[KBLover]

Do your dog stay within a certain distance of you, even while off-leash and out exploring?

Wally will and it's interesting. It's like he can tell just how far away he is, and if he's "too far" he'll stop and look. If I taught this, I have no idea how I did it. If he taught himself this - I still have no idea how he did it!

It just kinda happened. Maybe it's a breed thing - some sort of internal instinct to say within a certain distance? Even if he's walking out ahead of me, he'll turn and like double-back to line up with me again, then walk out front to that distance, like he's counting the steps he can take

I notice it's also a smaller distance at night. Now I know I didn't teach him that. Wouldn't even know how to begin (well, I have an idea, but not on how to associate it with the day-night cycle). Also it varies based on his state of mind - i.e the "radius" is wider if he's feeling confident while very tiny if he's anxious (which makes sense)

 

[Marsh Muppet]

Spaniels and hunting retrievers (also flushing breeds) tend to stay within an imaginary "gun range" (aprox. 30 yards). This is a desirable trait for flushing breeds, and mine has always done it naturally. Not all do, but it can be trained.

 

[FourIsCompany]

I think it's a breed thing. My Shepherds stay very close and my BC/Terrier crosses take off in search of what life has to offer.

 

[KBLover]

Spaniels and hunting retrievers (also flushing breeds) tend to stay within an imaginary "gun range" (aprox. 30 yards). This is a desirable trait for flushing breeds, and mine has always done it naturally. Not all do, but it can be trained.

Interesting - must be why he does it then since I just looked up some info on the net and many sites list Cotons as being in the gun dog breed group.

Hard to imagine, guess I always thought of gun/hunting/retriever dogs as medium sized and larger dogs.

This might also explain why he'll go after a bird but only until it flies up in the air - perhaps he's not chasing, but flushing? Hmm.......

 

[hulkamaniac]

My Spaniel seems to, my basset not so much. Brutus will wander off and not give a flip where I am.

 

[RonE]

I used to walk my lab, and my sister's lab-mix, off-lead near her home in Missouri.

My own lab would patrol back-and-forth - sometimes disappearing into the brush - but I am confident that he always knew exactly where I was.

My sister's dog, on the other hand, was trained by my BIL to stay close. Way TROO close for my liking.

I'd be looking everywhere for him and he would be stuck to my heel.

I'd say, "Sunny, go out and explore." But she was incapable.

That was the same dog that would ring the doorbell to come in.

 

[Keechak]

Hawkeye couldn't care less where I am.

Kechara stays within sight or if range of sight is almost infinate she will stay within aproxamitly 200 Yards.

Jack is old he stays by me when he remembers where I am

 

[Dogstar]

You can actually teach this, too - call your dog back every time they hit that perimeter that you want them to- it eventually becomes habit.

 

[Dog Tracks]

My wife taught Mabel a "Stay Close" command. We work outside in the yard a lot and often she wants Mabel to stay within eyesight (it's about 1-1/2 acre with electric fence, so she's got lots of room to explore).

Mabel's pretty good about following the command. But if she sees a squirrel, rabbit, chipmunk or deer she's certain that we would rather she give chase. She's kind of like a quarterback calling an audible when that happens.

My wife says she didn't do anything specific to teach her "stay close". I think she just kind of picked up on the meaning.