what to do when he won't come?
 

Hi All!

Kikko I think is going through puberty or something, he's being soo rebellious!

He's been home maybe 2-3 weeks now, he used to follow me everywhere and come to me the moment I call his name. NOW he will do the 'sniff and run' anytime i try to pick him up or want to pet him. He'll come over smell my hand then run away, sit and watch me.

I am trying to keep treats on me now to start with that, but is there another way? and why is he doing this the little bugger.

Sometimes after they learn something and have done it many times, it just gets old and they get bored. They also like your reaction if you walk after them or chase them. If he doesn't come, then walk away and totally ignore him. Let him come to you. When he does, give positive attention, not treats.

They totally turn into rebellious teenagers. They just want to push the boundaries and find out how far they can push things with you. As yorkiedaze said don't try to chase / follow him because you're then playing his game - you're rewarding the behaviour you don't want.

Try playing a "recall" game. Just anytime when he's off doing his own thing call his name and be the most exciting thing in the room. Wave a toy, talk in a high pitched voice. If he comes praise praise praise with your voice, pat him, play a quick game of tug of war with a toy. Then walk away - taking he toy with you if you've played with it. Try doing that often. Don't expect perfection - he'll be a proper little sod til he's two probably. If he doesn't come after you've called his name once or twice - walk off. Don't keep calling his name because then he learns that he doesn't have to listen until you've called half a dozen times.

If he's not already - and you're not intending to show / breed - get him neutered. It'll help heaps!

:thumbup: Good advice!

Also, I think you need to separate responding to a "come" command from being petted or picked up.

For now, "come" is just coming to you. Reward that with a treat or a game, which ever you choose. You can very gradually add getting hold of his collar/harness as part of the criteria for being rewarded for a come - you don't want a dog who runs up, gets his treat, and then zooms off again. BUT, being petted or picked up are different. You should teach/reward those separately.

still dodging
 

so i've been doing the 'recall game' with a toy, and it works great he'll come the second he sees and hears the toy BUT the second i try to pet him he'll dodge and run away! its getting frustrating b/c i sometimes i need to pick him up or just want to pet him ... so i end up just sitting there staring back at him kind of like a game where i am not goign to move until he comes, then i give up and walk away. and the weird thing is that when i'm on the bed and he wants up, he'll wait for my to pick him up and won't move away when i pick him up for that, its just the second that i'm sitting/standing on the floor its another story :confused: :confused:

Hi

My Harvey sometimes does the same thing - you know it seems to me to be that when he knows i want him, he will be hesitant, but if i just call him at random he will come over no problem!!!!!!!!!:aimeeyork

Widget the runaway artist!!!!
 

Widget also is a runaway.....if she wants picked up she will come to you, and let you pick her up, but if you want her its a different story....she will hide under the chair or give us a run for our money....I've told my husband, he's playing her game, but he continues......because HE wants to take her outside, hold her....etc....

She just looks at us, if we say Come, or whatever....even praising her dosen't seem to work.....treats or whatever.....She needs broken of this as well....ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED!!!:eek:

We taught both of ours the come command using treats. Now we can take them off leash and they stay right with us. They started doing that at a lttle over a year old

Cheerios.....Someone suggested it on another post. Works every time with Reesie. I only give one or two. One box lasts forever...

Kix is much better neutritionally than cheerios. Anyway, to correct the problem of running, simply hook them in their harness with a leash or long thin rope. Let them get to the end of the leash/rope and call them to you. Take up the slack of the leash as they come to you. If they then bolt and run, just reel them back in to you then reward. Do this outside and in.

This is what we at or house call the yorkie trait or the yorkie backup when you reach down. Or Luca will beg and beg to be picked up and the second you reach down...she backs up...even though she is just dying to be picked up. I'm going to start working on my Me-Me to see if she will take commands since she is so alert. We have a couple who could care less if they get a treat.

That's because getting up on your bed is rewarding enough that it's worth it to get picked up.

I honestly can't think of a scenario where it's imperative to call your dog to you so that you can pet him. If he doesn't want to be called to you for a pet, then don't. Pet him when he's near you.

It *is*, however, important that we can grab our dogs when we need to. I expect you need to raise the value of treats. Call him to you for a tiny bit of cheese, chicken, or steak (or cheerios as was suggested). I doubt he'll run away from those.

Be careful that "come" doesn't always end his fun. If "come" always means that we're going inside, you have to stop playing with that, or I'm going to take something away from you, it's no wonder that they don't want to come to us. Call him to you just to get a treat 75% of the time. If you'll do that, you'll have a dog who reliably comes when called.

Our trainer says that leaning forward invades a dog's space so they will naturally back up. Try squatting down to pick her up instead of leaning forward. Let me know how it works!

I'll try it. Thanks. The two times that my Cupie was in trouble with a street when someone let her out, I kneeled and called her and she came right back to me. This house is on a side street, but we still put up little gates so they can't reach any door in the front of the house. I never want to feel that way again.

I read that one professional trainer uses liverwurst. It is irrisistable to my puppy. She loves it and will do anything for it. Our Petsmart trainer said in order to train them to come, you need to take the treat, let them smell it, then walk away from them facing them holding the treat out and coaxing them. When you get across the room from them, then really start making a big deal, motion them towards you, call their name and say come in a really high pitched, enthusiastic voice, until they finally come to you. Then give them the treat and do it again. Make a game out of it. Do it 10-20 times a day and she said it is imperative that you give them a treat every time when you first start off. Later you can do it randomly.

Also, she said you can make a chase game out of it once in a while, so that when they have just about reached you, you take off in a run and let them catch up to you. That makes the "game" even more exciting and appealing to them.

We have been doing this with our puppy and she loves to come now. The only problem we have just about once an evening is her taking off and hiding under the couch. Nothing gets her out of there.