How do I get my black lab to stop running away??

Question

Like all black labs she is very clever and learns things really quickly. She is six months old.

The problem is that when I walk her she sometimes dosent come to me at the end of the walk and decides to run about and play instead.

When I finally get hold of her I have been giving her a row and im not sure if this is helping. I want her to know that she is misbehaving but I also dont want her to be scared to come back to me.

Answer 1

When ever you get it back give it treats!!! No matter what you hav to do to get it home!!!! Even if you have to go bail it out of the pound!!! This will train it to come home becouse They know that when they get home they will get treats!!!!

Answer 2

Never punish a dog that comes to you or eventually it wont come at all.

The pup just wants to play after all it is still a puppy but nontheless it has to learn that when you say no you mean no and when you say come you mean NOW not later.

I used to teach my dogs to come to their name using a reward and they will catch on pretty quick. Then I used to take them to a park or somewhere open that they could be off the lead and play or walk for a while after which I would walk away a then call them. If they came they got a reward if they didnt then plan "B" came into effect. Plan B is a long (20 feet or more) thin soft rope which I tie to their collar and leave laying on the ground. Once again we walk a little so they forget about it adn then I walk away and pick up the trailing end of the rope, I take up nearly all of the slack and call- if they dont come then they get a yank on the lead and a very strong COME or what ever term you choose to call them with.
If they then come they get the reward if they dont then I repeat the command with another yank and just reel them in like a fish an give them a little pat but no reward when I get them back. I walk them a little on the rope as if it were a lead and then let it loose again and allow the dog to be distracted before repeating the process. I repeat this process a couple of times over half an hour and then take the dog home making sure that it on the final time it stays on the rope and doesnt go off playing again. Older dogs usually it only takes one or two away sessions and another in the back yard and catch on.. obstinate puppies are a bit slower on the uptake.
The key point is that if you are issuing a command you need to be able to enforce it.. ie if a dog doesnt sit you push on their hind quarters until they do.. and so you need to over come the distance and lack of physical control (via the rope) when training them to come.

Answer 3

She's a pup and just having fun. Make coming back to you fun. First you have to bend at the knees putting your butt close to the ground. Getting down to her level will make you less threatening an much more approachable. Praise, Praise, Praise, she hasn't learned the right thing to do yet so you can't discipline yet.

You can practice this by using a long narrow rope, say 20 + feet. Allow her to get to the end (you might have to back up). Crouch down, and call her while you slowly reel in the leash. Then make a big deal of her return. Use a hand signal with each of your commands, dogs associate with hand signals well. Good job with the treats too, she probably loves to eat.

Answer 4

You should enroll in obedience class or work with a trainer and work on recall. Yelling at her will only make her learn to run away when you call her. Even if she misbehaves, you should reward when she finally does come.

One trick that I learned to recall the dog when she will not come is to run away from her (not toward her) and call for her in a happy excited voice. She will think you want her to chase you. You look silly but it works.

Another trick is when you are calling the dog and she first looks up at you, but hasn't moved yet, say "Yes!!!" or use a clicker if you have done clicker training. This means by paying attention to you she is doing the right thing. If she comes reward her immediately with a treat. If you can get that visual connection and use it to your advantage and encourage her with praise and treats she will get better.

Coming when called is one of the toughest things to teach and at 6 months she is a puppy still and full of excitement. Keep at it and get some positive obedience training going and she'll get better at it.

Answer 5

If he's an intact male it must be the quest for a mate. If he isn't that is a discovered habit that he discovered earlier than being neutered. Is he the only dogs interior the abode, is he discovered on a similar place each and each time he runs away, is he getting sufficient workout, is the outdoor safeguard? in case you could answer some those questions, then you might locate or get rid of a reason to the subject. Your ultimate guess is to look for suggestion from an animal behaviorist ( ask your vet for a referral) if the subject isn't hormonal. good success.

Answer 6

I'm not sure what "giving her a row" means, but it sounds negative. Give her affection when you finally get hold of her. Carry some treats with you that you know she likes and reward her whenever she comes to you, before you take her for a walk.. If you do something negative towards her when you catch her, she will associate returning to you as a negative experience.

Answer 7

First of all, she is still a puppy and all she wants to do is play. You should probably start by first training her to walk with you on a leash - it is safer! Keeping her on a leash while walking could help her learn that when you are walking with her she is supposed to be at your side. Once she gets the hang of walking and healing on a leash, you can start letting her off the leash for short periods of time, gradually lenghthening the amount of "off leash" time. Obedience school is another good option. It really helped with one of my labs. One thing to keep in mind is that labs are bred for hunting and retrieving and they are very curious animals who like to explore.

Answer 8

She's a puppy. She's not ''running away'', she's just not ready to go home yet. Try taking her to a dog park, where it's fenced in, and she will meet other friendly dogs that she can run & play with, to help wear out her energy.

Otherwise, outside of a fenced area, keep her on leash. Her running and playing, although innocent, can cause problems if there's a stray dog that's not so friendly, or a vehicle with a distracted driver.

Don't punish her for playing. Just know where to take her, to insure her safety, while she romps.

Answer 9

Has she been spayed?
If so, just remember she is a pup - I have a 1 year old, and he is not neutered - I use a firm voice and use treats to have him do what I want.

Much luck to you!

P.S. Nowadays these poor pups are so inbred, you can't do a thing w/them.
My Dad just had to get rid of one because he bit people - who EVER heard of a lab biting a person? (He bit the WHOLE fam - Mom, Dad, and all four kids) It was very sad :-( Good luck!!

Answer 10

Keep her on a leash
Get her spayed
Enroll her in a puppy obedience/training class

Don't ever yell at or hit her, especially after calling her to you. If she associates the negative things with returning to you, she'll never come to you.