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Love my Bentley, but......

CSutherland

Well-known member
....sometimes I get envious of folks who have a different breed who can let their dog out for a quick potty and expect him to come back! I was outside with Bentley on a leash, of course, Friday evening when Grandpa got home. Since I knew he would run straight to Grandpa I dropped the leash & let him run; but, unfortunately, he saw the cat just beyond, so Grandpa was immediately forgotten. Bentley chased her under the pasture fence, into the pasture, down the valley and toward the busy highway 700 ft away. Two old people in their 70s don't need this kind of stress, I tell you. Since he was still dragging his 6 ft leash Grandpa was finally able to get close enough to him to grab it.
 
They are a very distractible breed. Henry will see a frog, or butterfly... Sometimes just a leaf and forget he's got to go to the bathroom.
 
This has been a big adjustment for us too, having had 2 previous dogs over the years who we could let out the front door and they would just hang out with us, and come when called. Rose- not so much, lol. Getting her a long line leash has made it more tolerable when we are out and about (like when we went to the beach, and when she stays with the grandparents who don't have a fence). Rose has finally caught on that if we follow her out the door or if she is on the leash when it's time to potty, she needs to get down to business, lol.
 
Boy do I know. Fletcher cannot be trusted off lead at all. He has bolted out of the front door!!!!!!! I was able to get him before he ran out of our yard but still. We put up a new baby gate in the foyer blocking the front door. I have kids who don't allows watch as they open the front door. Our other dog Eddie goes everywhere with my husband and I can't tell you the last time he was on a leach.
 
Yep....I'm afraid Wrigley would be the same way. Oh I love him dearly !! ...but it is difficult sometimes to get him to come when called if he has his mind set on something. He would probably run to go greet someone across the street even if a car was coming. ( he has no fear & that's not good!!!) He would have to be on lead anytime out front...or lord knows what could happen.

Our Lab stays right by us. For some reason he always has. He comes immediately when called...but just doesn't get distracted is all.
 
Distraction. That's the real problem. He wants to be where it's happenin' especially if it goes fast.....like a cat or a trash truck or anything that might hurt him. One thing he's a little afraid of: our cattle. He'll posture, bark, growl, etc, through the fence but if one of them, big or small, sort of dips her head toward him he jumps back. Funny.
 
We were always hoping that Sonny could be trusted off leash too and we still would like to get to a point where we can take him to our dog beach off leash, but I don't think we will ever just hang out in the front yard or go for walks off leash. HOWEVER we have been in Obedience 2 classes for the last 6 weeks and I think (knock on wood) Sonny finally has a reliable emergency recall. Wooohooo!!! I have really wanted to get this down to use in emergency situations. We have been practicing in many different situations and places with different distractions and since his training he has come immediately when he hears the emergency recall word. Sonny has never gotten out of our house or the backyard, but the other day my husband was taking out the trash and SOnny bolted out of the backyard towards the street. My husband used the emergency recall word and Sonny spun around and raced towards him. Yay!!!!
 
Sonny has never gotten out of our house or the backyard, but the other day my husband was taking out the trash and SOnny bolted out of the backyard towards the street. My husband used the emergency recall word and Sonny spun around and raced towards him. Yay!!!!

Wow, that's such a relief, I know! How did they have you teach that? We didn't ever get that far :/ .
 
We can't begin to describe how much of a convenience it is that Skippy is litter-box trained. We put it right next to this crate in the laundry room, and he heads over and does his #1 or #2 whenever he needs to.
 
But....we live in the country and out here a dog needs to do his business outside! Oh, how I'd love to see him run unrestrained! Grandpa built a very large pen for him but he just sits by the gate, waiting for someone to come get him; that is, unless one of us is in the pen with him! Kind of defeats the purpose.
 
We can't begin to describe how much of a convenience it is that Skippy is litter-box trained. We put it right next to this crate in the laundry room, and he heads over and does his #1 or #2 whenever he needs to.

