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Laura keeps running away off leash, help!

2K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  David Taggart 
#1 ·
Hi, this is my first question on his forum so please forgive me if I'm inexperienced. My German Shepherd, Laura, is an outside dog. She would be an inside dog but she was hit by a car in October and we have a lot of hardwood in our house that she slips on and gets really scared and hurt. Don't worry, she always has blankets, a bed, and a heat lamp on her in the garage during winter. Anyway, we let her out very often because she obviously cannot run around in a cage so we rarely put her on a leash. This off leash play time becomes problematic because SHE RUNS OFF! EVERY TIME! We have a very large backyard with woods in the back and she ALWAYS TAKES OFF IN THE WOODS AND COMES BACK WHEN SHE FEELS LIKE IT! I'll be running around with her and then she'll start taking off, I'll call her and say "Kommen!" (She's been trained in German since we got her at 6/mo) and she turns around and looks at me and just takes off again! Please help! It's very frustrating!
 
#3 ·
Fence the backyard or a large roomy kennel.

No off leash until recall is solid. I have seen in Petsmart a 40 ft(?) lead that would give some room until a fence or kennel is done.

For the floors inside, have you tried non-slip rugs scattered around?
 
#7 ·
i use the 40 ft lead for my maltipoo that refuses to come when called (outside) Amazon has a 50 ft leash if you have the room. Just watch out for tangles and them running around you, ive tripped manyof times..lol
 
#4 ·
Yeah, no doubt that's a pisser....I hate it when a dog doesn't come back when called. The current shepherd I have is probably the best at the recall of the 3 which I have had over the years and it seems to be completely food/treat oriented...yeah I give her a ton of loving as well when she comes charging back inside the house. I wonder if you need to evaluate what she is coming back to??? If she is coming back to a place of confinement which is of no appeal compared to romping around in the back 40, I would do the same as your pooch.

My current GSD is my third and I have learned from my past failures...especially with the recall. From the very beginning, with my new pup, EVERY time I told her to "come" back into the house...it was a freakshow of treats and loving and I ALWAYS took opportunity of feeding time. Now, I can either say "come", "treat" or "are you hungry" and she comes a charging even if the neighbor's 3 dogs are out running the fence with my gal. I have a long way to go with my current shep but I have put a super premium on the recall....every time she comes to me when called she gets praise and/or treats..and I mean every time. I believe the process you have to undertake will involve consistency, repetition and a huge emphasis on a wonderful reason for your dog to want to return to you when called. Yes, I know there are folks in here who have more of a magic touch but what I have accomplished with my present pup is great but it has strictly been accomplished via praise and reward....she knows most anything she will get for coming when called is better than anything outside.....don't know if that is cheating but it sure has worked.

Good luck to you on your endeavor and I'm sure if you throw yourself into it and get your pooch to understand the best things in their world happens when they come when called...you will win the day.

SuperG
 
#5 ·
Your dog has already been hit by a car. You cannot let her off lead in an unfenced area until you have a good solid bond created by lots of training -- that is you training, not whoever had her before you.

Next, you need to learn how to train and command your dog. If you have not trained your dog to come, then you have no business giving that command, in German or English. Since someone did give her some training, it should be easier for you to train her into the commands. But there is more to it than using the word. For one thing, do not give that command unless you can enforce it, immiately.

Here's what you do. Reach in your pocket and get a delicious tid bit, piece of gooey hot dog, and don't say, COME. Call her name, if she comes, give her the treat. Good Girl! She needs to know that coming to you is a good thing. NEVER, EVER call her to you to berate her or punish her, because all you will do is punish for coming. That will teach her not to come to you.

Now, when she is coming, good, using just the name, add in your praise for coming, Good Come. Good Girl. Now, when you go about training the COME command, you need to have a line her. Just start when you are walking her, back up and call her, COME, She turns and comes, Good Girl, add a SIT, and make sure that she sits close enough for you to take the collar. Treat when she sits. When she comes very well from short distances, slowly increase the distance, and eventually, you will be phasing out the treats. ALWAYS praise. Praise is free, you can ramp it up, or give light praise if you need her to maintain an even keel. But once she is doing very well from a good distance (long line). Then you can start treating only ever third come, or only for the best sit front, or only for the quickest comes.

