Why Dogs Don't Come When Called by Jane M. Small
Prevention
Puppies naturally follow humans, they love to follow you, they "come" when they are called until they learn that coming when called leads to unpleasant things like:
- Being crated - (and then being left alone)
- Coming inside the house (when the yard was a great time)
- Losing possession of a freshly stolen human item (such as your panties or socks)
- Leaving the park (and all their canine friends still playing)
Humans don't set out to make coming when called a negative experience but ultimately, it happens. Usually, by four to five months, puppies who are called for the above list of unpleasant things stop coming when called altogether.
Reversing the History
Don't fret too much if you've already done the above, let's go fix it and reload the program so "coming when called" means great things are going to happen. The four things your dog likes the most must be connected to coming when called. These are: meals, walks (the true exercise version), training time, and training games.
- Meals: pre-pour all your dogs kibble so the clanky noise is not a give away (pour lunch after breakfast and put it in a bowl up high). Go to an area of your house where the puppy would not suspect you to call him to (your bedroom, a bathroom). Call "Fred, come," open, down, and low as we have taught and when he arrives say, "Good for you, good come." Present him with a bowl of food, have him sit before you put the food to the floor, and then he eats! Next time, try a different room.
- The Exercise Walk: Dogs across America race to the front door when owners jingle the leash and keys and ask "Do you want to go for a walk?" The answer is always "yes." Don't give away this favorite! Make him earn it! Quietly take the leash to an unsuspecting leash and call "Fred, come." When he arrives, tell him "Good boy," let's go for a walk. Hmmm, he thinks, Mom is full of surprises, she's a good time.
- Training: The positive lure reward method of training I use means your dog loves training and sees this as your "quality time" with him. Gather up your interactive toys and training treats and put them on a shelf and again call him to "come." When he arrives, give him that four foot interactive tug toy and say "get it" and start your session with a game of tug followed by a command like "sit" or "down."
- Playing Hide and Seek: To lay the foundation for this game, you must squat open, down and low with your arms open wide and call "Fred come" in your most happy, roast beef voice, as your partner holds Fred from a sit. As Fred barrels towards you, you present a cheese cube in front of you and pull him between your knees with the treat. As he gets in close, touch his collar and then release the treat. You must always touch the collar to avoid the game of cat and mouse down the road when you're trying to leash Fred up from the park. Now, you hold Fred by the chest and face your partner and have her call "Fred come" open, down and low as above. As Fred begins to anticipate this game, increase the distance between yourselves and start moving to less obvious spots (slightly behind a door or table).
Once Fred has mastered this, go to separate rooms in ultimately different levels of your house. Your teaching your dog it is his job to find you, not yours to find him. And, that finding you is a great thing. Owners who play this game have dogs that come in group situations.
Choosing the Right Words
The words you should use instead of come for things the dog doesn't like are listed below. Coming when called is one of two behaviors Fred must do perfect to insure his life (the other behavior is keeping his mouth private to himself).
- To get Fred in from the yard, say - "in, in"
- To get Fred out into the yard, say - "out, out"
- To get your socks out of Fred's mouth, say - "drop it"
- To remove a bug from him, say - "hold still" or "stop"
Taking Responsibility
It's a huge mistake to wait until your puppy is eight months old to teach him to follow you off leash and come when called. Attach a ten to twenty foot cotton line to your puppy and go to a dog safe area and have him follow you without your holding the leash. If he begins to wander off, call him to come (open, down and low). Reward with a treat and touch his collar. Calling him several times and releasing him back to play, shows him coming doesn't mean the good time is over.
If he doesn't come when you call him, step on the line and give him a firm jerk toward you. "Hey, Fred come." When you did all this, he gets no treat but, he can earn one. Simply let him wander off to the end of the line again, and call him back still holding the handle. Now if he comes to you he gets the treat and he gets to go loose again without your holding the end. You paint a very clear picture for him that "come" happens either way and that he earns his freedom for coming promptly. Never repeat come more than two times before you step on the line and reel him in. When it's finally time to leave, simply grab the line and reel him in.
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