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Puppy refuses to "come" when out in the yard loose

1K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Mikki 
#1 ·
My puppy is 5 months old. She is very smart. I know she knows she is supposed to come to me and let me approach her to leash her after she has been outside for a while (she will during all leashed or inside training drills), but she instead runs away. I don't know what to do.
 
#2 ·
It takes a long, LONG time to teach a solid recall to a young dog. And if they learn that they VAN get away (which is much more fun) why would they come to you to get leashed up. (Which is much less fun?)

You need to make it MORE fun to be caught and leashed up with many, MANY repetitions of short recalls for REALLY yummy treats, catch their collar, give them the treat and release. Over and over again at short intervals. Until this is at LEAST 90% reliable in any given setting, don’t even TRY doing a “free” recall. Instead, keep him on a long line. DO NOT call him at all when you need to get him for something “not fun” like leashing up or going in the house. If possible, approach him gently and pick him up. Praise him and give him yummy cookies when you do. If he tries to get away, shorten your long line so that he can’t get away, and move toward him. Do not drag him toward you.

STILL praise him and give him yummy treats when you pick him up, even if you are frustrated. You are trying to build a “conditioned emotional response” to you picking him up (and eventually to him coming to you and getting leashed up) where he thinks of this as one of the most pleasurable things in his little life! But DON’T expect this to be quick training. It often takes a year or more before a dog has a reliable recall in the open. And that is with a LOT of regular work!
 
#7 ·
I, too, was frustrated by this. My solution was to time her run outside to right before she was going to eat. So, I let her run, and I’d call her. She’d run away. I’d start heading to the front door, as I say, “bye-bye. It’s time to eat”. (“Eat” is the call, after she sits, that she is allowed to go to her food bowl). And I‘D go to the front door. The first time she didn’t believe I was leaving her “game”. But, pretty fast, she learned that if she headed through the door with me, she was immediately getting fed. And that was much more fun than playing “run away”. I did still have her sit at the door as I opened it, and she got a treat, and then her food awaited her inside.
 
#8 ·
I, too, was frustrated by this. My solution was to time her run outside to right before she was going to eat. So, I let her run, and I'd call her. She'd run away. I'd start heading to the front door, as I say, "bye-bye. It's time to eat". ("Eat" is the call, after she sits, that she is allowed to go to her food bowl). And I'D go to the front door. The first time she didn't believe I was leaving her "game". But, pretty fast, she learned that if she headed through the door with me, she was immediately getting fed. And that was much more fun than playing "run away". I did still have her sit at the door as I opened it, and she got a treat, and then her food awaited her inside.
That is a great tactic. Replacing a more rewarding activity for the "naturally rewarding" activity of playing "keep away"! :)
 
#11 ·
We’re still working on it (at age 2!) but that’s because we don’t have a fully fenced yard and therefore few instances when we need him to come to us from a longer distance. Teaching him to “come here” inside was still important, though. The key for us was not calling his name in situations where he was unlikely to obey. I also told my kids to never chase him if he got outside. That took longer to sink in! Fortunately he has rarely gotten out, but I found that going inside takes away most of the excitement. Poor guy wants everyone with him outside! Every time he’s gotten out of his leash I have gone straight inside and waited at the door with a pinch of cheese. It’s his favorite and he doesn’t get it often so it works well. Those are more emergency tactics, though. The training part is slow and steady, but it’ll get there.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Agree with others - teaching them to come takes a long time. Patti is 20-months and she now comes 90% of the time when I call her. I train with treats every day inside and outside the house. She knows when I say Patti Come!, she gets a treat. I have to say it with authority. While Patti will come to me, she ignores Daddy because he doesn't consistently use a Command Voice, with a Consistent Word or Phrase, supported with a Treat.

When Patti darts out the front door or fence gate, I have a harder time getting her to return because she's excited and wants to explore. I don't chase but walk away calling Come Patti, Get a Treat. If she's not chasing a rabbit or the mailman, that usually works pretty quickly. It was frustrating one day when the UPS delivery man was in a hurry and did not want to Stop and Stand Still so I could get a hold of her. I still need to do more work on this with a long line leash.

Patti has learned if she takes something she's not suppose to have, an ink pen, Ear Buds, Glasses, Shoes, etc ... she'll get a Treat if she Drops It. A Drop It command equals Treat. She's now bringing in large stick pieces of mulch into the house, runs under the bed where I can't get her, and Drops It for a Treat. I don't want her chewing on these pieces of wood. These little guys and gals are smart and learn quickly on how to manipulate getting a Treat. I have Treats located all over the house.:wink2:

I'm stumped on how to stop this :frown2: ... and hope as she gets older she'll out grow the Toddler Stage.
 
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