We rescued a Malamute mix (Brooke) from our vets office around 2 months ago. The vet said she was probably between 2-3 yrs old, and she has been neutered. She is a very well behaved dog for the most part. She does like to get up on the furniture but will get down when I say "down". I'm also very bad about making it a strict rule, so I can't fault her on that.
What I want to train her to do is to stay at least in sight if she is off the lead. We live on a farm. We own 5 acres, and MIL owns the other 12 acres. We live on a dirt road where the only traffic is the house at the end of the road, and it is a little old lady that only goes to church on sundays.
My other two dogs, Snickers (lab we got at 6 wks) and Buttercup (pug we got at 1 yr) stay with us for the main part when we go outside and we let them run free. They may disappear into the woods, but they will come when we call. Brooke, on the other hand, leads us on a merry chase, where we will have to get on the 4 wheeler and track her down.
We have tried to use treats to get her to come to us. We've stood apart with her on the leash and dropped the leash as me or DH calls to her and rewards her for coming to us. But, on a few occassions, she has run past us, then the chase begins.
We do have a little fenced in yard for now, mainly so they can go out and do their business, and we do take her on walks on a leash a few times a day. We are planning on having a bigger fenced in yard in the back next year, but we have to build the deck first (right now it is a 9 foot drop to the ground!)
Any suggestions on what we can do to keep her with us? We thought at first she didn't realize this was her home, but now that she is settled in, why won't she come to us? DH has even taken her to the end of the road and back, with her on a leash and on a 4 wheeler to try to get the urge to run out of her. He didn't drag her. He kept an eye on her and if she wanted to stop and smell, he stopped. It wasn't a forced thing. But he thought maybe she wanted to run. And, believe me, when she runs...she runs!!!
Any advice would be helpful at this point. Thanks! (Sorry this is so long)
What I want to train her to do is to stay at least in sight if she is off the lead. We live on a farm. We own 5 acres, and MIL owns the other 12 acres. We live on a dirt road where the only traffic is the house at the end of the road, and it is a little old lady that only goes to church on sundays.
My other two dogs, Snickers (lab we got at 6 wks) and Buttercup (pug we got at 1 yr) stay with us for the main part when we go outside and we let them run free. They may disappear into the woods, but they will come when we call. Brooke, on the other hand, leads us on a merry chase, where we will have to get on the 4 wheeler and track her down.
We have tried to use treats to get her to come to us. We've stood apart with her on the leash and dropped the leash as me or DH calls to her and rewards her for coming to us. But, on a few occassions, she has run past us, then the chase begins.
We do have a little fenced in yard for now, mainly so they can go out and do their business, and we do take her on walks on a leash a few times a day. We are planning on having a bigger fenced in yard in the back next year, but we have to build the deck first (right now it is a 9 foot drop to the ground!)
Any suggestions on what we can do to keep her with us? We thought at first she didn't realize this was her home, but now that she is settled in, why won't she come to us? DH has even taken her to the end of the road and back, with her on a leash and on a 4 wheeler to try to get the urge to run out of her. He didn't drag her. He kept an eye on her and if she wanted to stop and smell, he stopped. It wasn't a forced thing. But he thought maybe she wanted to run. And, believe me, when she runs...she runs!!!
Any advice would be helpful at this point. Thanks! (Sorry this is so long)