spiritdogs
Posted : 4/18/2010 8:55:59 AM
I have an idea, but I would never use an e-collar - ever.
Get a whistle. For a solid three weeks, do nothing but take that whistle out every day. Don't use it to call your dogs. Instead, with them right in front of you, blow the whistle and hand them something luscious (use terrific, stinky, wonderful foods that they don't get for anything else - like roast beef, tripe, turkey, cheese, liver brownies, Swedish meatballs, etc.). For the next three weeks, wait until the dogs are distracted with their backs turned, then blow the whistle and reward when they get to you (don't make them come too far - from across a small room is fine). Be happy, and cheerlead them to you if necessary. Once they arrive, don't just feed one treat - feed ten (they need only be as small as half your pinky fingernail). Next, at random, when you are in a different part of the house, blow the whistle and when they arrive, have a party - they each get fed for a solid twenty seconds (time this - it's a long time) and make a big deal of them.
Once they are 100% reliable indoors, slap that 30' line on and go outside - repeat the whole procedure. If they stop to mark, just say "Oops" - reel them in and show them the treat (i.e. let them smell it), but don't give them anything. Repeat - most dogs figure out very quickly that it pays to get to you pronto.
This way, you can be forgiving of the marking behavior on your regular walks, but the whistle is your emergency recall signal for when they really need to get to you f-a-s-t. So, don't use the whistle for normal recalls - just in those cases when you really need the dog quickly.