yelp like a pig...no she has never been smacked.

I realise this is probably a big game to her but having just spent at least an hour running flat out up an down hills and fields in the Cotswolds, being chased / chasing her older, much bigger "adopted" big brother she should be absolutely shattered.

He, by the way, jumps straight into the boot, sits, gives paw and get his treat....just remembered they do the same when going out but I can control that by carrying her to the car.

15 mins of this game takes the edge off sheer joy and worry if she does it near traffic so all tips appreciated...with thanks.

Here's a pic of the little darling

Edited by alfie2244 on Monday 4th January 12:52

[Prof Prolapse]

So the dog refuses to return to the car and runs off which is potential dangerous. It will not respond to coercion to return, makes you catch it, and when you pick it up it misbehaves.

I'd smack it.

[moorx]

To be honest, if she hasn't got reliable recall, she shouldn't be off the lead. As you say, if she does it near roads or cars, it could end very badly.

You could use a training or extending lead to allow her some freedom whilst you're working on her recall.

If you insist on leaving her off lead, I would suggest that you put her on lead well before you reach the car, so that she can't start what has now become a game to her.

[alfie2244]

moorx said:

To be honest, if she hasn't got reliable recall, she shouldn't be off the lead. As you say, if she does it near roads or cars, it could end very badly.

You could use a training or extending lead to allow her some freedom whilst you're working on her recall.

If you insist on leaving her off lead, I would suggest that you put her on lead well before you reach the car, so that she can't start what has now become a game to her.

Thanks for the reply

She recalls either by name or whistle every single time I ask her without hesitation, except when she realises we are going back to the car. She is never off the lead when near people or roads and where we go we can walk for hours without seeing either.

As I stated in my original post we were 50 yards away from the car / road when she started her games (runs back the way we come from) so the last couple of days I have put her on the lead in different places / distances from the (out of view) car as I think, being a bright and precocious little thing, she had worked out the routine.

I am certain we will get there in the end, with some perseverance on my part, I just wondered (wrongly)if there may have been some short cuts.

[moorx]

Yes, I was going to ask whether you call her back/put her on lead at other times. Ideally, put her back on the lead for a while, then let her off again, so that she doesn't always associate it with going home or the end of the walk. They're smart little so-and-so's, aren't they?

[alfie2244]

moorx said:

Yes, I was going to ask whether you call her back/put her on lead at other times. Ideally, put her back on the lead for a while, then let her off again, so that she doesn't always associate it with going home or the end of the walk. They're smart little so-and-so's, aren't they?

Now that's A very good suggestion and had not occurred to me.............many thanks.

These are my current and previous dogs for 15yrs and neither (despite being rescues) had / have a disobedient bone in their body.why on earth of though it would be a good idea to get an intelligent puppy escapes me for the moment....but she is adorable and she knows it.

[moorx]

Oh they are just beautiful!

I've always said I'll never have a dog who is more intelligent than me - hence no collies here (yet!) despite OH's preference for them....

I might make an exception for a standard poodle

[xjay1337]

Is it a game?
Or is she actually scared of the car in some way? Or doesn't want to go home. If you are walking her up to the car on the lead how does she react?

Have you tried putting on her on a long leash and in effect letting her go where she wants (obviously you can grab the lead and stop her) and seeing what she does?

[oddman]

alfie2244 said:

my dog is smarter than me

Associates recall and lead on with end of fun.

Need to mix things up as much as possible e.g.. change where you walk. Try and make sure you are the centre of play and where all good things come from

Do recall-> lead on -> reward -> lead off -> play multiple times. Try and break the association the dog has learned.

Getting mad with it or punishment will make this worse by several orders of magnitude

[lovechild]

The on/off lead whilst walking is good advice. It might also be worth trying to increase the appeal of the car with a positive association. If she is rewarded with as high a value treat as necessary upon getting back in the car, she may be less reluctant to return. A small kong filled with something nice might help as it's food, as well as the game/challenge of getting it out, so the sight of the car doesn't necessarily mean the end of fun.

