I Need Help With My 2 Springers!!!

[Kelly27]

Hiya x can anyone help me with my 2 Springers - Logan & Mya?? (p.s. when changed her name to Mya as she wasn't responding to Blue)

Logan is 2 years old, we have had him since he was 8 weeks old, he is a great family pet and very loyal.
My partner does most of the walking with the dogs and as from last week i have had to walk them as my partner has the flu. Logan walks really well on the lead but once i let him off its a nightmare trying to get him back on!!!
He has a good run around the park and does his business but he won't come back to me to get his lead on to go for a walk. I call his name, whistle, shout stay, use treats and even walking in the opposite direction from him but he just doesn't listen and it takes me about 15-20mins to catch him and get him on the lead!!!! Can anyone give some advise as to what to do to get him to come back???

As for Mya (aka Blue), she is 4 months old, i know she is still young but she won't walk on the lead, she walks in front of me or behind me, if someone comes towards her, (just to walk past) when she's off the lead, she runs home, even when on the lead she trys to get away from them! When people come into the house, she hides and won't come out until they have left, she won't walk past, prams etc, she is out with my other dogs all the time and even if their there she is just the same! Last thing at night when you take her out before bed, if she sees someone and shes off she runs home even if she hasn't done her business and of course i can forget this bit - she eats me other dogs business when outside - how do i get her to stop this and being nervous all the time inside and out???

Thanks

[Furbilator]

Logan
Logan needs to learn that he must follow you with not only his body but his attention. Tie a leash around your waist and have him follow you where ever you go both inside the house and on walks. If he gets in front of you push him out of the way with your body. You are top dog he must learn to give to where you want to go and it will reinforce him watching you for direction instead of going where he wants to go. This works on your walks as well, as soon as he begins to pull or go ahead of you, walk into him and change directions. Stop being the person who is walked by their dog. :D

To get him to come to you you must start with him on a long leash. A 20foot rope will work start at 5 feet, then progress until you have him up to the limit of the rope. Take a toy or some distraction and throw it away from you. When he has moved away from you or retrieved the toy, call him with a single command "Heel" or "Come" don't change them use the same one each time. Give a slight tug on the leash to get him to come towards you and repeat the command in a quick, non-squeeky or deep pitched voice, then reward him with praise only when he has come to your side. The tone of your voice is important. High pitched voices are considered like a puppy yipping and may be ignored by an adult dog. He should not be allowed off leash until he can accomplish this quickly and without hesitation. Hesitation indicates that he is thinking about what to do and it isn't automatic that he MUST follow his top dog - you.

Your other dog is in need of some positive exposure to as many people, dogs, carts, prams, etc. as possible so that she becomes accustom to the sights sounds and smells of these non-dog creatures. Again, your dog needs some time trusting you as the leader and will take their reaction ques from you instead of freaking every time they come across a new experience. Use the on leash in the house procedure (same as Logan) and do not react, comment or comfort the dog when she reacts negatively to a situation. In other words - don't coddle her. Don't force a situation but let her come to grips with the situation on her own.

The poo eating. It is common in females for this to occur as it is a characteristic for females to keep the den clean. Keep the yard clean of poo - do it several times a day if need be. There are drugs available but I would recommend you do cleaning to start. I'm not an advocate of using drugs to solve problems that are behavioural. You can use a decoy poo covered in hot red pepper flakes to discourage but usually the removal of the poo solves the problem.

Hope this helps,
Furbs

[Furbilator]

Oh and another suggestion. Shut up. :D :D I mean this in the nicest way but dogs learn by physical ques faster and better than by verbal ones. If you are in the habit of chatting away while walking or in the dog's company - STOP, they won't be able to recognize the command in the middle of the speech. Use their name and then the command in a quick, firm, deep voice -no you don't have to become a baritone :p, but the most comfortable deep voice you can muster. That is where men have an advantage over women, when men get upset or frustrated their voice deepens, whereas when women get upset or frustrated our voices rise.

Keep the high pitched squeeky voice for when you are playing with them. Well maybe not even then as you don't want to change your status as the leader.

[Kelly27]

Hiya, thanks for all the info, i will try everything you said with Logan and Mya.

But with the poo thing - My dogs don't use their business in my back garden, they wait until they are out in the park and on a walk. I also pick up the poo all the time but sometimes is a bit hard to beat a dog that runs all over the place while out, as my dogs run far from you to do the toilet so no-one can see i think, but as i say i will try everything that you said, Thanks

[Jr_K9_Expert]

All I can add to the suggestions is that if the pooch doesn't learn by the assisted method (tugging at the lead) have him do it volutarily!:D You do this in a form of play: You and two other people (more or less if you want), stand at different lenghts, make somewhat of a circle. Have each person have a nice treat (such as a piece of ham .etc.) and have one person call his name and say "Come". Let the dog run to that person and if he does it, he gets a treat. Then have another person do the same thing, and over and over again. Don't go in order or have any specific pattern, he'll cue into that. You want him to associate the word come with positive things. As he gets the idea, start making food treats unpredictable. I should have said that every time he gets a treat, he should ALWAYS get verbal praise. Make it so that he doesn't know when he gets a food treat and when he won't, but always give verbal praise. This should eventually teach the dog to come because its usually followed with a reward.

Never, under any circumstances, yell at him for coming. Even if it took you 40 minutes to get him to come. He'll only associate the yelling or upset attitude to his coming to you.

One last thing, and probably the most important. Don't leash him up only when you are going to go home. Then he starts to figure out that when you put him on the leash play time is over, thus he won't come to you. Make your actions unpredictable, leash him up and walk him to a different area of the park and let him play, then call him (give him a treat), and take him to a different area of the part. Then at last when you are ready to go, he won't know if you are going to stop his play time or if you are just taking him to a different area of the park.

[Jr_K9_Expert]

Oh as for the coprophagia. More than not, this problem is behavioral, however some rare cases it could be a medical condition and could point to malabsorbtion. If at all possible, a vet check could be in hand to eliminate this theory.If you catch her in the act of doing it, you might want to chastise her. Or make a rattler, using a soda can and putting some pennies in it, then when you see her eating the poo, just through the can near her to startle her. Usually this will cause a negative association with the poo eating.

[Kelly27]

Hiya, Thanks for your suggestions. The bit that you where saying about not just putting Logan on the lead to come home - i don't. I let him have his run around in the park and to use his business, and then once i get him on his lead we go for a walk first before he head home. I always walk them in differerent places. Usually the walks last about 1 hour 30mins each (3 times a day) depending on the weather. But will try what you said with Logan and Mya with the poo thing. We have already had Mya at the vets with regards to her eating the poo and my vet advised that some females will do this as some females like their places where they go to be clean.

[speedwayspringer]

Kelly,
Sounds like you have your hands full. It also sounds like Logan just down right doesn't resecpt you as the "leader of the pack"
Having multiple springers my self, you need to become the so called boss. work with Logan by himself. put his leash on and start walking then turn in the other direction and tug on the leash and call his name...when he comes reward him with a treat. keep doing this for a while it WILL click in his head that it isn't a bad thing to come when called.

As for you little on e, she NEEDS exposure to everything at this age, and make all her adventures with people and places as happy and fun as possible....and keep her on her leash. this way you have control of when and where she is able to go to.
A great place to take her is a puppy obedience class for socialization and some basic commands, trust me these dogs need the structure or else your in for a wild ride with uncontrolable dogs.

I went thur the same thing with my oldest on the subject of taking off on me and not coming. repation is the key to this problem....no if i'm out of her site in the field she comes and looks for me instead of vise versa.

best of luck with the kids