It is called training. Even if the dog has been trained previously, they have to be trained to your style, you have to get repoir with the dog. The dog needs to understand that she needs to do what you say. And if you give her commands that you cannot immediately reinforce, you are training her to blow you off.
 
#6 · (Edited)
To Selzar

We've had her since she was six months, she is two now. Since the day we got her, we've trained her in German. No one has previously trained her because we rescued her so we were her first trainers and she was with us when she was hit, I was the one who helped her recover. She knows what come/kommen means and also knows many other commands in German like sit, stay, lay down, get up, and search, she does all of these commands for her treats, just refuses to listen when there are no treats involved or when she is outside. Because I am only 13, I'm not the dominant male. My father was the dominant male and the one who rescued her and he is been um...incarcerated so I am the only male here and she doesn't listen to me too well.
 
#9 ·
We've had her since she was six months, she is two now. Since the day we got her, we've trained her in German. No one has previously trained her because we rescued her so we were her first trainers and she was with us when she was hit, I was the one who helped her recover. She knows what come/kommen means and also knows many other commands in German like sit, stay, lay down, get up, and search, she does all of these commands for her treats, just refuses to listen when there are no treats involved or when she is outside. Because I am only 13, I'm not the dominant male. My father was the dominant male and the one who rescued her and he is been um...incarcerated so I am the only male here and she doesn't listen to me too well.
 
#11 ·
Since your dad is not in the picture, your dog is in a state of change. She needs for you to go backwards on training for a bit. Dig out the treats again. And only give her commands that you can enforce immediately -- that means keep her on a long line or on a leash. Give the command 1 time. Do NOT repeat a command. Say it 1 time, Come. If she does not, immediately get her to where you want her to be, then praise.

Treats need to be given every time until the dog is complying every time. Then you start phasing out the treats. If the dog will only work for treats, you did not start phasing them out when you should have. A good training class can help you with this sort of stuff, but understandably that might not be possible for you. Keep reading. There is a lot of good information here.
 
#12 ·
Thank you, but we don't have the money for training classes. Nor can
we give that many treats to her because she can't get fat or else her back leg will not be able to support her, vet's orders. But I will try what you said, thank you for your help.
 
#13 ·
There is a lot of good advice on here.The main thing is not to let her off lead until the recall is rock solid so she can't slide backwards. Get a 30' line to work with. Praise and treats go a long way toward rewards. Be sure not to call the dog to come inside (meaning play time is over) or to punish the dog for any reason. Make sure each successful recall is rewarded with over the top praise and food and possibly toys. Since you say the dog will work only for food and you are worried about weight, try nonfattening treats like freeze dried chicken or buffalo. Give only small bits as praise.You aren't feeding the dog, just rewarding it. Keep track of how many treats and factor that into how much you feed the dog at meal time. Several times a day, call your dog and reward it for coming, then let it go. The more memory of coming being a good thing that your dog can have helps. I was training horses at your age so you are big enough to handle this. Keep reading training tips here and take it slow until the dog "gets" each step of training. Nothing wrong with German commands. You could teach the dog to come when you yell potato chips and it wouldn't matter to the dog as that is the command it learned. Forget all that alpha stuff and be friends with your dog.
 
#14 ·
Every time she gets out to the end of the lead, turn and go the other direction so she has to follow you. She'll figure out that she needs to be with you. She's still very very young so she should not be off leash yet. Cook some chicken so it's low in calories and alternate treating her and giving her a favorite toy. There are tons of free videos and articles on leerburg.com that can help you. Check out the Q & A section too. Good for you for wanting to do what's best for your dog in a tough situation.
 
#16 ·
I agree with getting a long line or a long rope, keep her tied/clipped to it.
 
