Amber the commando

[Eastonwolfs]

I'm so envious when I see pics (and the fab videos) on here of dogs frolicking about with freedom...if you see any pictures of our dog Amber (unless she's at home or in the garden) you'll see she's always on a lead.

When we first adopted her she was always in 'commando' mode, when on a lead (don't think she was used to lead walking at all then)...she was always pulling (even with a halti on it doesn't stop her, and she has the strength of an ox) and was sort of clung to every wall...as if she was hiding in the shadows...always had her head down as well, not sniffing though...but trying not to be seen...(she still has a lot of these traits now)

One day my husband was walking her through the village and she was clung so closely to the walls, that when they got to the hairdressers (where the front door was open) she just went in! Purely becuase she was sort of clinging to the walls...mind you it was funny as there was a little boy there (about 7?) who said "I think she wants her hair cutting"...LOL

We have practised recall in and aroud the house and rewarded with treats and this is not a problem she comes to us everytime...but outside and off the lead she goes completely deaf...its head down...and she runs like the wind...

She jumped out of the back of the car once and ran off...because the car was parked in a slightly different space at the front of the house...she followed the front garden wall, then went in next doors drive, panicked then did a 'red rum' around our road...running through all the neighbours front gardens and jumping the adjoining walls...it was like the grand national (!)...we just managed to catch her as she got herself cornered in one of the front gardens...otherwise she would only have stopped with exhaustion...probably somewhere near Kendal!

Also she once got out of a field when let off the lead and wouldn't come back when called BUT on this occasion...made her own way back to the car and was found with front paws on the cars back bumper...waiting to be let in!

So...we have resigned ourselves to the fact that she can't be let off...we have one of those long training leads and use that...which lets her have a bit of freedom...where she bounces around like Bambi...

But what I would give to let her have her freedom...in a field on a beach...it would be lovely...

And...YES she's chipped!

[julie]

I am no expert but I have found that recall training outside of the house/garden was more successful if the walk was before breakfast or supper. The hungry tummy maybe played a part.

Or perhaps as I've always had older dogs (Honey is my youngest ever - only 8yrs (we think) when she came home), they are less giddy (although they've all had their moments)

[Cobi and Ginnies Mum]

Yes my Ginnie is similar to your Amber, when I take her out on my own Ginnie is 'on patrol' almost like the 'Churchill nodding dog' she scours from left to right and back again, and there is real purpose in her pull. She is allowed off from time to time, always when we are caravanning in Scotland as she makes straight for the sea, when let loose on the beach. Cannock Chase is a flask and sandwiches job sometimes! 30 mins on Boxing Day the little tinker went missing for, which is not acceptable, we want to know what she is doing! so until she decides that she is not boss she is back on the 50ft training lead! We have been to dog training classes years ago and she is a model of excellence, weaving through the sticks, waits while the gate is opened for us to go through, sits and stays whilst you walk round her with the lead dropped, as soon as her nose hits the ground, it's stuff you I'm off!!! IN SPITE OF WHICH WE LOVE HER TO BITS and have got used to her funny little ways. I throw down a challenge to any professional dog trainer out there to change our Ginnie.

[Lucy & Alfie's Mum]

Your story about Amber is similar to our situation. We have Alfie who is like a big teddy bear in the house. Sits on your lap, he follows me around everywhere and is at the moment lying on me as I type. However, when we get the leads out he goes ballistic. Each time we go out it's as if it's the first time he has ever been for a walk. He watches everything, he walks into posts and walls as he is so busy looking at everything and when we let him off the lead he just disappears. Literally he goes like the wind and will not come back for anything. It's reall worrying as there are streams which are not clean and lots of very busy roads near where we live. As he is so intent on just going we are afraid he will reach a busy road. We have been to classes and tried very hard to teach him to come back. So consequently he has walks on the leads and we have bought a 50 foot lead to give him a run round on. Any suggestions would be welcome. We are considering trying to buy a field which we can secure then he can be let loose with his mates.

[janrobinson]

Isn't it just sucjh a worry when they run off. Many do this. One especially comes to mind and she struggled with her for years and one day lost her for hours and rang me in a panic. SHe then found her and I asked her why she put herself through all this She had freedom in the house and garden No need to give yourself a heart attack. She said but I love to see them free " Watch someone else's dog then" Save yourself .the hassle. I did recommend a lunge line so he had relative freedom of sorts as you have done. I know this is not the answer but it is so difficult. Why don't you ask John or send him a private message and I am sure he will give you some pointers.

