# Running off and barking at people



## JPryor1 (Aug 27, 2017)

Hi Guys,

Whilst out walking my year old vizsla he has been running off to people/dogs and barking at them! 

He doesn't bark in an aggressive manor or look to be doing it out of fear. If anything it's excitement and playful however once he's spotted them all his re-call training is forgotten. Only once you catch up with him or once they play with him will he stop.

It's incredibly frustrating as we attend obedience training where he easily completes tasks which are aimed at improving re-call with distractions (dogs, people, toys, food) yet when we're out walking and he sees something he's a completely different dog! 

Some people have suggested a shock collar go gain his attention however I'm very nervous about the idea having read they can cause other behaviourally issues.

Does anyone have any suggestion?

Thanks.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Gosh, I don't know... this sounds like a situation when the dog is not on the leash...? Mine do the same in the park off lead, not so much the barking, but they know it is play
time and the rules are lax it no leash is attached. I am not normally a treat carrier, but my new dog (I've had him 3 wks) was trained with treats, and expects them when
he does what he is told. I am weening him off them... but you could try carrying some for your pup, and reward him handsomely when he obeys. It might help...
I don't carry treats all the time, so the dogs don't know when I have them or when I don't, until the first time I hand them out. Once the are rewarded for obedience, they are as good as gold. I have to trick them and skip around. If you can whistle, which is a more commanding sound then yelling... It is really easy to train your dog to respond
to the whistle... but it takes treats to do it... They learn really really fast to come to a whistle. 

a shock collar would work, but the dog knows when the collar is on or off its neck, and you will have the same issue as being on or off the leash. They just know...


what do you do when you retrieve him once he has run away from you?


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

JPryor1 said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> 
> 
> ...




My understanding is that even if a dog is 100% in one location, they may not understand, or be as diligent in any other locations up on. They have to re learn recall in all different sort of locations. He might just need more controlled training in that location.

IF you are sure he understands the command, the e-collar will make a difference. But don't just slap it on him and shock him. He won't know the shock means "come". There is a process in teaching him he to avoid the need for the collar. If you are uncomfortable with it, I would get a hunt trainer involved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Just as your obedience classes started on leash, and you worked to proof the dogs training. 
I would move to a check cord for outdoors. Reteach everything you learned in class. If after that you can't get a good recall, look into proper ecollar training.


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## karendm (Nov 19, 2015)

My 18 month old started doing that around the same age. She would be fine with some people but others would run up to them barking, just as if she was making sure I knew that people were there! Needless to say, a lot of people did not appreciate that, especially since she did it only to people without dogs...if they have a dog, she's much more interested in the dog and not the people! I started using a long line when we walk off-leash now and I call her back to me when I see people coming who don't have a dog. Her recall is pretty good but if I don't catch it in time I can step on the long line and make sure she comes back to me. I hope with time and maturity she will grow out of it...


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## Rbka (Apr 21, 2014)

Ugh, my 9 month old is getting into this phase too. Recall is starting to fail sporadically even though it was 100% rock solid a month ago. Sam just started occasionally barking at people walking by our property too (but not all the time... what's his criteria even? it seems so random!). I expect this to get worse over the next 2-3 months.
I attribute these behaviours to the teenager phase -- they say a vizsla at 1 year old is like a 14 year old in human years... hormonal, impulsive, cocksure, rebellious....
With our first guy we had a copy of this article taped to the fridge to help us get by: https://www.trader.co.nz/versatiledogs/articles/awkward.htm It may be time for me to pin it up again to get us through the teenager phase with Sam! :|
I have friends who use an e-collar with their v, but I never felt the need. With Nico I brought high value treats with us when off-leash for a while (which worked as he is very food motivated) and then he matured by ~14 months and his recall and behaviour became solid again. I figure I'll do the same with Sam and, as the article says, this too shall pass....
All the best!


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## Rbka (Apr 21, 2014)

Rbka said:


> Recall is starting to fail sporadically even though it was 100% rock solid a month ago.


And of course we went to the big off-leash park tonight and he was a little angel :angel .... oh these dogs keep me on my toes!


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