# Chasing wildlife/not coming when called



## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

Dolce is usually a really well-behaved dog. She knows many commands and almost always obeys them immediately. There are only two (fairly minor) exception, and this thread is about one of them:

Dolce reacts very strongly when she sees wildlife (rabbits, deer, etc.).

When she's on leash, she perks her ears up, shifts her weight forward, and does something that sort of looks like a play-bow (and it really might be one, but I can't see it well enough from behind her to make sure) and sometimes jumps a bit. When I tell her to look at me, she does so for a brief second, eats her treat, and then goes on to look at whatever animal she was interested in. It's usually gone by then, but she stays excited for quite a bit. I go on asking for eye contact and rewarding it until she's calmed down. Now, if she was a guide dog this would be completely unacceptable behavior. She's not, though, and so it's not a big deal to me. She used to pull and so on, but if she keeps reacting the way she does right now, I'm fine with it. She's not putting anyone in danger.

However, I DO have a problem with what she does when she's off-leash, which is take off running. When there's no animals around, she comes immediately when I call her. When she's chasing something, though, she doesn't react to the command at all. She usually does come back within a few minutes (I'm guessing between 1-15, but I don't look at the watch), and when she does, I tell her she's a wonderful dog (so she knows that it's safe to come back) but don't give her a treat (because she didn't obey the command; she just realized that she can't catch whatever it was and wants to rejoin her pack). The problem is that 1) the forest warden is allowed to shot dogs that chase deer and 2) I doubt the wild animals are going to safely steer away from any oncoming cars. So even though there's usually no animals around and she doesn't stay away long, I'm terrified of her getting killed.

Because of that, I almost never let her off-leash. We don't have a fenced yard and our property is small, so she can't play there, either. When we are in fields and I've made sure that there are no animals around and the grass is short, I do let her play ball for a little. I used to at least let her off-leash in the fields, but then I didn't see a rabbit fast enough, and now she's almost always on-leash when I walk her. Twice a week my family does instead, and they don't take my fears seriously and let her off-leash far more frequently. It's not that she listens to them any better: actually, she takes what I say far, far more seriously than what they say. That means that it's not just sad that she doesn't get to play much in my effort to avoid the issue, but that she's put in that situation by my family.

How can I teach her to come when called even when there are wild animals around? Especially when they're usually not there and so I can't consistently train her on that issue? I've thought about trying to use her ball as a distraction when training her to come, but I don't have a clear idea of how to do that step-by-step.

I'm guessing most people will think I'm being too much of perfectionist... is it really unreasonable to expect a Golden Retriever to not hunt when told not to?


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

That isn't acceptable behavior. If a dog doesn't have a 100% recall, then they should not be allowed off leash. Get a good trainer who can help you take care of this.


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

I wouldn't have her off leash if her recall can't bee trusted. Not only could she potentially get hurt, I think it harms the recall over all when the listen to the command selectively. Until you can trust her you can use a long line, like a 20 to 50 ft line. That way she can run around but can't take off.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Long lines are wonderful things. You can get one that is say 25' or 50'. You can use a light rope that is attached to her collar also. No off leash until her recall is where you want it to be. Call her, real her in immediately, make her understand that when you call she doesn't have the option of coming. Next when you are entering your house, make her sit, then you enter and call her into the door. Sounds like she needs to know what her limits are. You can do that in little ways that establish boundaries. Like kids, they need to know where they stand.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

I'm in the paranoid minority, but I personally don't believe that there's such a thing that a dog that is 100% reliable on recalls, especially a young dog. Under the wrong combination of circumstances, instinct will override training. 

