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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    Instilling the fear of losing you in a puppy.

    I could not bump the teaching come thread, sorry.

    I use this also with great success. I call it the fear of losing me.

    This is my setup. I take the puppy from day 1 out back and down a certain path in the woods. It is maybe 100 yards to a small creek. We walk down the same path off leash every day, several times a day. This gets the puppy used to the path and they are familiar with it and KNOW which way we always go. After a week or two they start to feel pretty confident and bold. They will start running ahead. When they get out of sight I JUMP off the path and hide. They will know their name by then and I call them while hiding.

    As pointed out, they will realize you are suddenly not around and come RUNNING back up the path looking for you. Since I have never strayed from the designated route, they will stick to it, nose to the ground. I let them run up and down once or twice then when they are out of sight again I JUMP back on the path and continue walking. When they finally find me I do not make a huge deal of, because it wasn’t me who lost them, THEY lost me. I will pet them and state ‘where have you been? I have been looking for you!’

    It only takes a couple times and they will continually stop and check around to make sure I am in sight. This lesson carries with them all their lives. No matter where we are, off leash, they will continually look back to check and make sure I am within sight. I never have to go looking for my Lab, she is always looking for ME. But, I have found it needs to be done very early in the relationship. Others have tried it with older puppies and did not have the success as when they are still bonding. If they are at the Teenager stage where they really don’t think they need you or to listen to you, it may too late for this.

    This has worked for three black gals. Perfectly. One became a Velcro dog, but I think she was destine to be one anyway.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
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    Wwwoodchuck (04-28-2018)

  4. #3
    Senior Dog MightyThor's Avatar
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    I'm looking forward to doing this with our little one that comes home next weekend! We didn't train thor's recall this way but it's still pretty good. I think it's more his labbyness than training - he always is checking in to make sure we're keeping close on the trail! Wouldn't want his people to get too far away.
    Mighty Thor, "So Much Dog", born 1/6/2014
    And baby Barley, born 3/9/2018

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    Wwwoodchuck (04-28-2018)

  6. #4
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by MightyThor View Post
    I'm looking forward to doing this with our little one that comes home next weekend! We didn't train thor's recall this way but it's still pretty good. I think it's more his labbyness than training - he always is checking in to make sure we're keeping close on the trail! Wouldn't want his people to get too far away.
    The only dog I've ever had, regardless of breed(s), that was just fine with me being out of her sight was my yellow girl, Honey. Needless to say, she was allowed loose in very few places although she had excellent recall as long as she was still close enough to hear me.

    Most of my dogs have not liked walking away from me (e.g., two of us with separate leashes or being taken off to another room at the vet's office)...Sunnie is the first one to keep an eye on Bob, too.

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    Wwwoodchuck (04-28-2018)

  8. #5
    Senior Dog
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    Our puppy kindergarten teacher had us do this with Kimber. It definitely helped her stay closer to us, although if a deer or interesting smell caught her attention, she might forget. Glad it worked so well for you!
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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    Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts



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    Wwwoodchuck (04-30-2018)

  10. #6
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by SunDance View Post
    The only dog I've ever had, regardless of breed(s), that was just fine with me being out of her sight was my yellow girl, Honey. Needless to say, she was allowed loose in very few places although she had excellent recall as long as she was still close enough to hear me.
    This is Chloe, still. The other ones don’t attempt to roam anywhere near as far as she is comfortable with. When she was young, we did use an e-collar for her because she would quickly get out of hearing range. She hasn’t needed it in years though because she did eventually learn how far she could go without losing the ability to hear us calling.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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    Wwwoodchuck (04-30-2018)

  12. #7
    Best Friend Retriever silverfz's Avatar
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    No idea, mine came with gorilla glued to Me and my family.... When younger she was very attached to me to a point of causing very bad anxiety.
    She was offleash alot even as a puppy when i am jogging in the woods.

 



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