Can't get him to come!

[dolphindreamer28]

I have a 3 year old mutt named Sam, and when he was a few months old we signed him up for obedience, and he passed. He knows the command come, and he knows what hes supposed to do. But whenever I call him, he is so stubborn and he only comes when he feels like it, so I can stand there and call him for like 5 minutes and just sit there and stare at me or run away. I don't know what to do!

[clara4457]

I am by no means an expert, but I have found that teaching the come command is the most important you will ever teach. One thing I do know is that we have a tendency to make come to a negative rather that always a positive. We tell them to come and them we make them come inside when they were having so much fun playing in the yard. Or we make them come for a bath that they hate. I also think we overuse the "come" command. The "come" command should be a no holds barred command and should be used sparingly. IMHO I like to use "here" for the unimportant "I would like you here please".

Whenever you use it - make sure it is a very positive experience. Have your dog come and reserve the very best of treats when the comply. Have your dog come and treat him to the best belly scratches imaginable. The "come" command should always be a positive experience. What I found myself doing is using "come" when I wanted Leo to come inside when he was having so much fun running after the birds. It didn't take him long to start ignoring my request. :( So I starting backtracking and using the "come" command for juicy treats and more play time.

After a few months of that, I started tapering off the treats - but I still use them on occasion so he is never sure if he gets goodies or not.

[Tonya]

Good advice, Clara. I have the same problem with Teddy. I get so frustrated!

[binka_nugget]

Well said Clara.

I found that Kai didn't respond to come anymore so I changed it to "here". With a bit of clicker training and treats, he did very well within the first few minutes.

[cloverfdx]

i might just add, you should not double command a dog (so saying "come" for 5 minutes will only re-enforce bad behaviour) if you are being ignored you could try running away from the dog and turning it into a game (99% the dog should follow you) or if the dog is REALY stubborn hide behind a tree or building etc and dont come out, the dog will generally start looking for you after a while and when he finds you give the come comand and back away from the dog, when he reaches you treat and lots of praise.

good luck and keep us updated on your progress :)

[dolphindreamer28]

I've been trying and he just doesn't care, like if he feels like it he'll come and if he doesn't he'll just continue sniffing or watever and run away.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by dolphindreamer28
I've been trying and he just doesn't care, like if he feels like it he'll come and if he doesn't he'll just continue sniffing or watever and run away.


That's because he's already learned that he doesn't have to listen to you.
You might want to start over from scratch and use a different word for the command. Try to make it as fun as possible.

Here are a few links that will tell you how.

http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/2525/recallgames.htm

http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/lib-SpecTrain.htm#com

[KatieDog]

I'm no expert either, but I've been pretty successful myself with the advice given so far--especially changing to "here" (which I taught using lots of treats, including cheese in a can which works wonders with my dog) and running away from the dog rather than just standing there. Katie isn't 100% reliable, but she's not bad. I figure it's something we just have to keep working on, and I have to be creative in my approaches (while still being consistent) because she has the attention span of a flea.

I also reinforce "here" a lot--around the house and also on walks, especially when she's in the middle of doing something else. I do think it's really important to give the command only once, and if it doesn't work, try something else. E.g., if Katie ignores "here" and instead continues sniffing under some bush, I walk or run in the other direction. I try to avoid pulling her because that only teaches her that she doesn't have to obey until I start pulling.

Another thing we do to practice is to play hide-and-seek in the house. I make her stay, I go hide, and then I yell "find me." It's not practicing "here," exactly, but I think it does reinforce the idea that the fun is wherever I am.

[clara4457]

Originally posted by KatieDog

Another thing we do to practice is to play hide-and-seek in the house. I make her stay, I go hide, and then I yell "find me." It's not practicing "here," exactly, but I think it does reinforce the idea that the fun is wherever I am.

That's a great idea. I never thought of that, but it sounds like fun for both me and my dogs! Welcome to Pet Talk by the way! I haven't been on line much lately, so I may have missed your introduction.

I also think you have to start in small steps. Have him come to you when you are just a couple of feet away. Make sure you have a great treat in your hand. A piece of hotdog or a piece of liver, etc. and when he comes treat and praise - praise - praise. I have also found with Leo and Penny, that they respond better when I am crouching down and have my arms wide - kind of like you do when you have a baby first learning to walk. :D I think it is more positive in their mind.

Gradually increase the distance, but make sure he is very good at the two foot distance before you do three feet, then four feet, then six feet and so on. Once he gets good at the "come" command or the "here" command, gradually reduce the number of times you use treats, but always follow up with the praise and the pets. Those should never go away.

It is definitely one of the hardest commands to train, but with time and patience, it will be well worth it.

[KatieDog]

Thanks for the welcome, clara (this list is so friendly :) ), and I agree with your advice about the small steps and importance of lots of praise. (I know I probably look ridiculous to non-dog people when I reward Katie for doing the right thing: e.g., recently my neighbor, who was watching us work in the back yard, asked whether I was teaching my dog to come, or my dog was teaching me to jump up and down.) I find that my dog's training doesn't always happen as forward "progress," either and that often we have to "review" things we've already learned (again, I have the most easily distracted dog ever in the history of dogs--it's frustrating at times, but in a way it's part of her charm, too).