I second the idea of a long line so you can reel her back in no matter what. Your family needs to get on board with this as well--I can name a dozen dogs I've known in the past ten years of working as a shelter volunteer and an LVT who were killed because their owners assumed their dogs were 100%.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

One point I'd like to make on the long line. When you call her/him, if they don't immediately turn and run back, start reeling them in. Also reel in even if they are coming back. Sometimes they will come back part way, smell something wonderful, and off they go away from you. So keep reeling all them time even as they are returning, just in case. Since your dog has already shown they only come back when they want to, try introducing another re-call experience. Use a whistle. Since they aren't always listening to your voice, a whistle with the long line might change the behavior. I carry my whistle wherever I go. It's a whistle used for field training I got at a sporting goods store. My dogs all know that 3 toots is a return to me right away.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Noreaster said:


> I'm in the paranoid minority, but I personally *don't believe that there's such a thing that a dog that is 100% reliable on recalls*,
> 
> All my dogs (3) are field trained and hunt ducks, pheasants, quail, etc. It is very common for them to kick up a rabbit or deer when looking for upland game birds. If they were not 100% trained on recall, I would never hunt with them. Chasing deer is particularly risky for dogs as deer will bolt across roads over fences, etc. not to mention how far they will run. If you have a field dog, and is not trained properly, you will not have that dog very long!


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Sorry your family is not on board with your thoughts of training her as consistency is everything. As others mentioned, the long line has worked for us too. A whistle can be a wonderful tool also as Stacy mentioned.

Wildlife certain do make an appearance at what seems the most inappropriate time. You might want to try it with humans being a distraction in the interim.

Have a friend hide along on of your walks and pop out of the woods and run. The immediate reaction on Dolce's part is just a start for recall. Once she gets that have them call Dolce. Here Dolce, come girl! cookies!! When you can get her to slam on the brakes mid run and come back to you after that then you might be almost there.

Recall is by far the most important thing you can teach a dog IMO. You're not being a perfectionist because when it comes down to things it really can be life or death.


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

Noreaster said:


> I'm in the paranoid minority, but I personally don't believe that there's such a thing that a dog that is 100% reliable on recalls, especially a young dog. Under the wrong combination of circumstances, instinct will override training.


I am sorry, I should have clarified that statement. When I say 100% recall, I mean their history of recall, not necessarily a dog that will always come very time.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I agree with everything everybody said, no recall, no off leash time.

I see you are in Germany - being German originally myself and having grown up there - I do know that a dog chasing wildlife is taken very serious over there. Game wardens are often around and they will come down hard on a dog that is lose and chasing wildlife. Just a word of caution.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Eowyn said:


> I am sorry, I should have clarified that statement. When I say 100% recall, I mean their history of recall, not necessarily a dog that will always come very time.


No problem here...I realize that I am on the far end of the spectrum when it comes to not allowing my dogs off-leash, even though I live in a very remote rural area. I have just seen too many unnecessary deaths and I've personally had too many losses--five dogs in ten years--to want to take any risks at all, ever. I've been grateful that none of these losses were ever anything I could have prevented, but it's made me very paranoid, regardless.

We all have to choose what makes sense for our dogs in our own particular situations, environments, and lifestyles, and for some, that will involve a calculated risk with being off leash. 

It's just vitally important, IMO, that people like the OP's family are fully aware that they are taking that risk.


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

Keeping Dolce on a long line sounds reasonable. However, what I really wanted to know is how I can train her to come under very distracting conditions. I can reel her in on a long line, yes, but how do I set up up progressively more distracting conditions until I can know she can do it with wildlife around? I can't just wait until wild animals appear because that only happens a few times a year. I have practiced recall past tempting food, and she was perfect. She's 100% solid in every situation I've put her in besides the rabbits and deer. I'm guessing she'd also have a hard time not chasing her ball as she loves playing ball more than anything else; I've never tried recall in that particular situation so I can't know for certain how hard that would be for her. The thing is, I'm unsure exactly how I can use said ball in a series of progressively more challenging exercises. I'm guessing I need to have someone else throw it while keeping her one a long line; the problem is that I'm not sure how to make recall in a situation like that easy enough that she'll have success and then slowly more difficult until she'll be able to generalize it to wildlife. It seems like there's just one level of difficult involved with throwing a ball. By the way, I do not use the command unless I'm pretty sure she'll actually do it. That means I don't event try the word when she takes off like that because I don't want to make it meaningless and have no reason to believe she'll suddenly be able to do it as we haven't practiced for that situation. Maybe I'm wrong, and she would obey if I said it; I just doubt it as she doesn't show any reaction at all to "no" or her name.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

