# Recall expectations



## Bailey13921 (Jul 31, 2021)

I’ve read lots of threads about recall, I’m still a bit unsure about our approach with Bailey right now and what to do for the best outcome
Bailey is 15 months. He’s finally settling down, listening and all round we’re seeing some real positives in his training at home. 
His recall was good but, he started to do his own thing a few months back. 
We were on the field, playing ball and he’d be engaged. Then all of a sudden he picked up a scent and was gone. His tracker came off in the neighbouring corfield and luckily a chap with a retriever got hold of him and brought him back. Despite using the whistle and calling, Bailey completely ignored us. 
if we use a long line, he bites it, jumps around and gets totally frustrated.
I decided to have another go with him off lead with a friend and her lab. He was great for over an hour, until he saw a deer and that was it, gone again with zero recall, not even a look back. 
result was I found him, thanks to the tracker, with a nice barbed wire gash to his face. He wasn’t fazed at all, he was just exited to pick up the scent and get going again! 
luckil the injury was superficial.
Should we expect great recall yet, is some of this down to his age or do we need to go back to basics again? 
Bailey isn’t food orientated at all, even steak and warm chicken won’t keep him close when he’s out n about. 
I wonder if his prey drive needs to be satisfied with more than just walks but how can we do that before we’ve got the recall nailed!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Sounds about right.
For some reason at about 12-15 months, they really start acting up.
I do not know if eCollars are legal where you live. If so, the eCollar, in conjunction with the check cord, are going to be used. If not, just the check cord.
Put him back on his leash, maybe 6’ long, and start doing basic obedience training. Then back to a 50’ check cord, and start working him.
You are also going to need to break him from running deer, unless that is what you want.
Keep him on the check cord, and just start working him again. Get him into areas, where you know there will be distractions and use them to your advantage.
If he doesn’t like the check cord, and bites it, then keep him moving. Don’t allow him any time to make his own decisions. If he keeps biting it, let him, but keep him moving.
In heavy brush you can drop the check cord, and if he takes off, it will usually get tangled up tie him place. Then you just go get him? Untangle hom, and let him go again.
If you can use eCollars where you’re at, I highly recommend the investment. There is still a lot of work, but it happens faster.


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## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

+1 for an E-collar. Judging from your little flag the electronic stimulation option may not be. Even one that just beeps and vibrates will help you a lot. Of course you'll need to train with it, and use it as a way to "snap" him out of it to remind him that you need to be paid attention to. The idea is to look for signals they are about to get into "the zone" and try to stop it before it boils over. Even the long line method will suffice. Their eyes dialate, breathing increases, and their brain goes blank with all senses focused on one mission ... prey drive. Can't fault them for it, they were designed to have a high prey drive, we just need to accept that and use tools to manage it.

I used to let Ellie have fun with the deer. She never went to far and always came back after her fun. Except last time she got into barbwire real bad and I've decided I can't let her do it any longer.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Heifer was ecollar conditioned for recall at 4 1/2 months old. I don’t ever do them that young, but she could careless where I was in the field. She was like that at 2 months old, and just kept getting further, and further out. It could take me a good 30 minutes to get close enough to her, to get my hands on the check cord. It just wasn’t safe to have a puppy 200 yards from you, and no way to get them back. She wasn’t running from me, she would just be exploring the fields. She has always been a very independent pup. It’s so nice to be able to run her now, and have her run back to me when I call her.


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## Bailey13921 (Jul 31, 2021)

Thank you everyone. We’ll go back to the long line using your advice. We’re starting obedience training in 3 weeks too. 
if we can nail the recall, he’ll be absolutely perfect!


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