# Won't leave dog park



## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

I've got one I could use help with. When its time to leave the dog park (usually after a couple of hours of running, fetch and such), Gunny completely ignores me and will not come. Any other time, when we are at the farm, he'll come running from a field away when called. Just not at the dog park. It gets quite embarrassing. I've tried food/treats or his ball. Nothing works. He'll run to the other end and completely avoid me. I have to wait until he gets completely worn out, then I'm luckily enough to get a hold of his collar. 

We haven't gone in a while because of the heat, but now that its getting cooler I'd like to go back. He's 20 months old now and still a bit of a knuckle head. Hoping I can get some suggestions to try.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

You need to start working on recall with him at the dog park. Start trying to get him to come to you when you aren't leaving. He's avoiding you because he knows his fun will end. It shouldn't be that everytime you call him to you at the park, he's leaving. Call him over, give him yummy treats and let him go back to play. Call him over, lots of yummy treats, have him hang out for a min and then let him go back to play. Lots of this until he comes everytime you call him because he never knows which time is for treats and which time is to leave.


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## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

gsdraven said:


> You need to start working on recall with him at the dog park. Start trying to get him to come to you when you aren't leaving. He's avoiding you because he knows his fun will end. It shouldn't be that everytime you call him to you at the park, he's leaving. Call him over, give him yummy treats and let him go back to play. Call him over, lots of yummy treats, have him hang out for a min and then let him go back to play. Lots of this until he comes everytime you call him because he never knows which time is for treats and which time is to leave.


You need an extremely high value treat. If he's not responding to the treat, it means you need to use a more tempting treat. 

Hot Dog slices maybe? Use something that he ONLY GETS for coming when called. That way it is special, and he knows his only chance to get this highly valued treat is to come when you tell him to...


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

gsdraven said:


> You need to start working on recall with him at the dog park. Start trying to get him to come to you when you aren't leaving. He's avoiding you because he knows his fun will end. It shouldn't be that everytime you call him to you at the park, he's leaving. Call him over, give him yummy treats and let him go back to play. Call him over, lots of yummy treats, have him hang out for a min and then let him go back to play. Lots of this until he comes everytime you call him because he never knows which time is for treats and which time is to leave.


 Yes, this.

He doesn't want to come because either you aren't recalling him at all until you need to leave, or you're recalling him and doing something differently (such as holding the leash vs having it tied around your waist, etc). Something is tipping him off that you are leaving.

Lots of recalls, lots of praise. Even leash him up now and again and then give praise, a treat, and release him.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

BR870 said:


> You need an extremely high value treat. If he's not responding to the treat, it means you need to use a more tempting treat.
> 
> Hot Dog slices maybe? Use something that he ONLY GETS for coming when called. That way it is special, and he knows his only chance to get this highly valued treat is to come when you tell him to...


Good luck with the "higher value" treat. Doesn't work sometimes with our guy - have to first get his attention, then he will come.

Often the "higher value" treat/reward is actually what he is doing at the time.

Have to overcome this to get his attention!


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

Thank goodness Shasta doesn't count this among her naughty behaviors because the dog park is 40 acres! .


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i use to work with my 30' or so away
from the fenced in area. we did sit, stay, down,
come, hand signals, etc. i slowly worked our way closer to the fenced
in area. at some point i worked along the fence (not inside
the fenced in area). as my dog started being sound with
his commands i started going inside the fenced in area
and going through his commands. after going through
his commands his reward was "go play".

training my dog to listen in the dog park
took some time. we trained daily at the dog park.
sometimes we trained in the am and the pm.
my training sessions weren't long. they were short sessions
always ending on a positive note. my GF also took him
to the dog park for training. sometimes when my GF and i
bought went the dog park i would walk away keeping
in view so our dog could see me. sometimes i went into the
fenced in area and played with the other dogs while my dog
could see me. my GF would go through his commands
with him while i was away. i thought me moving away but being
in sight and playing with the other dogs was a good distraction
added distraction.


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## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

My dog was the same. I think I was bringing her to the park too often and for too long and she thought she owned the place. She'd avoid me when I would call her to go home. So as the others suggested I would randomly call her during the time at the park, lavish praise (no treats) when she came and when she ignored me I was after her like a fox after a hen. I could tell within 1 second when she was ignoring me and I was on her. Didn't matter where she went I would chase her down. She knew it wasn't a game and would run away a little but shortly after she would stop and lie down and wait for me to get to her. No punishment/harsh words, just immediate leash, and strict down stay for about 5-10 minutes. Now she comes almost 100% and I still hunt her down for the remaining few times she doesn't come.

takes a while but they eventually get the message.


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## tsteves (Jun 7, 2011)

paulag1955 said:


> Thank goodness Shasta doesn't count this among her naughty behaviors because the dog park is 40 acres! .


HAHA this was my thought exactly. All I have to do is walk towards the fence and Kona is at my heels. Now Leave It with the giant pile of mud and bark at the dog park is a whole other story. She WILL NOT leave it.  definitely a work in progress on that one.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Rerun said:


> He doesn't want to come because either you aren't recalling him at all until you need to leave, or you're recalling him and doing something differently (such as holding the leash vs having it tied around your waist, etc). Something is tipping him off that you are leaving.
> 
> *Lots of recalls, lots of praise. Even leash him up now and again and then give praise, a treat, and release him*.


That's the perfect recommendation, bet if you start it up (call him over, give a treat and then LET HIM GO BACK TO PLAY) he'll start coming all the time. If 10 times you call and only one time he gets leashed, he'll be delighted with the 10 treats and not mind that he got leashed!