Henry came to us litter trained. I though we were the only strange ones, lol.
We have been transitioning him away from the corn litter. So far no accidents at all and we are over a month. Do you take Skippy outside to potty? We were doing both.
 
when oliver was just a little pup..i let him out into our fenced in back yard one night...i was in my pjammas..bare foot.
and as i was sitting there waiting and waiting ...a thought popped into my head...i saw the gate open earlier... oh #*$* ...i RACED outside down the steps and into the back yard.

of course..gate was still opened..puppy was gone.
its dark..im in my jammies and bare foot...i went running through the gate and into the front yard..looking around..for a black and white dog..

i went running down the street...(culdisac) and saw him in a neighbours yard downt he block.
unfortuantly..he saw me...and ran the other way... i kept after him..he stopped ..turned around..saw me...ran away ...i cahsed him about two blocks..this time in tears because in my teenage mind i idn't know if id EVER catch up to him.

ended well...

ironicly enough.. oliver turned into a dog..that if you ever let go of the leash...he woudl stop in his tracks..look at you. you could walk (down the beach or pier) and he would stand put..with this look on his face like 'where are you going? uhh YOU FORGOT ME!" lol
 
I had a dog that used to let herself out the front door and wander the neighborhood for two hours, and she got hit by a car. I never let Luke off the leash completely. I let him go with a long line with once. He spotted a creek, and he took off down a steep hill. He did stop and wait for me once he got to the creek, because he will only swim if I throw a ball in for him to get. I will let go of his long line if I am letting him in to swim and get his ball, but otherwise, I don't let him go anymore. If he is getting the ball, he can be trusted, but otherwise, I don't trust him anymore for right. We're going to work on that. One of my other dogs, I've never really worked on her recall, and she is trustworthy. I took her to lure coursing, and she refused to chase the lure, just kept coming to me. I'd like to try Luke, but I can't trust him, since there is a pond out by the one side of the field.
 
hehe, my cavalier is a Bentley too. he has the canine version ADHD. I am hoping he will gain some brain cells the older he gets. :)
 
Most of the time Lady is good with recall, but if there is any kind of distraction at all, I have no hope of getting her to listen. Even on our walks, when it gets dark and those little white flies come out she will try and catch each one that passes. I guess its her prey instinct that comes first, so I would never trust her off leash somewhere not completely safe. On walking trails we go off leash and she never strays more than a few feet from me, but Id be worried that if we were near a busy area and she saw a butterfly, she'd be gone and obviously has no street sense for cars. Every other basic command I've been able to teach on my own, but recall is definitely the one I'm having the hardest time with :(
 
Glad I am not the only one dealing with a distracted cavalier. Between Fletcher and Mr. Monster (my 4 yr old son) I just about got lost in my own neighborhood the other evening. Both boys were all over the place Fletcher pulling on the leash this way to check out what the neighborhood kids were doing. Mr. Monster stopping to look for turtles by the lake. It was like one big ADHA ramp around instead of a nice evening walk with my son and dog. I swear if I could train just one of them I would tie them together and I'd be good :)

I'm kidding I would tie my sweet baby Fletcher to my Monster son h*lpI just can't stop maybe its contagious....hahahahhaaaa
 
I have been extremely fortunate - my husband is between jobs and has had plenty of down time for training until new job begins. In addition, he has patience like you've never seen! They mastered sit, lay down, paw and stay in a matter of an hour and he's kept up with repeating it non-stop for the past 6 weeks. On the leash walking in the neighborhood we practiced from day 1 her not being allowed to pay cars or other distractions any attention and to keep walking right to our side looking straight ahead. Now, I will admit she doesn't listen to me nearly as well. She minds her father wonderfully!
 
Henry came to us litter trained. I though we were the only strange ones, lol.
We have been transitioning him away from the corn litter. So far no accidents at all and we are over a month. Do you take Skippy outside to potty? We were doing both.

We don't have a regular schedule to take him outside, but when he is out, he does usually do his thing like other dogs.
 
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Wow -- my Bosco must be missing a gene! He has no interest in squirrels, cats or even the rabbit that hops across the yard. He just turned 1 and he is fine for walks on lead in our neighborhood, or off lead when we hike trails in the park.. He's my first and only CKC and I didn't realize how lucky I was.
 
Wow -- my Bosco must be missing a gene! He has no interest in squirrels, cats or even the rabbit that hops across the yard. He just turned 1 and he is fine for walks on lead in our neighborhood, or off lead when we hike trails in the park.. He's my first and only CKC and I didn't realize how lucky I was.

Oh, my. You have no idea how lucky.....
 
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