The way most field people do this is first using a long line with lots of repetition, never allowing the dog not to come when called. Always giving them love and attention as a reward when they do return. As the dog matures beyond six month we start using e-collars. You can only do this by first 'e-training' the dog to the collar. Then start training on actual 'recalls'. YOU cannot get an e-collar and jump right into 'recall', the collar conditioning is critical to using the collar for recall training. 

If you decide to go this way, you would be best to work with a trainer who knows the process. 

Good luck


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

E-collars are outlawed in Germany. Even if they weren't, I wouldn't use one.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

It's repetition of the long line with recall that makes it a remembered command. Your dog will gain "muscle memory" every time your reel him in. You call, he starts to come, you start reeling, and he comes back to you, you do the happy dance! You are excited to see him, give him a treat. It's that repetition that will give you the muscle memory that your dog needs. This will need to happen over a long time, it's not a quick method.

Do you remember you have a hunting dog. My youngest dog Lucy is perfect until it's time to hunt. Then she loses her mind and I have to be careful with her. It's a normal reaction. 

Good luck and I hope your dog gets better and stops chasing when you call his name.


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

Alaska7133, does that mean Dolce will be able to come when I call her when she starts chasing something if I just call her often enough in other situations and praise her then? Or do I need to train distracting situations separately? I always thought it was the latter, but am a loss as to how I could set such situations up. They don't come up often in everyday life, but it's critical for her to master. However, if I just need to practice it enough in other situations, that's easy enough.


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

Martin said:


> Keeping Dolce on a long line sounds reasonable. However, what I really wanted to know is how I can train her to come under very distracting conditions. I can reel her in on a long line, yes, but how do I set up up progressively more distracting conditions until I can know she can do it with wildlife around?


You have to get really creative in this situation. Do you have friends with horses? Practice recalls around them on a ing line in a controlled environment (i.e. with a solid fence that Dolce can not cross between her and the horses). Have friends with rabbits? Practice recalls on a long line in a controlled environment (make sure the rabbit has more than enough distance to feel safe though, they can scare easy). Do the same with livestock or any animals you can. It will be a lot of hard work and creativity but it can be done. Good luck!

ETA: I worked with a rescue in the past with an extremely high chase instinct, so I feel your pain.


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

Martin said:


> Alaska7133, does that mean Dolce will be able to come when I call her when she starts chasing something if I just call her often enough in other situations and praise her then? Or do I need to train distracting situations separately? I always thought it was the latter, but am a loss as to how I could set such situations up. They don't come up often in everyday life, but it's critical for her to master. However, if I just need to practice it enough in other situations, that's easy enough.


In other situations and with high distractions. Recall around anything that moves. Have kids run around the yard with flags (cloth) and practice recalls (flag dancing of sort). Have kids drag her favorite balls/toys/bones tied to sticks around the yard and practice recalls (make sure she "wins" at some points in the game). Practice recalls around kids playing leap frog. Practice practice practice.


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

Hmmm... Thanks for the suggestions. I don't have any friends, kids, nor any animals besides Dolce. Maybe I can do some of those things with my family, though; I'll have to ask if they're willing. Dolce does go to a training class once a week, and I'll ask if we can practice recalls under more challenging conditions. I'm sure she's not the only one who would benefit. I think Dolce would really benefit from having a dog she could play with now that Drifter's gone, and so I've been thinking of asking another participant if our dogs could play after class for a bit. That would bring a new situation to practice recall as well. Finding the courage to ask will be really, really difficult for me, but it'll probably be worth it.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

One of the hardest recalls to do, is when your dog is playing with another dog. They have a very hard time breaking off play to come to you! Great way to practice.


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