Come when I call you!
 

Enzo is doing so well adjusting to his new house. Potty training, sleeping etc has gone well. He sleeps well, plays fetch and enjoys his long walks. Doesn't bark unless he's alerting me. Such a JOY.

Oh, he's 8 months old and has been with us for 6 weeks.


He doesn't come when I call him.. Well Maybe twice out of ten times outside and nine out of ten times inside.


I reward him when he comes, treats, praise etc, make a big deal out of it.


How do I make him come to me outside, when there are so many distractions?

Check out my training tip on my web site the link is below. Read the part on Simple Commands and Leash training they both work great !

Wonderful tips thanks :)

The problem is Enzo is 8 months old, and already trained to come/sit/fetch/drop it/pee etc... He chooses to NOT listen to ME outside! The person who does everything for him, but he listens to my husband and daughter! Inside he's almost spot on everytime, but outside he's a little devil with me.

"I" need the training I guess :( Maybe my tone?

I agree, wonderful tips. I think I've read this before but am still having trouble getting Princess Sophie to come when called also. I can't get the DH to help me with this training so what do you do when you only have yourself to teach your pup to come when called??

I like to train the recall by charging the word "come" to mean good things to the dog. It will take a lot more consistent, repetitious training before he's consistent in coming on command as he's not been trained for that long at this point.

This is how I train a dog to come every single time. For a few days, just sit on the floor with your dog in front of you, say “Come” and treat your dog instantly as soon as you say the word. Smile, praise and pat him. This “charges” the word come that it means treats and happiness! Use kibble treats to keep him from filling up on junk or a lot of boiled chicken. 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 praises and he wants to get that treat and praise again badly, it is time to train. Put your dog a few feet away, call him using "Come" and give a treat, smile and praise when he comes. Usually they can't get to you fast enough! Keep doing this over and over for about 3 -5 minutes and staying very 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 for half a minute.

After he's learned to come every time, move the training outside.

Now comes in the good trainer part - don't lose patience with him - he's still working at trying to learn this trick and happy repetition is the key to teaching. If he loses attention outside, gently retrieve 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. Some trainers jump up and down and make odd sounds to get the dog's attention - whatever it takes. Then, immediately treat and praise lavishly when he does come.

If he keeps losing focus outside, bring him back in and train him in the house until he's 100% coming when called for his treat and praise. Then try it again outside from just a short distance away, using a leash to keep him from wandering off while still training.

And repeat, repeat, repeat. It is the food reward, 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, use a high value treat like boiled chicken to occasionally surprise treat him when he comes and keep up these lessons. By using a very high-value treat occasionally, you keep his expectations high that this time when I come, I might just get the big payoff and get freshly boiled chicken! Dogs live off high expectations! By the time he is a year and a half old, he will be coming to your recall every single, solitary time - well, 99%. He's still a dog. Again, that 1% of the time when he doesn't come running, crouch down, use a high, squeaky voice, use a squeaky toy, say "Come for chicken!" or wiggle or turn your body around, sit on the floor/ground, anything to interest him and get him to you. Make yourself more interesting than the outside and he'll come out of curiosity and excitement.

Then, even if he did have to be encouraged and didn't come right away, keep your response to him for finally coming super 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 necessarily 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 young. 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 from me 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 learning and you can't expect a whole lot until you've worked a good while on this, particularly when competing with outside sights, sounds and scents. You just love him and keep teaching and keep it patient and fun.

One very, very important thing to remember about having your pup off leash outdoors is never, never chase them. It does more harm than good and right off the bat becomes a big game for them. Be sure that your pup regardless of age knows that you are in charge and that they know that being off leash is a privilege for those pups who listen and do as they are asked/told to. If not send them to the house or put them on their leash.

You can also work with outdoor commands in the yard with them on their leash. It works wonders. I have taught each of mine outdoor commands which are a bit different than indoor ones. Like "That far Enough, a big NO, Yard and House"

THANK YOU ladies!

I will start working with him tonight! I knew I needed some training too! ;)

I've made a few mistakes already, #1 being annoyed with him outside when he doesn't come and #2 running like a nut after him! In the house, I barely have to call him to come because he is attached to my hip! :)

My neighbour although I'm sure unintentional, made me feel horrible when Enzo was playing with her 11 year old dog and he didn't come when I called him...she said, "You need to be more dominant and not let him get away with it" Abby always comes when I call her" :rolleyes:

Well, there is some truth to that statement. I try to tell my 72 yr old mother that and she get a bit pissy with me. But her dogs were out of control until I started working with them. Even thou I have helped calm her dogs down and stopped them from jumping on people she still thinks I am being mean to them. No, sorry mother, not mean just showing my dominance toward them. :)

Yes of course there is truth to her statement, however, she's had 11 years to train her Abby and I've had 6 weeks with a baby...I sure hope Enzo can listen just like her Abby does someday and I will start as we speak :)

Thank you both for the wonderful tips I hope my next post is gushing with pride on how well we BOTH are doing ;)

Keeping my fingers crossed for you !! :D

You sound committed to training so keep it up and you can do it! :)

Two very good uses for a long very long 15' or 20' cotton training lead.

