Question on Odd behavior
 

My Boncuk is a little over a year old. He is full size about 12 pounds. Lately he has been acting oddly. About 50% of the time when we call him he will come about 3 or 4 feet from us and stop. He won’t move. He will either just sit there and look at us and then put his head down like he’s scared when we pick him up or he will sit there looking and then try to turn and show his butt without taking his eyes off you. Either way there is No way to get him to move without picking him up. I tried to give him a little push with my hand to get him to go but he doesn't move. No pushing or pulling will get him to move. Then last night on our walk he did the same thing. Just decided to sit down and wouldn't move. My husband tried to pull the leash to get him to go but he won’t move. We just stood there with him for about 2 minutes till he decided to go.

What should I or can I do to stop this?

Teddy does this, too, and I believe it is because when I call him over it is normally followed by another command which he doesn't like..


For example, if I ask him to come to me and then take him to the bath, or brush him or whatever else he doesn't feel like doing at the time.


Assuming there are no medical conditions (which only a vet can confirm), you may want to try asking him to come to you with no strings attached and rewarding him with a treat so coming to you is a good thing?


Just a thought!

Obviously treats are a good training tool. I would suggest that you scratch him on the back of the neck BEFORE you give him the treat. You don't want him to get in the habit of grabbing the treat and running off. This way if he gets used to the scratch before the treat you will always be able to pick him up if you need to for his safety.

:thumbup: great! thanks for adding that! I will take that tip, too!

My take may be a little different. Has he had a regular checkup? If this is new behavior that he hasn't exhibited before or until recently it may be a sign something else is actually going on with him. Is it possible he is in pain somewhere and it doesn't hurt until you pick him up making him apprehensive to being picked up? It's like he wants to make you happy by coming to you, but something hurts when you pick him up. Even while walking, IMO, stopping in the middle of a walk not wanting to go is a sign something is going on. That is unless he's in the middle of training, or this has been a behavior from the start. Dogs are great at masking their pain. I'd look to get him checked out.

He has a check up on April 7.

I think maybe it could be because he doesn't like what comes after. It is mostly when I ask him to come from one room to another or come inside from outside. To get off the chair that he uses in the hall to look outside and come to the living room. And most of the time it's when I'm going to put him in the Kitchen. My son has a larger 62 pound dog named Roz and sometimes I need to keep Boncuk in the kitchen if Roz is too hyper. But he's not in there alone.

As for the walk Roz was getting a lot of attention because we bought him a new training collar because he hasn't learned to walk without running and pulling. I was thinking maybe he stopped so we would give him some attention too.

I just wasn't sure if this was normal or not.

He has a check up on April 7.

I think maybe it could be because he doesn't like what comes after. It is mostly when I ask him to come from one room to another or come inside from outside. To get off the chair that he uses in the hall to look outside and come to the living room. And most of the time it's when I'm going to put him in the Kitchen. My son has a larger 62 pound dog named Roz and sometimes I need to keep Boncuk in the kitchen if Roz is too hyper. But he's not in there alone.

As for the walk Roz was getting a lot of attention because we bought him a new training collar because he hasn't learned to walk without running and pulling. I was thinking maybe he stopped so we would give him some attention too.

I just wasn't sure if this was normal or not.

Don't use the come command for unpleasant things, you need your dog to respond to it in an emergency so don't attach negative things to it.
Use the come command for food, attention, walks, good things. For bad things just go pick him up or use his name for things like calling him in.

I hope this was a typo error "collar" if it's a yorkie you have, collars are very dangerous especially if your dog pulls. Pulling against collars can led to a collapsed trachea, harness only should be used, collars used for tags only.

No the yorkie doesn't have a collar. Roz is my sons 62 pound German pointer. He lives with us and goes on walks with us but isn't trained well at walks. I think maybe that Boncuk my yorkie was jealous of the attention the other dog was getting. And that's why he stopped walking but it's just a guess.

