Runaway Doodle!

[Leslie J]

Cocoa has been doing so well in the house lately that we have pretty much stopped confining her or tethering her.  Well, yesterday morning as I was leaving to drop my twins off she ran out the front door.  She ran down the block (the direction we usually take our walks) with my five year old boys running after her screaming "Cocoa... Cocoa... come back!!!". 

Then as I turned the corner she was in the middle of the street debating whether to approach two large agitated snarling dogs (who were on leashes).  The poor woman with the dogs was walking them and pushing a stroller at the same time.

After a couple of tense minutes I was able to get Cocoa to sit down so that I could approach her.  It turns out that these two dogs do not like other dogs at all and the woman was very relieved when I had gained control of Cocoa.

So... how to train Cocoa not to run out the door again?  She doesn't typically approach the door as we enter and exit so it is easy to have a false sense of security- until she suddenly appears and is underfoot.  Having young children running around doesn't make it any easier :)

[Kyoko]

Yeah, It really isn't hard to teach. It just have to be consistent.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Cruel or lifesaver??? Ok, so my 8 month old doodle, who does obey and understand most commands, goes completely "deaf" when she is playing off lead at our local park. She will not come when called and if she sees some other dog that she thinks she should just run over and greet them, regardless if I am calling her or not. Anyway, my husband and son tell me that we should get a "shock" collar for her so that she gets trained to not run off when we call her. I personally think they are cruel but they reckon it could "save her life one day" Can I have my doodle friends opinion on this subject

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think you need a shock collar for this purpose. Teaching a reliable recall off-leash is probably the hardest thing there is to train and it takes a lot of practice and time. I don't know of many 8-month-old dogs of any breed or level of training who are really solid on this, particularly at a dog park. When a dog is playing, they are not in the right mindset to obey any command, let alone the most difficult one, let alone at 8 months.
A solid recall can save your dog's life, but at this point, you shouldn't allow her off-leash anywhere that her life could possibly be at risk. Not coming when called is annoying at the dog park, but it shouldn't be life-threatening.
I would work on training the command before resorting to a shock collar. They aren't 100% reliable, either, and I don't see the need for one in this case.
I'm sure there are many people who will come in with how they put them on their own arm and it doesn't hurt, but obviously there's something unpleasant enough about the sensation if it forces a dog to do what he really doesn't want to do. I'd personally rather work on training and having the dog come to me because he wants to, rather than to avoid a shock.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have used the electronic collar on Luca and still do rarely but always on vibrate. This is usually if he goes out in the middle of the night and I want him to return quickly and I don't want to go out. I know he is going to explore the yard at length for all creatures of the night. I have never shocked him but he really responds to the vibration. It's a kind of a where did that come from, and I'd better get home response. I did try the shock setting on my leg and when I got halfway up the scale it really hurt and by the next level my muscle contracted and my leg moved involuntarily. There might be some diminution of the shock with doodle fur and muscle but a neck is more sensitive for us at least. Yet when we were at the trainers, some dogs, a bloodhound I remember in particular, needed the highest level of stimulation to respond.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will go without the shock collar for now and work on her recall with more patience. She does come when she is not distracted...but of course, at 8 months of age, I guess the world is her distraction. I will keep trying and from now on, I am not going to let her off leash in public areas.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Thanks for the advice Karen. I am going to really work harder with her on this recall thing...but I think it is going to be just time and age that will improve her "deafness" when she is off leash and running free...

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Thanks Jane. I will take you advice and not go with a shock collar. I will also stop letting her off leash to play unless the area is fenced in. I know one day she will learn to come back but I guess she is still very much a puppy and, as such, must be protected from herself.