An unexpected run - help!

Martine

Trained by an Airedale
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#1
We have had Misha, a 6th mnth female Airedale since mid December. Her training has been coming along really well. She is very well behaved, sits perfectly and responds really well when called....or so we thought. As she has been so good at coming when called we have been letting her off the leash on the beach for increasinginly longer periods of time and she really enjoys these sessions. She has always come & sat down when called and waited for the leash to be put back.

Last night, during a run on the beach with my husband she suddenly headed off and would not come back. When he called her she just kept looking back and then trotting off. She then just starting ignoring him and carried on her away. She wandered across a main road and then disappeared. After much searching my husband went back to the house to find she had made her way back to the house, luckily avoiding any cars. We were both shocked and obviously very concerned as she never shown a tendancy to suddenly go off before. We are so thankful she made it safely. Any thoughts on why this suddenly happened and the best way to go forward with training would be really appreciated.....
 

Love4Pits

Playful Husky Pup
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#2
I definatly know what you are going through I have had a few pups in training who I thought listend well enough to be off leash in an open space but ended up running of and then i proceed to freak out and become frustraighted with their sudden idea not to listen to my calls.

My 9 month old Angel is one of these cases i have a good 3 acres of fenced in land for the dogs to run on but i also have some unfenced in land. I was walking with Angel one day and I thought she was perfectly fine she was following me just fine. After some time past she trotted right past me headed towards the run trails. I called her and she did'nt even bat an eye instead speeded up until she was already well onto the trail. I was of course panick stricken and it took me 2 hours to find her running around playfully through the woods. She's now strickly a leashed dog until she learns her field manners.

I think the reason they seem to do this is because its like testing their waters. They suddenly realize they can control where they go more then you go. kind of like "oh if i just tune her out and go I'll be fine". Of course we know they won't always be fine. I don't have an specific training method i just keep them leashed alot of the time and keep them around with treats and keeping them too busy to want to run off. Even a retractable leash would work well. Eventually once the dogs grow and mature some grow out of their running away stage and figure "why run off when theres treats and stuff to do here?". But this is what I do. CreatureTeacher could probley give you better advice.

I just wanted to let you know I feel your pain lol
 

Martine

Trained by an Airedale
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#3
Thanks, i think you are right and she was testing the water, a wake up call for us... She still had fun on the beach today and stayed on the leash - her heavy snoring at the moment is testimony to that lol :)
 

smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
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#5
ohh those teenage testing years, people and dogs...it isn't ever easy is it! Both my dog and my son know for a fact I WILL COME FIND YOU!
 

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