Emergency recall

[Gazjames]

I have a licensed working Police dog, he is a very driven, confident two year old Dutch herder. Since he has been operational, he has proved himself to be a very good partner, and we have had some great success. He has been with me now for over a year, and since day one I have had problems with him chasing things like cars, rabbits, sheeps etc... He is a safe and perfectly capable police dog, however when it comes to training the emergency recall, it has proved difficult to get any results. I have tried all manner of scenarios, and techniques. He just seems to enjoy the chase and therefore when a criminal appears, in a training environment he seems to be on another planet.
I have tried using those 'unique' (and at times embarrassing!) noises, training lines to check him should he fail, less stimulus out front etc....
Has anyone experienced the same drive, and has anyone got any ideas to break that drive when he is 100% committed at chasing a criminal/car!!!!!!!!!!

[Christie M]

Welcome to the forum GasJames!

I hope that you don't mind that I moved this topic. The police K9 lounge has been set up for a photo contest for the Dutch Shepherd Rescue Calendar. I moved it here so everyone would see it and chime in.

Please take a moment and introduce your self in the New Members Announcement area! We would love to know where your are from, where your dog came from...etc. The Emergency Recall is called the Call Off in many sports, and we have many competitors here. I am sure you will get some great advice.

Additionally, if you could visit the User Control Panel and create a signature that includes your name, it would greatly help us keep everyone straight!

[ClaireAnnette]

I had a dog like that, mostly ducks, I learned after I almost was dragged like a skier after him into a lake! I worked on training leave it until he eventually did apply it to ducks too. With current dog; I have also taught 'freeze" or "stop" when she is running and playing in back yard. I started be calling out freeze as it seemed to attract her attention. So when she is buzzing around, I called out freeze. At first she did not stop, But they have to stop sometime! As soom as she would, "yes!" "freeze" gave her treat. So far is consistent in yard and works sometimes out. BuT she is not as distractable as yours sounds. I am sort of surprised dog would be 'certified' for police work if that is a serious problem for jusy reasons you give and your own safety.

[Christie M]

ClaireAnnette, Thank you for your reply and input.

Please take the time to introduce yourself in the New Member Announcement Area so that we may get to know you beyond the few posts made. Also, if you could create a signature that includes your name, via the User Control Panel (link located in the upped left corner of this page) it would be greatly appreciated.

Again, so happy for your contributions, just want to remember who you are!

[Gazjames]

Thanks for that Claire, yeh your right it is part of his licensing. He completed a basic course of thirteen weeks, and had a recall at the end of it. I suppose this was down to the repetition every day. He has been sent operationally to detain people and has been responsive every time. It seems to be in the training environment when the equipment is out and he has a moving object that he knows he can bite. A lot of the dogs will react differently in a real incident, simply because naturally there is a difference in the handler, with adrenaline and so forth.
We have done a lot of work on this part of his training, and unfortunately, give him an inch and he will take a mile but we are very lucky that he is not an aggressive dog, and he excels in all other aspects of his work.

We actually tried something different yesterday, with having the equipment out running in front of him, past him and carrying out obedience/control on a line. We then integrated the recall...he failed first time, and was checked on the line. But we persisted and he recalled every time after. The problem with this is its resource intensive, as for safety (and to ensure he doesn't bite) you need a line man/women, along with a subject in a jacket. When your operational unfortunately these opportunities are few and far between, and as you can imagine I can't enlist the help off family and friends!

When out walking, his recall is spot on, when he is just being a dog, he responds every time, but he is so driven I have to watch him, but its his drive that makes him a good police dog. Dilemma!

I like your idea of the freeze! And I'm sure one day ill shout something and get a reaction! Glad to see its not just me who's dog like to chase wildlife!

[feraloup]

Hrm. So sounds like you've already tried the long-line to check him when he ignores the recall, I'm a big fan of that one, but understand why it's problematic outside of formal training sessions.

One of my dogs was highly, highly, highly prey-driven (part New Guinea Singing Dog,) and while she has mellowed considerably over the years, (she's 12, now,) I had to be really creative with some failsafe backup recall plans when she was younger, as she's also an accomplished houdini! "Just never have her off-leash" doesn't help if she knows how to unsnap a spring-clip, climb trees and fences, and can contortionist-trick her way out of every harness ever invented! *lol* If I have to leave her on a tie-out, (rarely,) I use a threaded-barrel closed-loop caribeaner clip attached to a cable lead on which the spring-snap is soldered shut, attactched to a greyhound collar that she can't slide out of.

Anyhow, for her, I worked endlessly on recall and used long-lining a lot, but as an added failsafe I lure-trained her. I apprenticed in falconry many years ago, and adapted some of the methods for training a hawk to come to you to use for Maiyou when conventional dog-training methods just weren't quite failsafe enough for me to feel confident about her and other animals' safety.

I created a padded "duck" lure for her (birds, in particular, were a favorite prey-appeal,) with real feathers and everything, and this was attached to a cord that I could whirl around my head and make it "fly"

I used her natural inclination to want to "chase the bird" and also gave her "jackpots" of big doses of really high-preference treats whenever she caught it. (Think bacon, bacon is meat-candy!). I also coupled bringing out the lure with a specific 2-note whistle that I can do quietly, through my lips, or ear-shatteringly with my fingers across a field... So eventually, even if she was midflight after something, the whistle would redirect her to come get the lure.

*shrugs* may help you, may not. Worth a try, maybe.

[Christie M]

Thank you so much for the intro!
The automatic signature should be easy to add by visiting the User Control Panel and just filling in the information!

You mentioned "the bad guy" in your initial post, so I assume this applies quite a bit to protection/bitework scenarios (which is where so many people have trouble with the call off).

For me, I find it useful to use the same thing that is motivating the dog down field as a reward for recalling.

I start dogs with a decoy/helper well down field. The dog is on a long line and there is another decoy/helper very close by, but hopefully not obvious to the dog. After sending the dog after the person down field, I give a recall command very, very quickly (5-10 feet) and reinforce with the long line (at this short distance the dog doesn't have the chance to gain enough momentum to gag themselves). Once they turn back at all, I have the second decoy/helper present themselves. I gave a click/yes/release and send the dog on the second decoy. Big fat party for all.

From there, I gradually increase the distance that the dog is from me, and vary whether I recall or allow the dog to go down field for the bite (I don't want them to anticipate a call off any more than I want them blowing it off). I am not opposed to using an electric collar if I know the dog under stands the exercise from the initial foundation.

Eventually, I don't want the dog to always anticipate a rebite on the recall (could be dangerous for a judge) but I see that just as a training issue. Eventually, when there is clarity, I will call the dog back to a heal position, and then either reward with tugging with me, mark the behavior and release to an alternate decoy for a reward bite, or mark the behavior and send back down field for a reward bite on the original decoy. The slow introduction of the foundation (coming back to me = no correction and equal or better pay out) is the most important part.

You have to remember that high drive bite dogs have only one HUGE reward - that is the bite. Manipulating that reward is often the only way to get control, coupled with well timed and memorable corrections. No amount of pot roast in the world will be better than a good hit and fight with the bad guy.