One other thing I thought of, just in terms of the dog's safety, (which is one reason why, of course, you want a reliable "come" or "here") is that "down" can also be really useful. I.e., since it can be hard to recall a dog all the way back to you if she's headed full speed in another direction, sometimes "down" and then "stay" work to stop the dog until you can get over to her.

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by KatieDog
Thanks for the welcome, clara (this list is so friendly :) ), and I agree with your advice about the small steps and importance of lots of praise. (I know I probably look ridiculous to non-dog people when I reward Katie for doing the right thing: e.g., recently my neighbor, who was watching us work in the back yard, asked whether I was teaching my dog to come, or my dog was teaching me to jump up and down.) I find that my dog's training doesn't always happen as forward "progress," either and that often we have to "review" things we've already learned (again, I have the most easily distracted dog ever in the history of dogs--it's frustrating at times, but in a way it's part of her charm, too).

One other thing I thought of, just in terms of the dog's safety, (which is one reason why, of course, you want a reliable "come" or "here") is that "down" can also be really useful. I.e., since it can be hard to recall a dog all the way back to you if she's headed full speed in another direction, sometimes "down" and then "stay" work to stop the dog until you can get over to her.

I taught my dogs a stop command for that purpose, it means just that, stop moving, stop doing what your doing & stay in that stop position until I notify them otherwise.

And the pointers you got are great, in order for your dog to come to you than you have to be at least just as much fun if not more than whatever your dog is interested in at the time. If all else fails & your dog is off leash (which should not happen until your dog has a great re-call), just say the dogs name & come as soon as the dog sees you, you turn & jog the other way, most dogs will follow you. ALWAYS praise when the dog comes never ever punish.

And yes by telling your dog to come after you have called it 5 times teaches the dog that it does not have to come right away, that is why the dog should be on a leash, call the dog once if it does not listen then make the dog come to you by "realling" it in. then praise when the dog gets to you. Eventually lengthen the leash & always say come in a fun tone. Patience & frequent practice is the key!

[ParNone]

I do something similar as lv4dogs. I use the "wait" command,
which is basically stop moving or don't go bolting through a
door or gate. Since I use it in everyday use, they get enough
repetition to get the concept, so that when I really need it, like
bolting after something, they stop.

I'll also second that turning and running works wonders too.
Just the other day, I was out in the front yard moving the
sprinkler around and I evidently didn't latch the gate well,
because I looked up to find Oz in the front yard with me.
He normally has a very good recall, so I finished up what I
was doing, then headed back towards the gate. He was in
the middle of sniffing something really interesting, when I
called him to me. He looked up and I could see the indecision
in his face. Was coming to me really worth giving up the
wonderful thing he was smelling?

So I took off running as fast as I could through the gate into
the backyard, doing a quick "WooHoo" as I went. Sure enough
he beat me to the back door. We went barreling into the
bedroom, startling Murph and Maddie, and I went straight for
the treat box and gave him one (M&M too). Wanted to make
sure "coming" to me was waaaaayyyy more rewarding than
whatever he was sniffing.

Par...

[dolphindreamer28]

Thanks for the advice!
I started re-training Sam with the "here" command like some of you said. It's working really well and whenever I'm around the house or in the yard and he's nearby I say "Here Sam" and he comes running to me, (so I give him lots of praise and sometimes treats) but sometimes he doesn't really feel like it so I just have to call him in a really firm tone and he comes trotting over. I have yet to try it offleash in a park but I'm going to the offleash park today so we'll see!:P

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by dolphindreamer28
Thanks for the advice!
I started re-training Sam with the "here" command like some of you said. It's working really well and whenever I'm around the house or in the yard and he's nearby I say "Here Sam" and he comes running to me, (so I give him lots of praise and sometimes treats) but sometimes he doesn't really feel like it so I just have to call him in a really firm tone and he comes trotting over. I have yet to try it offleash in a park but I'm going to the offleash park today so we'll see!:P

I'm sorry to say but you are setting yourself up for failure if you let him off leash when he is not consistently and reliably performing a recall under controlled situations with minimal distractions.
If you let him off leash and he doesn't come when you call and you cannot enforce your command then he will just learn that he doesn't have to listen to you. Each time you call and he doesn't come just sets it in his mind that he is in control.
It's going to take more than a week of training for him to be reliable.
Sorry but that's just my opinion.

[clara4457]

I'll be quite honest with you - aside from the training problems associated with rushing off-leash work before they are ready. I would never let either of my dogs off leash in an area that wasn't completely fenced in. Even the most well-behaved dog can had a moment of distraction and get hurt.

I definitely agree with Shelteez2 - rather than going off leash to the park, why not buy some really long leads and work off leash with them attached. I used to put two 100 ft leads together and them hook the end to my foot. Leo didn't realize they were there, but I never had to worry about him running off. If they are loose, the dog won't realize they are there - but if he doesn't respond, you can reel him in.

[KatieDog]

Long leashes are a great idea. If you don't have one, you can always make one out of cotton clothes line (just make sure the knots are really secure). And the lighter the lead, the better--your dog will learn to obey even when he thinks he's off lead.
;)