[alita]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

One way a non-trainer who is having trouble training can "charge" an obedience command is to sit with the dog by your side and say "Come"(or whatever trick you are training) and hold out a treat in your hand for her to instantly gobble up. Over and over. Day after day. Two weeks later, get the treats, sit down beside the dog and she will know what is coming. She will start to get really excited. It is treat time in her mind! And she will have learned to LOVE the word "Come".

Have someone come and sit on the far side of the dog to hold her in place and you move about 3 feet away from the dog and say "Come" and hold the treat out in your hand. As soon as she strains against that person to come to you, have them release her and let her come get the treat. Praise her! Have that person get the dog, hold her in place 3 feet away again, get out another treat and say "Come" and hold the treat out in your hand. As soon as she strains against that person to come to you, have them release her and let her come get the treat. Praise her.

Repeat about 5 or 6 times in a row and that's it. Do this a few times a day and in a few days, move farther than 3 feet away as the person sits beside and restrains the dog until you say "Come" and hold out the treat. Keep on repeating that.

I guarantee you that when you work up slowly this way and charge that command with an instant treat for two weeks, she will fight to get to you and get her treat and praise! In time you can move quite far away and she will still come running to get that treat and praise. And the treat should be there every time for at least another couple of months. After that, you can start to just praise when she comes in place of a treat every 3rd. "come". Then, spread out the treats even more. Eventually, you don't need the other person to hold her and just keep a little dish of treats by the back door and she will come running knowing that some times she comes in, she gets a piece of kibble treat. Other times in the house when you call her, just spontaneously praise and get her a treat reward. It will keep her coming just to see if this time she might get a treat but all the while she is learning that no matter what, she does "come" when called. Keep working on this from time to time no matter how old she gets to keep it fresh in her mind.

Tibbe still gets a piece of kibble every single time he comes in from outside. No exceptions. It is just one of the little things I like to do to keep him running when called in from outside. He comes running every single time and has now for 1 1/2 years. Never has missed one time. He's come very slowly a few times but he's never defied me once since the kibble treat and praise is waiting. It's a small thing but he enjoys it and no doubt he's so well-trained now I could start to withhold the treat occasionally and he'd still come running. He's just so used to doing it he doesn't know not to. It's become a Pavlov's dog type reaction for him. "Come" means run to mommie and get a smile, praise and a treat!

I think this might actually do the trick. I think it is the way to go!!