Bad Puppy? (long - sorry)

[Miss Marley]

I'm trying to teach Marley and emergency recall command. She comes when called, but she's a generally lazy animal when it comes to that, walking slow or you call her and she will come, but on her time.

I've tried to have my mom hold her, while I let her taste the highpaycheck treat (nuked/dried chicken wieners) and then walk about 10 ft away. Then I have my mom let the leash go and I call Marley loudly and say "Come now!" with an urgency in my voice. She just looks at me, and sits. My mom has to actually give her a push so that she'll get off her butt and come to me.

What can I do to help reinforce this command? She is a runner, and I don't want her to get hit by cars because she won't come when called.

Also, we let Marley out to go to the bathroom. When its time to come back in, (we usually allow about 30 minutes of play time while she's outside because we can't always walk her, and she is wound as tight as a spring most days) she dodges, or comes close enough so that you have to step out to grab her collar and she'll run again. I know she's playing. But when I try standing on the porch calling her, and calling her and calling her I get yelled at by my neighbours. I've tried treating her, enticing her to come to me with a pupperoni etc.. and it worked in the beginning, but now she's caught on that is she stretches her neck out far enough, and just lips the treat, she can break it off and keep running.

She's becoming very rambunctions, and sneaky. My mom and dad are saying she's almost too much for us to handle. I want to get her training under control so that I can show them that she's a good dog. My mom wants her to be like our last two boxers, calm, respectful, obedient. But at the moment, Marley is more like a little hellion. She wears what I affectionately call her mischief ears. (She's a boxer, but her ears are uncropped) She'll pull her ears up high on her head so the tips fall down over her eyes. I KNOW as soon as those ears go up that something bad will go down. She'll chew something, or she'll get up on the table, or she'll not come in from outside etc.

How can curb these behaviours? I'm almost at my ropes end. I've got her enrolled in Petsmart beginners class, and she catches on really quick. She's a smart dog, and maybe thats my problem...

 

[Miss Marley]

Doesn't anyone have any ideas?

 

[Roxy's CD]

He he, sneaky! That's what I like to call Roxy too. Sneaky, smart dogs are a handful, especially when it comes to training when they catch onto everything so quickly.

All I can really say about the come command, and I'm sure others will mention it, is only use it if you can reinforce the command. Roxy's comes on her own time as well sometimes, and I run backwards while calling her in a happy crazy tone. She always comes running.

As for her not coming inside when you want her to, maybe she needs more exercise firstly. But she doesn't like the treats?

If she really wants the treat, make her sit first. Than she forgets about dodging in to grab the treat and run away, but her attention is diverted. She realizes that she's got to work for the treat.

Roxy has begun playing the "catch me game" as well sometimes, I've noticed especially when she's doing something wrong and getting in trouble. (at my parents house, she goes in the pool when she's not allowed) I redirect her focus onto working for something. Anything. Instead of just "come", I want you to "sit" too.

I don't know if it'll work for you, but it's been working for me, when Roxy pulls out the sneaky card

 

[Rubylove]

How old is she? Most puppies don't have a reliable recall after a little training. Recall is something that takes constant work, all the time. There is nothing wrong with your dog's behaviour, you just haven't done anything to make her want to come to you to the exclusion of anything else yet. It takes a lot of time and a lot of consistency. A good recall doesn't much come before your dog is adult, and puppyhood is the time to reinforce and then reinforce some more.

An important thing about recall, is that when you are teaching it you should not ask your dog to come to you unless you are sure it will. Set it up to succeed, so to speak.

As for her rambunctious nature, well, if she is still a puppy it comes with the territory. Training has to be consistent and regular, and she will settle with age. But pups are pups, they're a lot of work and they take a lot of time. Don't expect too much from your pup too soon - she's just a baby. No two dogs are alike and if your last two Boxers were `calm, respectful and obedient' then that's all well and good. This one might take a bit longer, that's all. The most important thing to remember is that dogs are not sneaky, they are not deliberately trying to annoy you or misbehave, they're just being dogs and do what comes naturally to dogs.

Basically, if the reward's is not sufficient to motivate your dog (and I'm not talking just about food here) your dog will lose interest. They work on good outcomes and bad outcomes - if it works for them, they'll do it and repeat that behaviour. If it doesn't, they won't. Simple. Make it worth her while and she'll do what you want. It sometimes takes time to work out what this motivation is for each dog, but once you find it, life will be a lot easier.

Dogs need a purpose for their actions, just like us. She simply is not going to come to you just because you want her to - not yet, not while she's young and still learning, and it hasn't become habit for her. Keep trying, keep encouraging, keep rewarding - she'll get there. But give her time and don't expect her to have everything you want down pat when she's just a pup.

 

[Doberluv]

You need to start at the beginning. Kindergarten. LOL.

Read the whole thread:

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34507

 

[elegy]

best recall link ever.

you'll need to pick a new word as she's learned that this one doesn't apply all the time.

 

[tinksmama]

Thanks for the reminder for Shirleys site...i have Tinks list all set up right now.... she needs to learn this too!
But I thought the most important thing about teaching recall is NEVER let dog off leash until you're sure they'll listen...otherwise it's dangerous for dog and whoever is driving etc.....

 

[kalija]

Another thought - if you always make her come inside when she comes then that may be why she doesn't want to. I would try calling her to come before you really want to go in. Call her to come with really yummy treats, treat her and praise her, then release her to play some more. Do it a few times before you take her inside. That way, "come" doesn't always mean the end of playtime.

 

[silverpawz]

I would not let her off leash at all untill she has a reliable recall. You're just asking for trouble if you do.

There's nothing wrong with using the leash to help her come to you. She's learning, if she's having trouble figureing out what you want then by all means SHOW her. If she doesn't come just back up and reel her in like a fish on a line, then praise her a ton when she gets to you. Yes, you had to make her come, but you still want the end result of her coming to you to be lots of praise and good stuff.

Treats have thier place in recall training, but they are not the end all be all of obedience. Use them to reward the behavior you want to see. But make sure you have a way of enforcing your command if she doesn't come. (the leash)

Make it back and white for her. She comes, she'll get a reward, she doesn't she'll get reeled in. She'll get it.

 

[misticaleclipse]

we usually allow about 30 minutes of play time while she's outside because we can't always walk her, and she is wound as tight as a spring most days

I just wanted to clarify this, you mean some days she does not get a walk at all? or you just don't walk her every time she needs to use the bathroom?

I watched a dog show where a dog kept trying to fly out the door when it was opened and one of the issues was due to lack of exercise, so this is why I'm asking. I have a shih tzu who has low exercise needs, but he still gets a walk every day.