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## High5 (Apr 21, 2011)

gsdraven said:


> You need to start working on recall with him at the dog park. Start trying to get him to come to you when you aren't leaving. He's avoiding you because he knows his fun will end. It shouldn't be that everytime you call him to you at the park, he's leaving. Call him over, give him yummy treats and let him go back to play. Call him over, lots of yummy treats, have him hang out for a min and then let him go back to play. Lots of this until he comes everytime you call him because he never knows which time is for treats and which time is to leave.


I agree with this too, it's working for me.


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

In training the recall, one thing I do is to bring the dog back to where I called her from if she doesn't come, accompanied by collar or leash pops and repeating the recall word as we walk back (got this from reading on Leerburg). At a dog park this is difficult because it's usually a wide open space and she can run from you.

In one episode of Dog Whisperer, Cesar was saying how a particular dog thought he was in control in wide open spaces like a dog park since he could (try to) avoid the owner.. and the owner for whatever reason did not reinforce the commands in the dog park. So Cesar's method was to catch the dog in the dog park, make it sit etc. which puts him back in control.

I agree using treats and calling the dog back to you will get him with you, but I would want my dog to know that regardless of where he is or what he's doing, or whether I offer him hot dogs, he will come to me, or I will bring him there myself. That is one good thing about dog parks for training, if you manage to track the dog down (calmly, stubbornly, like the terminator always proceeding forward), the dog learns he can't avoid you just because of the spacious environment.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Ucdcrush said:


> I agree using treats and calling the dog back to you will get him with you, but I would want my dog to know that regardless of where he is or what he's doing, or whether I offer him hot dogs, he will come to me, or I will bring him there myself. That is one good thing about dog parks for training, *if you manage to track the dog down (calmly, stubbornly, like the terminator always proceeding forward),* the dog learns he can't avoid you just because of the spacious environment.


The problem for me with that training method is your 'if'. Because it WOULD be an 'if' for me so the training wouldn't probably end up so good for the dog. Running and playing and chasing (being chased?) by me is HUGE FUN for my dogs! One of the reasons they love a dog park and wouldn't want to come back to boring boring fun sucking 'leave the dog park' ME :wild: is because they want to run,chase,be chased by the other dogs.

So if the perception with me tracking them down to 'catch' them ended up in ANY WAY (to my dog) as that I'm now joining the fun, I'd have a heck of a time catching them because it would appear to be like a touch football game with me never getting the flags (dog  ). Plus I just invented a NEW game that's a blast for my dog and not teaching what I want.

Instead of any leadership/correction/negative stuff, I'd much rather be teaching my dog is an EXTREMELY simple and 100% effective way that both my dog and I love (and doesn't involve me chasing around an adult GSD to the amusement of all in the dog park). A hungry dog at the dog park. A ziplock baggie full of REAL treats (hot dogs, cheese, liver, chicken, beef) in my treat bag, and then constantly calling my dog over like we are leaving but when they come close to me they get a treat and then CAN LEAVE.

If the other people in dog park will allow, I can also feed their dogs if they 'come' to me. My dogs learn by watching, and if they are hungry and see other happy dogs 'coming' to me and getting fed, that puts me way more into the 'fun' experience (rather than the 'to be avoided at all costs experience).

The most important things to remember:

1. Hungry pup
2. REAL treats, not those hard bland things (milkbones?) from the pet aisle
3. FREQUENT calling over to reward right close to me (not from an extended hand thrust out, I want that puppy close!)
4. After the dog gets it's treat, praise and *let them go* off to play for awhile.
5. You can even practice clipping the leash on, praise, unclip them and *let them go*

I feel we under value how smart our dogs are. If all the fun (really great fun) is inside the dog park away from us. And all the fun SUCKING comes from us when we finally get the dog to leave, then OF COURSE the smarter dogs won't want to come. 

Another thing to think about is not just allowing 100% of the fun in the dog park come from everyone else and all the dogs. We can be a part of 'fun' too. Using toys, interacting with our dog, frankly any relationship building and engagement training is a huge value to our lives with our dogs.





 
3.


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

Something to add with the treating when coming that my trainer told me, is everytime they recall, treat and touch their collar. That way that get used to grabbing the collar and won't just associate that action with being leashed and leaving.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

bianca said:


> Something to add with the treating when coming that my trainer told me, is everytime they recall, treat and touch their collar. That way that get used to grabbing the collar and won't just associate that action with being leashed and leaving.


That's a good idea too...


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## High5 (Apr 21, 2011)

bianca said:


> Something to add with the treating when coming that my trainer told me, is everytime they recall, treat and touch their collar. That way that get used to grabbing the collar and won't just associate that action with being leashed and leaving.


Good idea. I like the one about attaching the leash too. Sometimes when Katie is having fun she likes to treat and run. Just like a kid. Lol problem is it usually ends up in a re-treat, dejavoo, like didn't I already swallow this one whole once? I need to practice the wait and release more.


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## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

Great advise! Thank you all. I've figured out real quick that getting the leash, then calling him wasn't a good idea. He's not very food/treat driven, but I'll try the hot dogs. Going to start this week and see how it goes.


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## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

Took Gunny back to the dog park. First time in 2 months (its been way to hot) and I followed instructions! We played frisbee catch, he came to me when called, I gave him some loving and let him go. Did it quite a few times and when it was time to go home, I didn't say my usual "come on". Just walked up to him, took him by the collar and off we went. It worked like a charm! Thank you all for the advise and support.


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