How to Stop My Lab from Running off to meet other dogs?

[FizzyWolf]

It is very common with Labradors, you have to be careful not to over socialise them.

[Polmaise]

It is very common with Labradors, you have to be careful not to over socialise them.

it is very common with any dog!..........Nah!! owner.....
stick a bloody lead on the dug, an it wont be able to run off and have a sniff?
eventually', the owner will have a huge brain seizure and think that maybe the dog doesn't run off when seeing another dog?

Or?...you can try some other complicated training programme that will require some serios thought process.
You can google this ,and have some very explanitary notes that is quite interesting.

[jessandcara]

Just as polamaise says ...keep the dog on the lead till you get it 100 %..and dont let the dog have to much wat i call free hunting time off the lead....or you will have more problems later ....get the dog walking at heel on then off the lead right first ...then move on

[Hepe]

I say, bohoo for the boring walking where everything is turning into a no-you-cannot things. You cannot pee everywhere, you cannot sniff everywhere, you cannot greet everyone be it dog or people, you cannot run too far ahead, you cannot run too far anywhere btw, you cannot pull on the leash. What you are supposed to do being the wee dog is walk close to your human and be bored! I would skip the walking and train instead! Of course they need to relieve themselves and romp a bit now and then but if possible that's best done in one spot. I realize not everyone have the possibility to train 'where they are' so to speak and might have to walk somewhere suitable, that's not what I'm talking about. It's the odd view that you have to spend time walking your dog, i can't for my life understand how you got time and find it useful to a young dog when training is what's needed and so much more fun!

That said evilly enough i got a bunch of dogs and live in the woodsie so when i need to take my dogs out for a wee or a romp i just walk50 meters and let them romp around, doing their stuff and then we spend time in the yard and they can play, sniff or do whatever. I also sometimes take one dog with me for a walk but then i walk for ME and i combine it with training and again, almost no people and i rarely meet any other people or dogs. So everything i said about the walks won't affect me or my dogs but i stand by it. I find this notion about 'walking the dog' something belonging to pet dogs, where the only fun they have during the day is go out and meet other dogs and sniff around. Not for a gun dog in training.

That's my view and everyone wanting to take walks with their dogs are of course not horrible persons, just deluded and probably less fat than i am. About the recall, use all the treats you need, reduce the amount of normal feeding if you are worried about the weight!

Helene

[Dog Photographer]

I was thinking a simular thing!!! all of this is my fault im afraid, Bad owner syndrome!!! they have had too much freedom but I was thinking last night exactly what has been suggested, limited walk time ,lots of training until this problem is resolved.

Believe me i dont want a regimented dog that never moves but just one i can trust around other dogs and their owners. Im gunn a get a big squeeky toy which Jet my Lab will love so the moment he runs off he'll be hearing his tempting aqueeky toy and a bit of cheese will hopefully be to much to resist.

Im making him sound really bad, hes a great dog its just having three now I need the Pack so to speak to be more disciplined and thats the whole point of doing this now whilst the new dog is being introduced.

Thanks everyone again, much appreciated
Andy

[PERCE]

Believe me i dont want a regimented dog that never moves but just one i can trust around other dogs and their owners. Im gunn a get a big squeeky toy which Jet my Lab will love so the moment he runs off he'll be hearing his tempting aqueeky toy and a bit of cheese will hopefully be to much to resist.

Andy

That's shite, you'd be far better served teaching him to listen to your big squeeky whistle, it ain't been regimented it's about knowing who's the boss.

[NikkiD]

. I also sometimes take one dog with me for a walk but then i walk for ME and i combine it with training and again, almost no people and i rarely meet any other people or dogs. So everything i said about the walks won't affect me or my dogs but i stand by it. Helene

Me too. I use the walks to proof the stuff they have learned in the paddock

Ironically I probably do less walking now I have so many dogs than I did with just the one.

[Rascal]

Please ignore Perces use of the word shite it's his very favourite word!

If you are intending to use your dog to work on game then I wouldn't use a squeaky toy, use your whistle instead he'll be just as tempted. If you give a dog a squeaky toy and the noise is their reward then you are teaching the dog to bite down to get that noise.

I agree with the other posters keep him on a lead where there other dogs about and try to find somewhere to train without other dogs as distractions or adjust your training times.

Rascal

[sammylou]

I said I wasn't going to post on here anymore but I've been through this with one of mine.......

First grab a friend with a resonable controllable dog (one that has a good down/sit/STOP and recall cue regardless of what is happening), then get a big bag full of whatever treat your dog would die for (cheese, sausage, steak, whatever...).

Next go to a field and get your dog to sit, give him a treat and loads of fuss. Then do a recall - loads of treats and fuss. Make sure your dog knows that you have loads of yummy treats

Then release both dogs to play, let them play for a short while then BOTH of you recall your dogs - this means that even if your dog doesn't come away from the other he will (should) follow the other dog back. REWARD your dog as if he has just won the championships! Then let them go play again.

Repeat stages 1-3 until you notice that your dog is coming when called (you will have to watch closely but at some point he will stop following the other dog back and he will start coming to you when you call). Once this happens then get your friend to stop their dog before/just after/as you recall your dog (it is important to play around with this or your dog will begin to anticipate the recall when the other dog is stopped) so your dog is coming away from the other dog but the dog isn't doing anything too exciting.

Once your dog will start coming away from a stationary dog, begin to call him away from a dog that is pottering around, then a dog that is doing something more exciting, then a dog that he is playing with, then two dogs pottering around, two dogs that are more exciting, two dogs that he is playing with etc etc etc

Remember to keep rewarding your dog for his recall even when you think he has it sussed, to let him go back playing more times than you put him on the lead and take him home and to never punish your dog for not coming. If he doesn't come it is because he hasn't been proofed against whatever you are trying to call him away from or because you haven't rewarded him well enough, make the distractions less and the the rewards better and try again. If he doesn't want to leave you when he discovers that you have loads of treats, just leave him and ignore him (but keep watching him) and eventually he will get bored and leave you to find something a bit more fun.

I play recall games with my dogs all the time - including calling them and chucking a handfull of treats at my feet (so the fastest back gets the goodies) and calling each dog by name and only that dog gets rewarded.

I'm sure I was going to say something else but I can't think now, I'll come back and edit at some point if I remember.

[Dog Photographer]

Whoops my reply seems to have gone missing!!

Thanks Sammy Lou for your in depth reply and advice ,very much appreciated,Thank you!!

I will be practising tonight with lots of cheese and sausages that should d othe trick!!!

Ill keep you posted.
Thanks again
Andy