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I have a 16 month old golden retreiver. He is a very good boy, but for one thing. He will not come in from the backyard until he's ready. I know I can get him to come in with a treat, which I try not to do unless I'm leaving and have to get him in the house. I guess the thing that really bugs me is that he will come running if my husband calls him. Actually I think it's any male voice which I don't have, so what do I do? :(
You have to think of it this way: What is your dog's incentive to come? If you don't give him a reward of some sort, he has no incentive to come back to you.
I think your dog has inadvertently chosen not to come because he knows that playtime ends when you call him.
Rewards don't have to be food. Rewards can be praise and play. The reward your dog probably wants most would be to go back into the yard. So, call him to you, give him a treat, and *send him back to the yard*. Repeat this. Eventually, your dog will choose to come to you because you've rewarded it with play in the yard. Because you've rewarded the come with sending him back to the yard, playtime in the yard becomes devalued and his come will be much stronger.
Brilliant idea, Giselle! I can't wait to try it the next time it's an issue with a visiting dog!
Thanks, though it's definitely not my original idea :D It's Premack's principle in a pinch =)