Hi ( New member) Introduction

3254 Views 32 Replies 17 Participants Last post by embee, Apr 10, 2011

Jane

Discussion Starter · Mar 16, 2011

Hello one and all,

Bought a cockapoo puppy 1th December 2010, she is now six months old - answers to the name of Betty. She is incredibly loving with a nice nature. Very true to type. She is black and white (will try and add piccies). She was fairly easy to housetrain and hasn't chewed anything in the house other than her toys. She is a very nosey dog and never wants to be left out of anything, a real character.

I actually have't come across any other cockapoos. I found the breed when I was researching puppies on the internet, thought they looked ideal and tracked one down to buy. My only cockapoo experience is of Betty.

Betty loves her walks, however, one problem that I have is that she has started not to come back when I call her. She is impossible to catch as you can imagine and ends up following me all the way home not on the lead. She is absolutely wilful when I call her, looking straight at me and then scooting off (never very far away, but far enough away for me not to catch her)

Am listening to lots of suggestions from doggy friends etc but am unable to let her off the lead - such a shame as we live in the country and she just adores the excercise.

This website seems to be a mine of information and am looking forward to getting stuck in!

Jane

1 - 20 of 33 Posts

Kel

· #2 · Mar 16, 2011

Hi Jane

My Chloe is about 6 months old too. Looking forward to seeing pictures of Betty!

Sorry, I can't help you with the off leash thing but I am sure someone else here can. I live in a city and Chloe has only been off leash in our backyard.

alfiedoo

· #3 · Mar 16, 2011

Hi Jane and Betty (fab name)

Welcome! This is a great site for useful information and I'm sure you'll get loads of tips from members on the site! I think what you are describing is an age thing and Betty is going through the "teenage" stage. Our puppy is nearly 8 months and still occasionally doesn't come back when called. I always make sure he knows he will get a tasty treat when he comes back (he loves dried liver) and i randomly call him, put his lead on, give him a treat and then let him run free for a bit longer. This way he never knows when his play is coming to an end. This seems to work and hope this helps! Good luck!

x

kendal

· #4 · Mar 16, 2011

hey welcome cant wait for photos, is she more black that white ?

as for the off lead thing, have you tried a long line it like a 10 meter lead that they just drag, and you can stand on it and real them in istread of trying to catch her collar you only need to get within 9 meters of her to get a hold of her.

the main coause of dogs not wanting to come back is that the only time the owner calls them is to put them on the lead to take them home so they suss that if they come back to you the walk is over.
so like alfiedoo said call her back give her a treat and let her go again, then pop her on the lead and let her go again. if you also get your dog used to you touching their collar every time they come back it wont be a big deal for them.

but the line helps to start with as she doesnt have a choice but to come back.

AndreaS

· #5 · Mar 16, 2011

Call her name, get her attention and say COME - once. Don't keep repeating the command come, they need to know they are to come the first time you call. DEFINITELY reward he when she does come. Try it out in the house when she isn't afraid of going back indoors. Also, don't chase her. She will think it's a game. If anything run in the opposite direction and she may end up chasing you..... If all else fails, lay on the ground. She should be curious to see what you are doing and if you are OK, may think you are hurt.... Hope this helps.

Jane

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 16, 2011

Thanks, I have in fact bought a retractable 16ft lead today, have tried tempting her back with treats but she is a little tinker and when off the lead is not interested!

wilfiboy

· #7 · Mar 16, 2011

Like you I had nt seen a cockapoo before we got Wilf , just found them like you by researching which pup to get and a cockapoo fitted the bill, however have met a few sinc ethey are definitely on the increase... where are you from ? Mables 6 months and her recall has been absolutely fantastic stopping what she's doing immediately, even playing with other dogs, then pelts back but then she is a greedy madam..until now a couple of times recently she s thought about it first so need to up the reward and get a bit more excited. Fine when putting lead on, but watch this space, we could end up having to feign some medical episode lol but hope the mud dries up before it comes to that x x

Jane

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 16, 2011

Hi,

more white than black - am about to post some up to date piccies. No that curly really, only at the front. I had her clipped about two weeks ago cos her coat was long and really needed a good short back and sides.

Jane

embee

· #9 · Mar 16, 2011

Flo wasn't reliable with here and come and seemed to please herself so I needed a new 'come' signal and decided to whistle train her. It sort of relies on them being greedy I suppose but you could substitute the treat for a good play with a tug toy. You can get a spaniel whistle on amazon. I started indoors by blowing the whistle and treating her (has to be a tasty treat - I used cheese). Once she knew the whistle meant cheese I would blow the whistle when she was out of sight indoors or in the garden and she'd fly straight back. Once I had a strong association indoors I moved to the park. By 15 months she will come back to the whistle even if she has run off to see another dog. A whistle sure beats screaming at the top of my voice like a mad women across a field and she can hear it from quite a distance if she ever got lost.

