I think Kivasmum covered about using a whistle and also sorry forgot to say welcome to the forum to you but I guess you can see you are welcome.

I can't help with clicker training sorry as I've never used it. I've done some whistle training though.

I used to have a Border Collie who tended to run round in one direction too much and I couldn't get the hang of a sheepdog whistle so I whistled to send her right or left, one to lie down for both my dogs and repeated very short toots to keep bringing her forwards slowly. I used voice and a two tone whistle (using my fingers) for recalls for both dogs. I'd think you could use a single tone gundog whistle for heel, recall and other commands.

How I trained recall was the pretty much standard way like Kivasmum said starting easy and moving up a degree of difficulty after I was getting the desired results reliably and if I had lapses then I'd go right back to the easier level with no distractions if necessary. An immediate reliable sit and stay was also useful.

I found out the hard way though that the Springer x collie needed longer than a week to change her onto new food or she got the runs. Let us know how you get on?

Hi there,

My Lab is 10 months old and I too am having the recall issues. We have gone to the whistle now......but buy a decent one.....the really cheap ones from pet shops are rubbish and the tone changes. The one we've just ordered to replace it is an acme whistle - that is used for gundogs and only around £5. This will help you get over your tone differences between you and you partner and my Lab is listening to it Practice with it at first before you use it whilst out (as people have already mentioned). The new whistle when it comes should be much better and therefore even better results....well I'm hoping anyway as this is difficult to hear over long distances. .

As for food; I'm in Germany and use Zooplus to do my food homework as you can see all the nutritional content. I am about to change him to adult food and have chosen Mera Lamb & Rice and the other one I'm interested in is the Josera Optiness. Both don't contain maize (advice I've been given previously on here that is best not to have in the content) so they're the two I'll try out. They're both German brands - so I'm not sure how far afield they're available.

I feed twice a day and with x2 40-50 min walks a day the food is gone. I feed just less than the packet advises for the age and weight of the dog as it's important not to have a fat Lab!! I am wondering why yours isn't all that interested in her food?!!! never heard of a Lab like that!

Anyway as far as help you'll be pleased you found this site, I know I am Good luck from here on in

A whistle is usually a good idea, especially for dogs that have become deaf to their own names. You need to prime it indoors first. Get some treats, cheese,chicken,sausage,hotdogs or anything liver based is good. You just get the dogs attention and walk around, each time you blow the whistle you treat. Just do a few, few minute sessions for a day or two. Then try it when
she is sniffing about in the garden, stand by the back door and whistle and treat when she comes, then you can try it from inside the house. If that all goes OK then start to use it outside.

I would use a long line at first and a good fitting harness. If she has got in the habit of taking off ignoring you, and not listening it will help whilst you are training. Golden rules are dont give a dog its total freedom and only call it back, put the lead on and go home. They get wise to it, and will avoid and take off. Also never run after them, it just turns it into a game of catch me if you can.

Start by giving her her freedom to sniff about, then whistle her back treat, but send away again with go play. Keep doing this periodically through the walk. Dont let her wander too far, without getting the focus back on you.
Then start to mix up the rewards, sometimes treats, sometimes throw a ball a few times, sometimes a game with a ragger if she likes that, other times whistle and run in the other direction, another way to get her to come too but she sees it as a game. Each time though you send away after with go play. Another game is to hide behind a tree, whistle and reward when she finds you. The idea of all this is to keep her guessing, and her interest as she doesnt know what rewards she will get from you, it also makes you interesting.

Once you have had reliable success for awhile. Then drop the long line but leave it as a drag line, if there is times when she starts to wander or dosent listen then you still can grab hold of it and bring her back. Still do all the same things with the periodically calling back and rewarding you did before.
When that goes ok for awhile and is reliable then you can let her off. Start first though at quieter times, with less distraction, as she gets better and if is still reliable then gruadually build up to busier times and more distractions
testing her out as you go.

When you find her most favourite two or 3 treats keep those only for recall.
Never as hard as it is call her in a fraustrated or angry voice, if you call her,
keep it light happy excited. If they think/know you have got the hump that can make them avoid too.

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