# Amazing recall but mmm birds!!!!



## llessurmada (Jan 25, 2014)

Aosta is amazing at her recall in the park.

We have let her off the lead from the first park walk (away from road etc)
and wow its amazing, even when with other dogs, a wee whistle, her name and "come" and she runs back.
followed by "sit" and she plumps herself down!!

i'm so proud of her and i get a cheeky grin when i hear the other dog owners/walkers commenting on it!

APART from birds,

in the park she LOVES to chase birds, any kind, magpies, crows, tits of different sorts!

She doesn't seem to listen and just chases, and chases, runs through a muddy pile and chases. Then gets to the end of the chase and seems a bit confused on why i am not where she expected me to be!

Then a call of her name and "come" and she comes charging back!

do all cockapoo's do this? is it something just to live with or should i try and stop her doing it?

also the cheeky wee girl has found her voice so barks randomly now, so need to start working on that!

Cheers!!


----------



## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Firstly - fantastic that her recall is so brilliant most of the time.
But then BIRDS. It could be bunnies, squirrels, other dogs or anything that moves. Once the chase instinct Kicks in, as you have discovered, nose, eyes and legs work brilliantly, but ears cease to function.
Really worth trying to crack this now because it will get worse when she hits the terrible teens around 8 months... You may find that if you call her when she is still close to you, she will respond, but once she gets beyond a certain point she won't. Call early. Train her to respond to a loud, shrill whistle - that might break through the hunter's fog. Pavlov response. Whistle equals large juicy bit of liver. Or a long line that you can grab as she sets off.
Good luck


----------



## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Should also say sometimes it is fine for them to enjoy a chase, if it is safe let her - but you keep walking, her job to keep track of you, not for you to stand around waiting for her to come back.


----------



## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Well I have a chaser too, he has learnt not to bother so much now, just can't be bothered really as it seems too much effort when he knows he won't catch them (took nearly 2 years for him to learn that lesson though!), its hard, no doubt others will have advice, keep working on re-call, you can probably get her back to you if you catch on early enough what she is going to do but with Dudley once he starts a chase I can't really stop him until he gives up and comes back, with that in mind I don't let him off anywhere near a road (if he see's a cat across the road that would be it), and sadly I usually keep him on a long line on woodland walks if away from home and I know there are deer about to be chased, I worry that by the time he stopped to look for me he would be well and truly lost. Luckily our local walks are parks and farmland where he tries to catch the occasional pheasant but not very often.


----------



## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

This story made me chuckle, I could just imagine aosta running back and sitting for a treat!
All puppies chase things that move, leaves, bubbles, chickens (&sheep in Ralph's case!!) 
It's doubtful she will ever catch a bird - although Ralph did catch a pied wagtail - which was a big surprise to us, not just to the poor bird!!
Need to be careful this time of year, spring; with young ducklings about etc.
But it looks and sounds like aosta is enjoying puppy life to the max! X


----------



## emjon123 (Apr 9, 2013)

What an appropriate topic! I have a pet budgie who has been part of the family long before Bailey. Poor wee thing is so used to being out of her cage - not any more!

Bailey had him in her mouth tonight - drop it, leave it, stay - all the commands she had been taught all came out my mouth at once. Did she listen - no way!

Thankfully no casualties, although my daughter thought it a great laugh!

Dont know about a cockapoo thing but certainly the spaniel came out tonight!


----------



## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

Usually my two chase each other. Just need one of their attention but sometimes not so easy. My backyard isn't too big but plenty of birds in the morning. I love watching them pay attention to the different birds. But on walks with leash, Beemer goes nuts over them. Lexi - keeps strolling nose to ground. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Have to say all of mine love charging off over the plough to boss the birds off. When Inzi was a pup she scared off a flock of seagulls, but once they were airbourne they all swirled round and chased her back to me - or that is what it looked like!
The picture was taken recently - I think the farmer should pay them in bones for keeping birds off his newly sown crop.


----------



## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I have to say in wide open spaces I allow my two to chase to their hearts content. I walk on or hide and they never lose track of me. 

On lead if they see a bird can be tricky but a "don't pull" then treat for good behaviour works well.


----------



## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Max tends to ignore birds now, but I think that's to do with our chickens. He learned very early on that chasing them was a no no! Currently having to teach Phoebe the same thing. I've noticed she tends to stick her nose up their bums and kind of push them along at speed, with them clucking madly at her in righteous indignation. I've caught the three chickens and two dogs sheltering from the rain in the chicken coup too. Am hoping it's the start of a beautiful friendship!


----------



## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Rufus is a terrible bird chaser and though I can get him back (at least I like to believe I can) with our next pup I am going to stop it (or try to stop it). Especially at this time of year, with nests, eggs and hatchlings I just think it is unfair to the birds. They already have cats to contend with, they don't need dogs chasing them too! Squirrels are a different matter. I swear they deliberately bait Rufus to try to catch them. One thing that does help is having them walk with a ball in their mouths.

Play lots of come away from a really good treat to get an even better treat games with Aosta. She'll soon get that it always pays to listen.


----------



## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

fairlie said:


> Rufus is a terrible bird chaser and though I can get him back (at least I like to believe I can) with our next pup I am going to stop it (or try to stop it). Especially at this time of year, with nests, eggs and hatchlings I just think it is unfair to the birds. They already have cats to contend with, they don't need dogs chasing them too! Squirrels are a different matter. I swear they deliberately bait Rufus to try to catch them. One thing that does help is having them walk with a ball in their mouths.
> 
> Play lots of come away from a really good treat to get an even better treat games with Aosta. She'll soon get that it always pays to listen.


"With our next pup"!!??!! When is this happening??  x


----------



## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Hopefully in this lifetime.


----------



## RangerC (Jan 23, 2013)

Wow. Fairlie: So you've finally recognised you need/will get another poo. (Anyone random reading this will think I'm crackers - i could correct myself and say cockapoo but it's too funny). :laugh:


----------



## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Molly had not been walked much, never off lead and was totally obsessed with bird chasing when she first came to me at 18 months. She spent a long time on a long line so she could not run off and I rewarded her heavily if she saw the birds and looked at me instead of them (which initially took a long time and a lot of patience) She gradually learned to be less obsessed and that she got lots of rewards for not chasing and now rarely chases (although pigeons do still bring out the worst in her and she likes to bark at them)


----------



## alexdo (Oct 26, 2013)

Mine can't resist chasing pigeons. I was very confident about recall until she hit 6 months - she was brilliant. But recently she will not come back. Just hoping it's just a phase


----------

