# Running away



## ambgirl

Haz-Mat is 10 months old and very smart. Okay, we had to go through puppy training twice but still, he knows the commands. The problem is he bolts out of the car or the house and starts running around the neighborhood. He won't come when called and when we get close to to grab him, he skips away. I know that he thinks he is playing but with our busy street he is going to run out of luck one day. Also my neighborhood is an Orthodox Jew neighborhood. You see the men dressed in the long blcak coats and hats walk to synogogue every day. Haz-Mat is afraid of the men, therefore he barks and growls. The other day when he was out on one of his jaunts, ignoring my commands, he followed one of these gentleman down the street barking and growling. Not only was it embarrasing, but I'm afraid he will get labled a viscious dog when he isn't. What can I do? I'm seriously looking at a multi-thousand dollar board and train program that I can't afford.
Would also like to train to be a service dog for my mother.


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## DianaM

Keep a leash on that goofball! He obviously doesn't know the commands or else he'd respond. Sign up for GROUP training classes where YOU train your dog under the guidance of a qualified trainer to work on obedience. In the meantime, if you're not in a fenced yard or indoors, a leash will be firmly in your hand and firmly connected to your dog, NO EXCEPTIONS.









http://www.apdt.com/po/ts/default.aspx

You can search for trainers listed with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers there. Also, ask for recommendations here!


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## DianaM

> Quote:he followed one of these gentleman down the street barking and growling.


IMO, that is instant exclusion from ANY service dog work pending evaluation by a truly qualified, experienced behaviorist, one who does deal with service dogs.


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## onyx'girl

Make sure when you do finally catch him, that you do not reprimand him. It is your fault, not his that he is running wild. I agree w/ Diana, he shouldn't be unleashed at all til he can prove himself. I would step up your pack leadership, he is young and will test you during his teenage flakey stage. Always carry some yummy treat w/ you and he will see that coming when called is rewarding. Welcome to this great site, by the way!


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## DianaM

Also, how about asking some of the Orthodox men who are fully dressed to give treats to your dog casually? Or throw a toy for your dog? Obviously the treat has to be both kosher and DELICIOUS for your dog. Maybe chunks of cheese?







Or a favorite toy that you give them. Basically, you want your dog to learn that these gentleman not only aren't a threat but they also have toys and goodies, something to look forward to! I would have them toss the toys and treats from a short distance (with you holding onto the leash) before progressing to taking from the hand. Above all, make sure they understand to NOT reach for the dog, NOT pet the dog, NOT make any funny movements, NOT stare at the dog, just casually and nonchalantly toss goodies. As soon as your dog possesses a goodie, thank them, move along on your way, and repeat again later.


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## Emoore

Do you have any friends who are Orthodox Jews that would be willing to socialize with him? Barring that, could you just have someone dress up in the long black coat and hat to get him used to it? 

Dogs need to be socialized to people of as many ages, races, clothing styles, and disabilities as possible. If you live in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood priority #1 should be getting your dog very comfortable with that kind of clothing.


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## BowWowMeow

You can counter condition your dog to any type of person without having them give him treats. That's actually a better course of action for desensitization than starting with the person he's scared of throwing him treats. 

How much exercise is your dog getting? 

I adopted a 4.5 yo dog who had a police record because he had run away so many times. He *never* ran away from my home or from me. That's because I made sure he got tons of exercise. I walked him several times a day and took him to the park to play ball and play with other dogs. So that's definitely a place to start. 

And I agree with everyone else that send away training is not the answer. You can do everything yourself at home and in a group class and since he is young it should be easier to re-shape his behaviors.


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## DianaM

BTW, when it comes to doors in the house, you need to teach your pup to respect that boundary. When taking him out, DO NOT let him go through first but above all, do not ever let him bolt out of the door! Impolite exits mean I take my dog right back inside, put him in a sit, and release him only when I am ready for him to be released CALMLY. I do not tolerate barging, bolting, shoving, anything of the sort. It's disrespectful and unsafe. Teach your pup to hold a sit while you open the door, step outside, then release him on your own accord, but also have him immediately sit once OUTSIDE the door while you close it. Safe and calm and controlled. For cars, I've taught my dog to wait for our release. There is no willy-nilly nonsense of bounding in and out. Again, disrespectful but also HIGHLY unsafe. 

Finally, work on your recall! If you use "come," I would start with a whole new word like "here" and teach it from scratch. No dog should ever learn that the recall is optional, that it can be disobeyed. Start by teaching it on a long line (very long leash). Call your dog and have treats, toys, games, whatever is SUPER FUN waiting and ready. He'll soon learn that the recall is GREAT! If you're in the kitchen and your dog is elsewhere, call him to you with your recall command to give him a random treat. Don't use the recall to always call him off a fun game or playtime; call him to you, give him a goodie, then let him back to play! Otherwise, he could learn that coming to you equals end of playtime, a very bad thing. Remember, the moment you cannot enforce the recall command is the moment your dog learns a dangerous lesson- the recall can be ignored.


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## middleofnowhere

What made training not to leap out of the truck easy here was a seatbelt harness! Just one trip trying to exit before you are released .... all it took!

Training not to rush out of doors? Always have a routine - it might be the same for both front and back doors or it might be different at one or the other. I'd say for the front it would go something like this: sit. wait for leash to be attached. open door. (dog still sits.) dog walks out door with you and gets taken for a walk! Do this a lot, then start adding the variation where dog gets a food reward but you just go out and come back in, then the variation where dog just sits by door and gets reward... finally you can do it without the lead.


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## ambgirl

Thanks for all the suggestions. I know that I have made many mistakes with him, but he is smart and I know I need to up my pack leader role. Thanks again.


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## doxie56

*re: running away*



DianaM said:


> IMO, that is instant exclusion from ANY service dog work pending evaluation by a truly qualified, experienced behaviorist, one who does deal with service dogs.


Diana is SO RIGHT! I've had and trained service dogs, both on my own and in conjunction with service dog organizations. It is the responsibility of every service dog owner/trainer to make sure the dog is absolutely and completely trustworthy in public. A SD can NOT bark or growl at anyone, even if the person instigates it. As a disabled person with a service dog in training, I am well aware that it is MY responsibility to set the tone for the next person who enters that store, restaurant, etc., with a SD. If I take a dog who may be aggressive with certain types, colors, etc., of people, clothing, etc., into public, I am not only asking for a lawsuit and to be booted to the curb; I'm also opening it up for the government to take away even more of our rights via the ADA and Fair Housing.

Note: This is in no way meant to belittle you. I assume you aren't aware of some of these responsibilities and what makes a good service dog, which is true for most of us. I've rescued & obedience trained as many as 14 dogs in 1 year in hopes that 1 of them would be my next SD, when in reality most "wash out" as service dog candidates for whatever reason. I won't keep a dog as my SD unless and until I am CERTAIN the dog is completely trained, trustworthy, obeys no matter the distractions, including lying under a table while we eat and NOT even attempting to sniff any food dropped on the floor. It's imperative that all SD owners/trainers are very careful about the dog(s) they choose to call SD's.

Also, having the Jewish men give the dog kosher treats (you can use tiny bits of Kosher hot dogs as well, very tasty and very convincing), is an awesome idea, as well as simply having someone put on a long black coat, beard, whatever.

It is SO important that every dog be well socialized as a pup and onward. This can solve many behavioral issues.


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