# Help with come when called...



## ciera123 (Nov 23, 2008)

Our Pixie will be 8 months old on April 27 and has easily learned sit, stay, rollover, shake, down, high five, watch me, leave it, take it, wait (at an open door till told "yes", then goes out) all with OR without a treat She does come when called, *but only with a treat*!!! I put her into a stay and leave the room, then call her happily and she comes flying into me. However, when we call her to come into the house without a treat, she won't. She'll come in immediately if we tell her "go for a walk" OR crate time (she gets peanut butter sqeezed into a toy) and runs right into her crate and waits for her toy. What am I doing wrong???

We will be going on vacation in June, she'll be staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house and I can't let them chase her around their yard till they catch her, which could be for hours...:yawn: The only other thing she has problems with is if we want to pick her up and she's not ready to be picked up. She runs like it's a game of "catch me if you can...:frusty: This is our first dog ever and I'm at a loss for what I'm doing wrong. Someone PLEASE help!!! Thanks so much!!!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

I make "come" the greatest thing in the world and I never abuse the command. I say it in a very excited/happy voice. We have at least a 20 second treat/love feast. I break up treats into small pieces so they last a while and keep praising them, loving them, telling them what good puppies they are. Sometimes it a means to the end...play time over and other times they comes and I release them back to play. I never want them to think come means the end of play time outside. We practice it inside and out. I hide and call them to come...and they do...always with treats/praises galore. I usually save their favorite treat for this (boiled chicken).


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## Petaluna (May 9, 2008)

I just saw this on a dog training show the other day - and it reiterates what Sharlene said. If every time they come when called it means play time is over, then they don't want to come. Like in Pixie's case it sounds like she knows when there's something in it for her (treat, stuffed kong, walk), she's motivated to follow commands, but if she knows (little smarty pants!) those times when she comes to you she's just going to have her play session cut short, she's got no reason to. I'm reading Culture Clash and an Ian Dunbar training book right now also (how to teach a new dog old tricks - it's great!), and apparently we are sorely mistaken that they desire to please us! I bet if you varied it for awhile, trick her - sometimes treats, sometimes no, and then when she does come to you and you have no treat, let her back to her outside fun so she never knows which it's going to be - more fun, or back inside. I'm really impressed that she does so much already, though. I hope I'm as successful!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Good advice Sharlene. Yep the biggest thing with the recall is to always make it positive. Never Never call your dog and reprimand it in any way when it does come. Here is a detailed article describing it. http://dogtime.com/dog-training-come-dunbar.html


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Petaluna said:


> I just saw this on a dog training show the other day - and it reiterates what Sharlene said. If every time they come when called it means play time is over, then they don't want to come. Like in Pixie's case it sounds like she knows when there's something in it for her (treat, stuffed kong, walk), she's motivated to follow commands, but if she knows (little smarty pants!) those times when she comes to you she's just going to have her play session cut short, she's got no reason to. I'm reading Culture Clash and an Ian Dunbar training book right now also (how to teach a new dog old tricks - it's great!), and apparently we are sorely mistaken that they desire to please us! I bet if you varied it for awhile, trick her - sometimes treats, sometimes no, and then when she does come to you and you have no treat, let her back to her outside fun so she never knows which it's going to be - more fun, or back inside. I'm really impressed that she does so much already, though. I hope I'm as successful!


Hey Diane, you've got the right sources with Ian and Jean . Enjoy reading. Good advice.


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## ciera123 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks everyone, I will try to change things up a bit. I didn't even think about her realizing playtime is done. When she does come we do go a bit ape in the praise and treat department and I do give her chicken pieces when she does come. SOOOOO much to learn with these guys. Boy, my kitty was so easy for 18 years!!! :frusty: Thanks again, I really know I can get answers her from the experts!!!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

I had my first experience tonight with how well training pays off. By heart is still in my throat. Hubby, who is in the dog house big time, left the gate to the fence open. I brought the pups out for a potty break. I was standing outside with them while they were running around. I realize the dogs are no where in sight. I start searching frantically and I found them on the side of the yard, 20 feet from the street acting like crazy dogs enjoying this freedom so much !!!. I panic and the first thing I do is starting running toward them, which made them run even closer toward the street. The brain finally engages and I yelled in a very excited voice "Evye/Bentley COME." Without hesitation, they both come running to me. I grab them and the whole time I am thinking get inside and praise, praise, praise...treat, treat, treat. After a 30 second praise/treat party I let them go back outside to play so they did not associate their good deed with the end to their play. Now....it's DH's turn to deal with me and he will not be rewarded with treats !!!!! Sometimes I ask myself, what did we learn in this class? I learned to save my dog's life and that's good enough for me.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Thank God it turned out well! I need to practice this, we've been lazy about training and need to get back to it.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

So glad that they came when called! That's exactly why classes and lots of practice is important.


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Initially I felt like I did everything wrong. My dogs did everything right. My initial response was panic. My senses came after the fact. The only way DH is going to get back in my good graces is for him to practice COME with them in the event I am not the one to discover they are not where they are supposed to be. I still cannot believe he left the gate open !!!! And we talk about this ALL the time.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

good going Sharlene. You've done well with their recall. It is a valuable thing to have. Give your hubby a lesson.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Sharlene, I am so glad they ran to you. The way DH and I did it was we both got in the yard at different places and called him back and forth ~ giving treats. Then we started skipping a few treats so he knew he was going to get one at the next stop if he didn't from one. In the house we get in different rooms to practice. I have to say there are times when "something" is still more important than a treat and his hearing doesn't seem to work...so watch that gate.


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## sweater32 (Dec 12, 2008)

I like happy endings!


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## baxterboy (Mar 17, 2009)

Petaluna said:


> I just saw this on a dog training show the other day - and it reiterates what Sharlene said. If every time they come when called it means play time is over, then they don't want to come. Like in Pixie's case it sounds like she knows when there's something in it for her (treat, stuffed kong, walk), she's motivated to follow commands, but if she knows (little smarty pants!) those times when she comes to you she's just going to have her play session cut short, she's got no reason to. I'm reading Culture Clash and an Ian Dunbar training book right now also (how to teach a new dog old tricks - it's great!), and apparently we are sorely mistaken that they desire to please us! I bet if you varied it for awhile, trick her - sometimes treats, sometimes no, and then when she does come to you and you have no treat, let her back to her outside fun so she never knows which it's going to be - more fun, or back inside. I'm really impressed that she does so much already, though. I hope I'm as successful!


On this same note, another thing you can try is to make a high pitched funny noise to get her attention. Make the noise and call her, and start running AWAY from her. This brings out her natural instinct to chase you. To mix it up, instead of running away, you can also get down on all 4's on the ground.... mimicking a dog PLAY pose (where they lie down with their bum in the air.) This says "I want to play" to her and she's more apt to come running.


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Thank you Joanne and Dale for some more tips. I do the hiding inside the house too and sometimes its so cute when they run past me. But they keep looking until they find me. I had a first-hand lesson how important the come command actually is and that they learn it from DH as well. He is out of the dog house. He feels pretty bad that he was so careless. You fret over the "what if's", what if I was preoccupied in the yard and more time had passed....like poor Geri whose dogs actually were out roaming the neighborhood......but it didn't and we will keep practicing the come command plus step it up a notch to make COME the greatest thing on earth.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Oh Sharlene! I would of been frighten also! Great going on the "Come" command with the excited enthusiasm and praise and back out outside to play. .


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