dogs running loose

[Looney tune]

why is it that nine out of ten dogs don't respond to their owner when they are called? And when will owners learn that if there are children/ bicycles/other dogs/old people etc approaching and you need to leash a dog you go over to the animal rather than call it back to you

Hi Phil, the bulk of your answer is in your sentence. When a dog is running 'loose' with the owner/handler in the vacinity and it does not respond to a command (which I think is then deamed out of control and the owner can then be charged) to come back, the worst thing you can do is go to it/ run after it. The dog either thinks its now a game or more often than not it knows you are angry and its chastize time, so it keeps its distance. Any time I have a problem with recall, I call the dog, and while calling I turn and run the other way, the dog will soon follow, then I start to whistle on it as I slow down. If the dog comes straight to me I reward it with a food treat, if it runs wide or past I throw a tennis ball which it will bring back or near. All this still makes chasing a game but only rewardable if it chases me. Simples.