Help! Dogs are running away and not coming to me when I try to get them...

Hi, I have 3 words for you:  Training, containment, control.  They need to be taught to come to you when they are called...this is "recall."  You can research on this board the best methods to teach recall.  It takes time and effort.

In the meantime, containment is your best bet.  They need to be in a fenced in area if off leash.  And, on long leads or leashes when not, so that you always have them in your control.  These girls need to be in your control at all times.  Best of luck to you, and you'll get more advice here, I'm sure.

 Well, a quick and easy solution would be to not let them out to run loose.  Keep them in the house and take them out on leashed walks.  Dogs running loose like that are a danger, both to themselves and others.  I know you live out in the country, but people DO still drive there and while cars might be few and far between, the possibility of being injured or causing an accident still remains.

 The other thing you MUST do is teach a good solid recall.  Right now the dog's freedom is more interesting than you are.  What happens when you catch the dogs?  You either yell at them or at the very least you bring them back into the boring indoors.  Who wants that?  Would you go to someone who was offering bran cereal when you were eating a candy bar?  Probably not.  So you need to start by teaching them a good recall and it HAS to be done with a lead attached or in a safe area where they can't run away (I would also consider doing this with one dog at a time, rather than both of them -- you want them BOTH to have a solid recall).

This has some good basic info: http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2002/recall.htm

A common mistake people make is thinking that because the dogs have a good back yard to "exercise" themselves then there is not need to do anything else.

Dogs run out the house because the outside world is always more interesting. I take my dog out to walk everyday and he does not have the need to run out because he known he will go out again the next day. He knows that an open door does NOT mean let's go out

Bottom line, dogs need to be taken out for walks, training a 100% recall will bring them back but wont cure the need to run away.

If you want to teach your dogs how to have the door wide open and no running out without even touching them let me know

Fence in an area for the dogs and spend time every day training and exercising.  If you are unable to do these two things, rehoming them might be the best thing for the dogs. 

At the moment, they have run out into the wide world yesterday mid day and will not come back. They have nothing to eat since then (that I know of!) We are in rural area and there are live stock nearby, another worry. They will sit either on the drive or the neighbours garden looking in and crying but nobody can catch them to bring them back. They are almost wild, they think it is a game.

Does anyone find this concerning...if I am reading this correctly the dogs are currently loose. Catch the dogs if possible...I don't suppose they have animal control officers in Ireland or do they. Praise the heck out of these dogs when you catch them...do not punish.   Punishment leads to them not wanting to come to you at all.  When we get called we get punished...well then we won't come and we won't get punished.  If they come praise and it will become a good thing.  As someone else said leash or contain them and get them plenty of exercise and work on training.

Good Luck!

 Dogs that are completely untrained can't be expected to come when called.  Get a copy of Leslie Nelson's DVD, "Really Reliable Recall" and teach your dogs what "Come!" means (the right way).  You can order it from www.cleanrun.com. The dogs should not be allowed out without being leashed until they learn a proper recall, and even then it's terribly dangerous for them.  You may want to put up a pen with some cheap deer fencing or wire fence so they don't get killed by a car, or shot by an angry livestock owner.  If you are too busy to train or care for your dogs, the best thing might be to find them a better home with someone who can do these things for them.

Anne...that link did not work. I was going to look into it after Gibby slipped his collar today ( go figure...its a prong collar yet ) and took off across the street. He knows COME....and he knows SIT....I tried both...but he knew he was loose and was all excited because a dog across the street that we were talking to almost attacked him and got him all worked up.  He then started jumping on me ( which he does when he gets excited ) and somehow slipped out of the collar....he so excited he didnt hear a thing.

 Leash??