Jane

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 16, 2011

Thanks very much,

I hadn't thought about a whistle.

Jane

wilfiboy

· #11 · Mar 16, 2011

Yeh have toyed with that before but never persued it ... she's great really and i think it is just an adolescent blip still comes straight away 98% of the time ... used a squeeker thing at one point with Wilf but he really is nt food orientated ... but might give it a try x

kendal

· #12 · Mar 16, 2011

Jane said:
Thanks, I have in fact bought a retractable 16ft lead today, have tried tempting her back with treats but she is a little tinker and when off the lead is not interested!

better off with a drag line, as she will get the feeling of being off lead but you still have controle.

not a big fan of flexie leads, too clumbersum and they terafy the dog if you drop it as they cant get away from the noice of it. i klnow of a couple of dogs who just kept running, the got them back eventualy.

lady amanda

· #13 · Mar 16, 2011

When i was a kid my dog (goldenretriever) bolted and me and my brother without thinking grabbed the line to hold him back, it was one of those retractables, be both roped burned our hands bad, I will never use one again...but i do know some people love them!

embee

· #14 · Mar 16, 2011 (Edited)

If you want to try calling a dog back with a whistle and they are not bothered about food, try a tug toy. Most dogs love to play tug and if you have a toy ready for them for a great game of tug they'll soon learn to come to the whistle. The whistle isn't then saying 'come back to get your lead snapped on' it's saying 'come here we're going to play your favourite game'. Be unpredictable about when you put the lead back on - don't always do it after the first recall let her go again then call her back for another treat or game. When a whistle Flo back I don't put her lead straight on I'll do some leave, sit, down, roll over commands so by the time the lead goes on she's kind of forgotten about the coming to the whistle and doesn't associate with her lead going back on.

Dylansmum

· #15 · Mar 17, 2011

I've been very lucky with Dylan - he has fantastic recall, but my previous dog was dreadful (not a cockapoo). I agree with Kendal about the long line (30 foot), and that's what I always start with until I'm sure they'll come back. First of all you can just hold the end and let the rest drag - it gives them more exercise and freedom than a flexilead and you can keep calling them back for treats before they are so far away that the line goes taut, so they don't feel like they are on a line at all. Then you can let go of the end and it makes them much easier to catch when the line is trailing - you only have to get within about 30 feet of them! I also agree with Mandy's suggestion about calling her back at irregular times for a special treat or game - learning to associate recall with something good. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Tressa

· #16 · Mar 22, 2011

Accidentally dropped the handle of his flexilead when Teddy was a bit younger and he ran off and it bumped and battered along after him and scared the living daylights out of him. Haven't used one since, although I know a lot of folks like them. But last week I was in the park and a dog on a flexilead ran around me and nearly knocked me off my feet. I think they could be described as a 'mixed blessing'

Like Kendal I find the long line a better option. Good luck with the recall. Teddy's is getting a bit better these days, thank goodness, all the advice on here is worth following.

parapluie

· #17 · Mar 22, 2011

Hi Jane!

I also have some trouble getting Rufus to come when called. He's gotten quite good at it while inside, whether he can see me or not, but outside in the yard he is DREADFUL! He will even go as far as to look right at me and bolt off in the other direction haha. I think I need better treats

kendal

· #18 · Mar 22, 2011

parapluie said:
Hi Jane!

I also have some trouble getting Rufus to come when called. He's gotten quite good at it while inside, whether he can see me or not, but outside in the yard he is DREADFUL! He will even go as far as to look right at me and bolt off in the other direction haha. I think I need better treats

Deltas doing that just now in the garden, think il start putting the line on her again for going out so she cant jump away.

Mogdog

· #19 · Mar 22, 2011

Hi Jane, I love the name Betty for a cockapoo. My Maisie went through a naughty stage about coming back when called and I also invested in a whistle. Like Mandy, I trained her at home first to come to 2 pips of the whistle and giving her some cooked chicken, her favourite treat.

It always works out on walks and is easier than shouting if she's a long way away. If you've established a good association to the whistle it should work. I don't over-use it though.

Good luck!

The old Badger

· #20 · Mar 23, 2011

Hi

Hi
I am also a new member and have similar problem to you with one of my dogs not coming back when off the lead. Seren is 22 months and sometimes comes when called but if gets bee in her bonnet she will not come back. My other pup Dougie is 8 months old and is a dream off the lead and really doesn't stray far from my side. Needless to say Seren doesnt come off lead unless we are in enclosed area and I know for certain she cannot get out.

1 - 20 of 33 Posts

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