[Eastonwolfs]

I think you have to accept that some dogs just can't be let off...or you would either lose them for good (who could live with that after the trust we have been given when adopting them?) or they could cause an accident (again could you forgive yourself? I know I couldn't).

Sometimes we play tricks on Amber and let her run between the 2 of us (i.e. one of us lets go of the training lead) BUT there has to be no distractions and we have to be confident one of us can catch the lead. I think she thinks we still have hold of it myself. But this doesn't happen often I must admitt but its better than nothing.

Like Jan says why give yourselves heartfailure?

[Cobi and Ginnies Mum]

You are all so right, why worry yourself to bits, you know your dog,and it doesn't take long, sadly something has happened in their past which may have created these problems and this website has 'flagged' up many differences in the same breed, but it takes a special kind of person to take on a 'rescue' dog. I found it relatively easy to 'train' the goldens we had had from pups because we had had them at 7 or 8 weeks old but I have never loved them any more than the two we have now, and they are so different even from each other with the things they do. We try not get into certain situations, like walking through sheep, cows etc., whereas we could with our previous 5. I know that Ginnie will make straight for water if lose so no canals in case we can't get her out or back, the beach is ok but sometimes she swims out a long way and the 'ear flaps' have shut to any form of communication! pockets full of pebbles to steer her around are our answer. A few years ago when Ginnie was let off on parkland close to where we live she went through a broken piece of fencing after rabbits and ended up on the wrong side of the fence which came out onto a very busy dual carriageway, she took Abigail and Jasmine with her, I knew I could get them back to me, but Ginnie doesn't hear me when her nose has taken over, luckily all was well but it could have been different, she was insured at the time, we would have been devastated at losing Ginnie, but she could have caused carnage, I doubt the insurance company would have paid as it would have fallen into behavioural problems as they put it. So Ginnie and Cobi are on 20ft leads around there now.
We were watching TV last night and I caught Ginnie 'turfing' plucking the kapok out of her teddy, Ginnie is 9ish so she should know better. She goes into a trance and mouths her toys continuously for ages then shakes her head and comes out of her trance, she doesn't hear us talking to her when doing this, Cobi needs to be loved and clambers up on my husbands lap, and lies upside down in 'display mode' for ages,
Cobi has just presented me with part of a conifer from the garden this morning, she is 3yrs, she is proper little madam!, same as Abby was.

[hairydog]

Paddy goes runnng off when he finds a nice smell then sniffs a leaf for hours! Lucy follows him everywhere then finds something and off she goes but a quick "Bye Lucy" and walk the other way and she comes running,try some basic recall in the house try some liver call them, when they come give them the treat, they will then (hopefully) associate you calling them with a nice treat...or buy a gundog whistle that saves you shouting like a fishwife...it does take time,some dogs pick up the recall straight away others never do...

[Cobi and Ginnies Mum]

Thanks for the advice BUT I have tried absolutley everything you could possibly imagine, we've had 1-2-1 training, and gone to classes where our Ginnie is a model of excellence, the instructor also had 2 retrievers and boldly said Ginnie was from working stock - and that's the problem 'the nose' we even bought something to 'disrupt' the nose, a collar which spurts citronella when used with the remote control
(NO ELECTRIC SHOCKS) to distract her FAT CHANCE of that!!!! still got it, never use it another £150 , In spite of which we love her and all her funny little ways, and we would hate to be without her. She has had a good walk this morning on her 20ft lead and my arms are 3ins longer!!!
You know what they say about retrievers - a walk spoils a good sniff....

[Ellas mum]

D'you know, we are sooo lucky with Ella. We have had her for nearly 3 1/2 years now and she always walks to heal unless we tell her otherwise.
When she is off lead, she never goes very far ahead, always has to look where we are. It's as if she feels she has to 'obey' or else. This, we feel has a lot to do with her former life, as Jan says, we never know what has gone on before. Now, we had our other golden, Leigh, from a pup. She had a mind of her own She was'nt easy to train at all. She always pulled on the lead,and we ended up running, was always miles ahead off the lead, and was completely heedless, ' always ended up doing the FISHWIFE bit', up to the age of 5, then things got a lot better, she seemed to calm down. They are all so different, but as has been said, we love them all equally as much

[hairydog]

Both of my two are from working stock and have to say once onto a sniff that is it, but...thats the breeding that is what they are bred to do...have you maybe made her use her brain and make a game of things hide & seek, etc,she may like to be "mentally " challenged... sounds like she is a clever girl....