Teaching come outside. or the Recall command.

The other is Sit stay or Down Stay.

Pretty cheap to buy too:D

The length is used fully after a reliable come or stay is taught at say 6' then 10' then 12' then right out to 20 feet.

You can then move outside a fenced in area, use a handy tree to wrap tie off the long lead, and practice sit stay, come etc with

It helps keep your dog safe, it they bolt away on you! Can only go 20'

Happy to report, training is going well!! Enzo is starting to understand that "Come" is a wonderful thing! He's not 100% yet, but we are working hard together! Repeat, repeat, repeat!

Thanks again for the advice, I hope to report much more success soon :animal-pa

Happy to hear it. Just keep training!!! :)

Whoot ... yay, that's Wonderful news . . . :D

Ten days of training and the test was tonight. We went for our walk and when we got to an open field I let go of his leash without him knowing, he kept walking and I stopped - when he noticed I wasn't behind him, he walked a little farther and as soon as I said Enzo come, he bolted back to me right away :)I love only having to say it once :)
Training continues....

That's Great and I can imagine very rewarding !

Continue training is key. :D

Great news! IMO the HERE or COME command is the most important you can teach. It can be a life saver if your pup gets away from you accidentally. My Phoebe reciently got away & unexpectedly headed for a parking lot. I freaked but fortunately thought to yell HERE. She immediatly raced back to me. I was so thankful that I taught that command.., I really think its a lifesaver!!

We always use a long lead when training outside. When you call a dog to come and have no way to promote success you basically teach the dog it does not have to listen. We always teach sit and stay first. When the sit is going well and they have some understanding of "stay" we put the dog in a "sit" and walk away to about a 6' distance and give the "come" command with a lot of energy and encouraging voice. If the dog refuses (which is unusual) a light tug on the lead will help to coax the dog to come. Big reward and praise follows. Repetition and praise is really important. Gradually you increase the distance you move away from the dog but always keep the lead on to ensure success.

As your dog learns this exercise you can eventually do the exercise off lead but only in a fenced area or inside. Always reward, always praise. A dog will not come to someone who is calling with a threatening voice.

Glad to see your dog is doing so much better.

Real progress! Keep it up and you'll have a dog that comes 99.9% of the time and the other 1% you just get his attention back onto you and off the cat in the next yard or the dog trotting by and he will come. Sometimes I even lie down or turn my back and crouch down to get his attention or make him wonder what I'm up to or say "Treat Time!" and he comes running. I haven't had to go out and round up Tibbe for years. But he gets his little kibble treat for sure once we get inside.

So how are things coming along with your training ?

:bravo: Sounds like you are doing everything right :thumbup:

My last dog, Tina Whippet, came to us at 16 months old and hadn't had a bit of training.....gosh, she WAS loopy!!!! I took her right back to 8-week-old puppy training and made sure my pockets were ALWAYS full of tasty treats like cooked sausage (chopped up), smoked ham and tiny dog treats. I had her on a 20ft line so she could mooch about on walks and enjoy sniffing everywhere and rolling in the grass etc but every now and then I would call ''Tiiiina, Here'' with a happy voice and arms open wide and she would, after a day or two, turn on a sixpence and come sprinting back to me :p I made sure she was 200% at her recall before I risked letting her off and took her to Silver Sands beach which is an enclosed beach with high cliffs around so no distractions (other than gulls on the tideline) and we had a fantastic game session interspersed with my calling here and rewarding her every time with a treat :thumbup: Sometimes I would call her even if she was 6ft from me, not just the full 20ft, and EVERY time it was a game....lots of treats and a BIG hug from Mummy :wub:

Within a month she was 99% reliable....the only time she wasn't was if she saw children on the beach and wanted to run up to them and play (she came from an old lady who had grandchildren) so I made sure I was always on the ball and knew what was up ahead :)

As you said in an earlier post it's all about repeat, repeat, repeat :D Be consistent and I'm sure Enzo will soon be an absolute paragon of virtue :wub:

One other little thing that crossed my mind when reading the original post: could Enzo possibly be reaching the Terrible Teen phase? Even the best trained dog in the world will often start to ignore their owner once they reach 8+ months of age and the dreaded hormones start kicking in :confused:

It sounds like you are doing everything right though with the training so perhaps that was all he needed :)

We went camping on the weekend and Enzo was an angel! The woods are FULL of distractions and out of the 10 or so times I had to call him, he came almost every time :) (He was not giving up the squirrel chase the other time!)
He's 10 months old now, and such a pleasure, so I do know his previous family must have gave him a stable training base (I got him at 7 months)
I give them a silent thank you everyday :)

That's great news, Yay Enzo !!

You don't have to answer if you don't want to but I'm curious. Since no one really ever says much when I comment on training threads.

Were any of my training tip from my website helpful?

Very helpful yes! I've refered back to your website on more than one occasion! :thumbup:

That's great, good to hear. That makes be feel as if what I do here when I try to help is worth it, Thank YOU ! :D

Keep up the good work with him, It is so very rewarding as you have found out. :thumbup: