Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly  Below is a post I did for a puppy a while back. I hope it can help you and your dog:
As to the coming, your baby is still too young to even know to do that each time. It will take a lot more consistent, repetitious training. For a few days, just sit on the floor, say “Come” and treat your dog instantly. This “charges” the word come that it means treats! Use kibble treats to keep him from filling up on junk or a lot of boiled chicken but it is fine, too, if you use very small pieces. Just keep doing that for a few times every few hours for several days. Once you know your baby knows that word means treats and he wants to get that treat badly, it is time to train.
Place your baby a few feet away, call him and give a treat and praise when he comes. Keep doing this over and over for about 3 -5 minutes and staying upbeat. When he doesn't come or wanders off instead, say "uh oh"(don't say "no" while still in training - reserve that for when he's really learned something and is not obeying or otherwise genuinely misbehaving), but just say "uh oh" in a matter-of-fact way and don't treat, turn your back. Now comes in the good trainer part - don't lose patience with him - he's a baby trying to learn this trick and repetition is the key to teaching - gently get him if he's wandered off, put him in place a few feet away, crouch down a little and extend your hand and call him again, using a squeaky toy in the other hand if you must, but this time wiggle your body, smile, turn around or anything to keep his interest and get him to come. Then, immediately treat and praise lavishly. And repeat, repeat, repeat. It is the frequency and upbeat attitude and fun you have with him that will make him want to come to you and it will take him some months to get it down "cold". When his tummy can take it and he's older, use a high value treat like boiled chicken or kibble to treat him when he comes and keep up these lessons. By the time he is a year old, he will be coming to your recall every single, solitary time - well, 99%. Now, when he doesn't, crouch down, get a squeaky, say "Come for chicken/treats!" or wiggle or turn your body around, sit on the floor/ground, anything to interest him and get him to you. Then, even if he did have to be encouraged and didn't come right away, keep your response to him for finally coming positive and happy. Once you act mad at a dog for not coming, they don't want to do it again anytime soon & can remember that coming to you sometimes finds you mad & they won't connect that his not coming at first was what made you mad - he might only remember that sometimes you ARE mad when he comes to you. Patience, fun and short, repetitive sessions when teaching a dog work best. I would train Tibbe in the recall for about 3 -5 minutes each 3 - 5 times a day when he was a puppy. He's 5 1/2 now and he still gets a piece of kibble and a smile and a "Gooooood boy" every single time he comes to me. And he does come 99 99/100% of the time I call him the first time and he NEVER runs away when I call him. Ever. But we worked for a year on the recall so he's really got it down.
Hope this helps a little. Sorry it is long but read it over a couple of times and remember this little dog is still just the equivalent of about a toddler in age and you can't expect a whole lot from a toddler mentally. You just love them and keep teaching and keep it patient and fun. Remember never ever to punish your dog when he doesn't do the command, just say "uh oh" while still learning his first year or so of life and keep training and staying positive with him - keeping it fun. He'll learn over time if you are a good and patient and consistent trainer.
Another thing I would do is watch a lot of YouTube training clips about training dogs. Click on only the ones with a lot of clicks as usually those are the best. You may be uninteresting to your dog in the way you approach him to train, don't praise or treat in the manner he needs to stay interested - and many dogs don't want to work at first unless highly motivated, or are impatient or otherwise sending him signals you are unhappy with him and he wants to get away. Watching really good trainers at work with puppies will show you the best of the best techniques for getting and keeping a puppy's attention and about how long to keep up the lesson. That is often the reason a dog walks away besides disinterest, fear/anxiety about your attitude or lack of patience - he's young and other things get his attention sometimes. Watching good trainers work will show you how to keep that attention on you and make him WANT to work. Each dog is different and if you got a more independent or self-motivated dog - a dog that thinks for himself - than your previous dogs, you have got to and can find a way to get this guy interested - you just need to watch the experts do it. Watch lots of videos on puppy training - not dog training. Confine your watching to that of good trainers working with puppies and how they deal with wandering off, etc. |