#17 · (Edited)
1 >>> what does being hit by a car have to do with being inside?
she was hit by a car but you continue to let her off leash. you
can get area rugs and runners to cover the floor. then she won't
slip. there's mats that go underneath the rugs to hold them in
place.

2 >>> keep her leashed untill she's trained. walk her.

3 >> training.

Hi, this is my first question on his forum so please forgive me if I'm inexperienced. My German Shepherd,

1 >>> Laura, is an outside dog. She would be an inside dog but she was hit by a car in October and we have a lot of hardwood in our house that she slips on and gets really scared and hurt.

Don't worry, she always has blankets, a bed, and a heat lamp on her in the garage during winter. Anyway, we let her out very often because she obviously cannot run around in a cage so we rarely put her on a leash.

2 >>> This off leash play time becomes problematic because SHE RUNS OFF! EVERY TIME! We have a very large backyard with woods in the back and she ALWAYS TAKES OFF IN THE WOODS AND COMES BACK WHEN SHE FEELS LIKE IT! I'll be running around with her and then she'll start taking off,

3 >>> I'll call her and say "Kommen!" (She's been trained in German since we got her at 6/mo) and she turns around and looks at me and just takes off again! Please help! It's very frustrating!
 
#18 ·
Reduce her intake at her meals to compensate for treats in training. Feed her half her meals while training her, making her work for that kibble. Don't let her get fat, but do train with treats, just reduce her food. Figure out the calories on how many treats, and the calories on the food, and substitute x number of calories for x number of calories.
 
#19 ·
You are getting great advice here. You must stop thinking she's "trained" -- if she's running away, she has no recall, so don't keep using that word unless you want to teach her returning to you is optional (as that's all you're doing now).

A long line need not be expensive. You can buy a 50' clothes line at Walmart for around $3 and cut it to fit (look in the hardware aisle for this item). You can also buy a leash-type clip at any hardware store for buck or so. Knot the clip verysecurely to your long line, so that it will clip to the collar like a leash. Then knot yourself a handle on the other end.
 
#20 ·
You can buy a 50ft training leash off Amazon for $10, Walmart sells some also.
any kind of long line will give her plenty space to play and sniff around and you'll be able to stop her from running away.
I would keep her leashed until she comes when you call her 100%. And when she ignores you, reel her in and praise her- just keep working on it. You need to be more interesting than the woods, and right now I'm sure she thinks you are just going to put her up.
Good luck with her!
 
#21 ·
I don't reel mine in. I go and get them, keeping hold of the leash, and then I bring them to where I want them to be. I am not saying that it won't work either way. But, I don't like pulling a dog to me. I might give a tug on the leash and say NOW! That lets the distracted dog know that I gave a command and expect to be listened to. But rather than reel, I prefer to walk with them to where I was, have them sit, and then praise.
 
#23 ·
I always train recall from behind the dog, so that the action of turning and coming to you is not an alien one. If you think about it, you stand in front of your dog and it comes straight to you. That's fine, but generally on a walk, the time when you really need your dog to come to you is when it's running away from you towards a road, another dog, a person, chasing a cat etc. If it's used to turning and coming to you, it's more likely to comply. Added to that, I agree with all the comments about never repeating the command. Your dog needs to know that when you call, she comes, if you repeat the command, you are teaching her to ignore you..
 
#24 ·
Your dog is young and thirsty for new fresh experiences. Seems, you don't provide her with many, and the woods sound and smell of adventure. In order to support your own role as her leader start taking her to the woods on long lead. Make tracks for her hiding her toys (you would have to make your own map and mark the trees). Also, take her to some new places, let her discover the area around you with the radius of 2-3 miles. It will be good for her anyway, just in case she gets lost. Your backyard is her own territory she knows and marks, but every living creature needs space to roam. For instance, it is estimated that a human needs a space of not less than 6 miles square, dogs - not less than 15, horses - not less than 40, elephants - not less than 200, and the whales - I forgot. This sense of living space is programmed in our brains, without moving around we would be stressed for no reason.
 
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