Megan

Diamond has a problem with coming when she is called. If she is inside the house she comes to you every time. If she is outside on a leash she comes to you. However, if she is outside without leash on she thinks it's all fun and games and will NOT come. Not for a toy, not for a treat. Nothing. I just spent the last hour chasing her around in two feet of snow because she managed to get out through the open garage door. Pleas help me!

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"Whoever said money can't buy happiness forgot little puppies"
-Gene Hill

Indiana

Fjm is a real font of wisdom on this forum and will have good advice for you but I'll tell you what I'm doing: obedience lessons until they're completely reliable and practicing, practicing, practicing. In my opinion a good reliable recall is the most important lesson of all because it can save their lives, so it's worth investing your time into. In obedience lessons they teach us to use high-value treats and practice on-lead until the dogs is completely reliable, then off-lead in a fenced area, and always make sure you win. That is, if you call Diamond once, you MUST ensure that she comes to you (physically moving her to where you called her, if necessary) and then lots of praise and treats. Persistence is the key!

Arcticfox

Hmm... Perhaps try it with a long line? You can get those really cheap in walmart or even some grocery stores. I got a 20 foot one for $3.00 to practice recalls with.

How old is your dog? Could she just be going through a phase? Sometimes when Tesla's not being very responsive I make funny noises and run AWAY from her. I never ever chase my dog if I can help it, to teach her that that is NOT a fun game to play. I get her chase me all the time though so that's a fun game. If she's off leash and not coming when called, I run away while calling her so she thinks we're playing a game again. Also I get my boyfriend to help, while we're in the park, we stand at opposite ends and call her back and forth between us. It's teaching her to differentiate between "go to daddy" and "go to mommy" ^.^ Try some of these when there are no other distractions around - like in an empty dog park or if you have a large fenced yard. If there are no distractions and you're the most interesting thing around, she might be more likely to engage.

Some people have also found the "touch" command much more effective than "come". Where the dog has to come and touch your hand for a treat. Then they can go back to playing after. I haven't tried this long distance yet but it works with Tesla when we're indoors.

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afkar

You must insure the treats are really high value. The other thing that I always use with mine is to not just call & put on leash or whatever. Call, treat then release Diamond to do whatever she wants. Do this & sometimes offer her a toy & game on release. This way she isn't going to associate coming with the end of fun but possibly an even more fun game as well as a treat..

Fluffyspoos

Have you tried running in the opposite direction to initiate a chase, then giving a treat when she gets close enough?

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Mom of Sophie

Thank you, Megan, for asking this question. My Sophie is 8 mos. old and we have the same problem part of the time. We have 2 male dogs that live behind us and she answers to their barks before she will us when it's time to come inside! It's very frustrating.

Megan

Thank you everyone for your quick replies. I agree that a reliable recall is very important. I often worry about her getting out, running away from me and getting hit by a car or something awful like that. The problem I have is that she wants me to chase her. Unless she is on a leash, she thinks we're playing a game. I did get her to chase me, and she will, but she will not get close enough to let me grab her. When I get close she darts away again. I have bought a long 30 foot lead I use when we're outside to practice her recall. She also does know the touch command but she's not really enthusiastic about it. I have tried offering her hot dogs, and it seemed like she got bored so I started playing tug with her or throwing a toy for her when she came to me. Like I said, inside the house her recall is great. She'll even come and sniff me out if I'm hiding from her. Just when she is outside and off leash, she turns into a brat. It's like I haven't taught her anything.

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"Whoever said money can't buy happiness forgot little puppies"
-Gene Hill

Arcticfox

Yikes, that's a little discouraging I'm so not looking forward to puppy adolescence. Has anyone had good experiences with the teenage poodle? Where they just got better and better with no regressions?

I think if it were me, I'd just not let her off leash for a couple of weeks. How does she do on long lead? Does it help at all?

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Megan

On a long lead, she does fine. She doesn't even wander that far away from me to go explore. I call her and she comes. Sometimes I have to give her a little tug but that's it. I really want to take her to the dog park so that she can play, but I'm worried that she would never come back to me

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"Whoever said money can't buy happiness forgot little puppies"
-Gene Hill

fjm

Ah, the joys of adolescence! I think I would teach a different word, as she has learned to ignore "Come". If she loves to play, could you have a really exciting squeaky tug toy that will fit in your pocket, and that only comes out when she returns to you and lets you hold her collar for a second? Calling her back, then sending her off to play again is also hugely rewarding - I once, with great difficulty, persuaded Sophy away from a neighbourhood BBQ (burgers, hot dogs, crisps all raining from the sky - dog heaven!). She really did not want to come, and when I released her to go back it was the best reward ever!

I've taught Wait as a back up to Come - If something is simply too exciting for them to turn away from, I at least can usually get them to stay still until I get to them. In fact Wait is probably the most useful safety word I have - waiting to go out of the door, get out of the car, to have leads put on, when bicycles go past - so it is in constant use, and constantly reinforced.

I have also been given a simple method for teaching an emergency recall: 1 - lay in a supply of really, really good stuff your dog does not usually get - whole slices of roast beef, chicken breast - the luxury to end all luxury of dog treats. 2 - package three generous portions in sealed bags, and place them around the house, where the dog can't find them. 3 - choose a word that you will remember easily in an emergency QUICK! or DANGER! and when the dog is not expecting it call her to you using her name and the new word, and reward with the whole of the super duper treat. 4 - repeat every day for a week, by which time the emergency word should have your dog galloping to find you.

I did try, but we fell down on step 2 - anything I can hide, Sophy can find! I need to buy some bags that she can't smell through ...

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To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring- it was peace.

~ Milan Kundera