Obviously you don't want a doggy party going on in the back of your car whilst driving and if there's two of them, consideration would have to be given as to whether multiple dogs with food in close proximity is ok.

[Autopilot]

I had exactly the same issue with my male. We did as one of the other posts suggests and randomly put him back on the lead a few times during walks. The issue we had was that being a smart dog, he soon wised up to that too, so he taught himself that during a walk he should never get within grabbing reach as that meant he could be going back on the lead. This made the problem worse!

To fix this, we'd hide the lead in a pocket so he kind of felt a bit safer knowing he wasn't going back on the lead as we weren't waving it around. We then used to offer treats during the walk and when he was fed from the right hand, we would ALWAYS place a left hand on his collar so he gets used to that also. This meant that he didn't get hand-shy and do a runner during walks if you went for the collar so could get him on the lead. We still do this now to remind the dogs (we have two now) that they are with us on a walk. When we're out, we don't need to call them back, they run around flat out the whole time but stay with us and continually come back. If we change direction or course, they keep tabs and come with us from wherever they are. When the dog was young, he was never 'with us', he always treated it as his walk.

[Autopilot]

PS - Meant to say that with a dog that used to hate the car, we used to put his food in the boot and feed him in there. He soon forgot he hates the car

[alfie2244]

Many thanks for the replies....little update having taken your tips onboard:

She recalled without any issue at least a dozen times during our walk today , sat, let me put her lead on, gave her treat, a minute or so on the lead and then off to play and explore with her big brother again. Unfortunately just before the point that the car came back into view someone appeared with a dog running lose so I put them both back on the lead.

I honestly do think it is just that she views the car as signal that play is about to end and being a precocious little madam she wants to keep playing despite myself and the other fella being knackered. She certainly isn't scared of the car in fact she loves it in there and, to a lesser degree, plays a similar game when trying to get her out.

Will persevere until she knows who's boss......unfortunately MrsA doesn't take them out as much as I do.

[Autopilot]

Welcome to puppyhood! Mine was the same and would happily say part of this is an age thing and he kind of grew out of it. He is still a little st sometimes, but he always improves with age.

[Squiggs]

After just a short walk (and however you might manage it) - get your dog back into your car.
Drive for a short while to another location.
Park.
Take the dog for another short walk.
Get your dog back into your car.
Drive for a short while to another location.
Park.
Take the dog for another short walk.
And repeat.
And repeat.

After a while your dog will jump in thinking it's going to another location for another walk.
Then simply take the little b-gger home.

[alfie2244]

Squiggs said:

After just a short walk (and however you might manage it) - get your dog back into your car.
Drive for a short while to another location.
Park.
Take the dog for another short walk.
Get your dog back into your car.
Drive for a short while to another location.
Park.
Take the dog for another short walk.
And repeat.
And repeat.

After a while your dog will jump in thinking it's going to another location for another walk.
Then simply take the little b-gger home.

[Squiggs]

alfie2244 said:

Squiggs said:

After just a short walk (and however you might manage it) - get your dog back into your car.
Drive for a short while to another location.
Park.
Take the dog for another short walk.
Get your dog back into your car.
Drive for a short while to another location.
Park.
Take the dog for another short walk.
And repeat.
And repeat.

After a while your dog will jump in thinking it's going to another location for another walk.
Then simply take the little b-gger home.

Out-witting them by breaking a routine/habit is sweet success!
Hope it works.

[kurt535]

Prof Prolapse said:

So the dog refuses to return to the car and runs off which is potential dangerous. It will not respond to coercion to return, makes you catch it, and when you pick it up it misbehaves.

I'd smack it.

-ouch.......back in the real world..

...late to the party here..had a rescue dog who had a similar issue with recall to a car..like the OP here, i got him used to going on and off the car and also to see it as a treat if invited into the car as it meant adventure somewhere.

[MrMoonyMan]

I like squigg's advice.

Would also suggest randomly taking her out to the car and giving treats as well as always giving treats as soon as she jumps into the car.