Recall tips/cringes if you move your hand to fast.

[deidra]

Bentleys recall is horrible. I don't think he had any training before coming to me. The only thing he new was sit. He didn't have a name posted when we got him so we decided the name Bentley. He has mastered,sit,lay,shut-up,quit and leave me alone. He barks like crazy if he does not get his way (like a spoiled brat). For his recall sometimes he comes back other times he is like a beagal and turns off his ears. My beagals I had listened better then he does. I have a long line and i will gentley pull and if he comes I say good boy. He is not a fan of dog treats so I use a tennis ball with a pat on the head. I will somtimes throw the ball when he comes after a pat on the head. Is that teaching him that when you come I make you go away? Also ever since I have gotten him he cringes if you move your hand to fast. I am wanting to go back to the pound and see how they work with their dogs but they have an outbreak of Parvo right now and I do not want to risk making one of my family members puppies sick or one of my own dogs ( I think they are to old though and the vet gives them a parvo shot I believe). Could he have been beaten before he came to me? I know his owner hit him with a leash. With him being a "pound puppy" I do not know much about his history. We guess him to be a year-two years old. I gave a person in the neighboor hood some tips for her dog and they worked wonders but why wouldn't they work for Bent? her dog is very food driven(chow/rottweiler mix)

[dweck]

Dogs are motivated by different things. The key is to find the right 'thing' and then go with it. Sometimes, it's food. Sometimes it's play. Sometimes it's praise.

I'm not big on food-training because a) I want to get into the obed rings, and rewards like that are not allowed and b) from a practical standpoint, I don't want to have to walk out the door each day w/a pocket full of treats to keep my Lab under control.

But your mileage may vary. Everyone wants different things out of their dogs.

As for recall -- See the Our Best Advice sticky. But in a nutshell, most recalls go wrong because owner/handlers start at too high a level. The idea is to teach your dog to SIT. Then WAIT as you walk away (**BUT ONLY TO THE END OF A 6-foot leash!!!). Then to WAIT as you turn and face him. Then to COME when called. And if there's no response there, reel him in, praising all the way Go for a nice square sit, directly in front of you, close enough so that you can touch your toes and his toes at the same time. You don't want him far away because that invites the chase-me game if you have to reach out to, say, put on a collar or get him to hand you something from his mouth.

Go slowly. Each piece until it's rock-solid. Plenty of praise. Keep it fun. Don't rush.

And then and only then, start adding distance. Snap 2 leashes together and go 12 feet. Then graduate to a longline. The idea is that you never call that COME word (I use FRONT, though, because 'come' gets over-used) without being able to enforce if it Bentley's attention wanders.

Hand shyness -- Yes, sad to say, it may mean that he'd been struck. My advice there is slow, steady movements when petting him or putting on a collar, etc. Nothing sudden or unexpected. And plenty of praise for good behavior. He's got to re-learn that a touch us a good thing. Poor guy......

[dweck]

Oh, and maybe hand-feed a meal every now and then. Again, to re-inforce that your hands are the best thing on earth!