Dog chasing runners!

[Kim Starbuck]

Hi all,

My dog Cisco is about 1.5 years now... he is generally well behaved and friendly. I often take him running at a pond where dogs can be off-leash. He normally does well there, but lately he has become very interested in other runners and sometimes will run after them. I have tried to work more on his recall and training in general, but he still seems fascinated by runners. Once he catches up to the runner, he will jump around them and try to play -- sometimes the runner is OK with it, and sometimes they are terrified. Not OK!!

Any thoughts on what I can do to correct this? I have been keeping him on leash lately because I am scared he is going to chase after someone. He normally chases if he is already overly excited because he just saw another dog or went swimming...

Any ideas? Or should I just be keeping him on leash?

Thanks! Kim

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I would keep him on leash.  It is not okay to let your dog interfere with someone else's activity. Hopefully the more you take him with you, the less interested in he will be in the other runners.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Definitely keep him leashed unless his recall is perfect. He could actually make another runner fall and get hurt and you would be responsible. In the meantime, I would work on his recall in all situations and with distractions.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I would work on recall more before he is allowed off leash.

You can use a long (25 ft) lead to allow him some freedom yet you still have control of him if he decides to not listen. He needs to learn that when you call him, he returns even if there are distractions. Giving him some freedom yet having a lead as a gentle remind can be a way to work on recall if you don't have a quiet area to build on this skill distraction free. 

When we were working on recall with Maserati we had lots of treats and consistently use only "Mazi!" as his recall name. We try hard to only call him Mazi when we need him to come. Every time he returns he would get a reward and a click from the clicker. We picked areas that had little to no distractions when we began to allow him off leash and worked on his recall. As he became more confident in what I expected from him his recall became more solidified. We then went to areas that were more distracting and worked on close distances and tons of praise for him listening. Every time we go to out before he is allowed off leash he must be heeling, sit anytime I stop, and sit before his leash can come off. He is then "freed" and then can run like a wild man. I make sure when he seems to be distracted in general that he returns to me, we do a few of his basic commands and then release him again. Thankfully, he has an amazing recall and I am so proud of his behavior at only 11 months. 

We have since graduated from the clicker all of the time to a combo of clicker when its available and verbal markers. Yes and click are interchangeable and no means he hasn't completed the command. We transfer all of the foundations we gave him into his new lessons. He has had "sit" nailed since he was an itty bitty pup, yet we still say "yes" or click when he does the command promptly. Consistency is the key, as I'm sure you know! Good luck! 

[Kim Starbuck]

Thanks everyone!! I will definitely work more on his recall... if he doesn't come back on the first call, do I keep calling? Do I then put him back on a leash? He sometimes gets distracted by smells, etc... he will eventually come back, but not always on the first call.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Kim, it is a training thing that one constantly needs to keep updated.  Our dogs had terrific recall when we constantly practiced, but now = they come when they feel like it and we have fallen into the repeating the command habit (a bad one).  Entirely our fault.  However, sometimes the distraction is too much for 'mere mortal' dogs (read that into normal and ordinary) and they will take off.  Our dog Gordie who was perfectly trained NOT to run out our door when it opens, once took off after a cat - only happened once, but it was so scary since he shot across a street.  Now that he is old, he has gotten hard of hearing and really stubborn and his recall is not great at all.

[Kim Starbuck]

thank you!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Kim, keep calling. That is one command that you can repeat and repeat. Always reward no matter how awful the response was. Just think about it... if you knew you were going to get into trouble would you ever come?

Yes, always always reward. The come command could save your dog's life.  The most important.

For recall, and this isnt the training method but  just a reinforcement, we incorporate it into fetch games. 

We will throw the ball, then when he is headed back, we say, come.  Yes, it is cheating, but we really want him to perfect that command. It also reinforces by making the command fun.

As for chasing runners, I think something else is needed much more than the come command.  You need a leash, some corrections, and a heck of a lot of patience to break this. But you can do it.  Good Luck

[Kim Starbuck]

thank you!!

[Adina P]

I disagree with repeating the command.  Not saying I never do it, but I'm a big believer in one-command performance.  And if the dog doesn't obey the command find another way to get him to you (for recall) and then praise him when he gets to you.  Of course you can't scold a dog for coming to you, but I think calling over and over can ruin the command just like saying "sit sit sit sit" can ruin the sit command. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I agree. Train with one command. I should make myself clear-in a situation where the dog is chasing a runner where the runner may react or the dog might run into traffic KEEP CALLING to get attention. But no, dont train that way  :)

[Rebecca, Kandy & Murphy]

We are training both of our dogs to sit when they see a runner or bicyclist because they wanted to jump up and it was scary and dangerous for the other person.  I guess that doesn't work if you are actively running -- we are just walking and don't mind stopping.  I would definitely keep him on a leash until you know he won't try to interact with anyone else.  Is there somewhere else he can run off-leash where everyone there knows the focus is on the dogs?  We have a dog beach in our area where the dogs are all off-leash and will run up to other people, but everyone expects it because that's why we are all there.

[Kim Starbuck]

thank you!! very helpful!