I will say Lola often does not come when I call her unless she knows there is a treat, I like the idea of a scratch as well as treat. Also I have stopped just calling her for stuff she does not like, like putting her hair in a top knot or to give her a bath or so forth, so even when I call her to do something she does now she gets some first attention, like a belly rub and so forth so she does not equate coming with something unpleasant.

I've gotten to the point that I just go pick Tibbe up for things he's not going to like so that the "come" command is associated only with fun things or need-to's and he always get praise and a treat.

For a couple of weeks, I'd just sit with Boncuk in my lap and say his name and "come" in an upbeat voice and stick a treat in his mouth, then praise him when he takes it. Repeat 9 - 10 times. Train like this 2 -3 x a day. After two weeks of this, Boncuk should associate saying his name and the come command with happiness and chicken treats and like the word a lot. It means lovely treats and praise are his right! You've begun imprinting his brain to respond by liking the word "come" again.

Now, after a whole two weeks of the above training and only then, move him about two feet in front of you. Take a piece of chicken from the treat pouch and say his name then "Come" and smile, mark the behavior with a gentle "yes" or "good boy"(don't excite him - he'll bolt away and jump around) and treat him ONLY when he gets as close to you as you'd like and stays there for a full count of 2 seconds. If he veers away or steps back, say "uh oh" in a matter-of-fact voice, look unhappy and turn away from him, no treats. Repeat 9 - 10 times more 2 - 3 x daily, preceding each session with "Let's Play Come!".

At first, he won't stay put but for an instant, if that. This is how training goes, gradually showing a dog what you want and don't want. No rewards or smiles, just unhappy faces, turning away and "uh oh's" every times he moves away or steps back. If he stays put for as long as two seconds, smile, mark it with a "yes" word and treat. Say "stay" and reach down and gently hold him in place at first near you if you must, rewarding him for staying put under your hands, with a big smile and a "yes". Gradually increase the amount of time he stands near you before you treat/reward him, up to as much as 10 - 20 seconds without your hand restraint so that he slowly learns to control himself and stay put for his reward. He'll begin to enjoy the process - working for the payoff.

After each fun session, allow him to relieve himself and play his favorite game.

That's it. If you repeat this process enough times to imprint it on your dog's brain that remaining in place near you after coming to you gets him a big smile, a yes marking word and a treat vs. a scowly face, no treats and you turning away from him, he'll come to prefer the positive, fun outcome, prefer you happy and his food reward. Dogs are smartypants and given the patience and time, they chose to please you and get rewarded if you don't give up on them before they've learned what you want to teach them.

Oh, wow, the check is in the mail if that's me you're talking about! Truly kind of you to say all of those flattering words. What a lovely lot of things to say. I'm so pleased I'm getting a swell head. I'm no professional trainer at all. I've just read or listened to about 70 dog books and had a lot of experience with dogs here during foster and rehabilitation from various problems.

Dog training is just inspiration, repetition and reward. You inspire your dog to want to learn by engaging him with your enthusiasm and energy, show him what you want in a fun way, give gentle negative feedback when he gets it wrong, such as "uh oh", "ahh", frowns, groans while rewarding the behavior you want with a show of real pleasure.

Punishment - even the gentlest - is never necessary for a good trainer/dog handler because eventually some dogs can develop a tiny area of distrust of those who use hitting/swatting/squirting repetitively during training. They may not show it in daily life but come that time of panic when the house is on fire or after a car wreck and the dog needs to come running to you but that slightest of doubts is there in his brain during that time of maximum stress - "Mommie/Daddy hits out at me when I get things wrong" and hesitates just that bit too long. You never want to plant any seeds of doubt in a dog's brain that you might ever hit them for getting something wrong. Dogs aren't dummies - they understand hitting/shocking them can escalate.

Using only positive reinforcement without punishment prevents a shy, nervous, uncertain or nervous dog from later developing weird behaviors, sudden hesitations or fears, such as backing away, sudden hesitation, hand-shyness or other unpleasant things that can happen when you hit at them with a hand, object or squirt them in the eyes. So, keep it happy, fun and rewarding.