My dog won't come!

This is probably the biggest complaint I get from owners. Statements such as " he won't come when he's out in the yard" or " he only comes when I have treat" or " he did it every time in class but never comes to me at home" are unfortunately a glimpse into the reality of how hard this behavior is to achieve reliably.

Teaching a dog to come when called is a lot like learning to drive a car. You enroll in a driver's education class to LEARN how to operate a vehicle safely. You have to STUDY in a classroom setting, pass written tests, and then get your learners permit. Permit in hand you now begin to actually drive a car, with supervision of course! Logging your hours behind the wheel you learn to navigate turning, parking, stops and starts, and so much more. After much PRACTICE you finally are ready to take the TEST! Once you pass you have a license but are you ready to drive on a ROAD TRIP?

Your dog must first LEARN what it you want when you say "ROVER! COME!" He must LEARN that his name means good things are coming and that COME equals YUMMY TREATS EVERY TIME!

You must help your dog STUDY this behavior by calling him when there are no distractions at first, and reward him each time he passes! The distractions increase slowly, with each successful recall one step closer to moving outdoors (your dog's learners permit.) Teaching this behavior takes many HOURS of PRACTICE, just like your behind the wheel hours logged. These sessions should include a long line to prevent your dog from learning that it is optional to come when called. Think of this tool as your dog's seat belt - it's there in case of emergency (you can reel him in, which insures his success.)

The TEST comes when you have navigated many distractions successfully and you no longer need the long line to help shape the behavior. Just as some drivers need to take their road test more than once you may find you have to take a step backwards, reattach the long line, and practice with more distractions.

After MONTHS of success you are ready for the road trip! Try a park, the beach, the dog park, or any other location you can think of. You will need your "long line" in case of emergency! Set your dog up for success by having high value rewards for each recall! And just like driving takes practice you will need to continue to practice recalls regularly. You can now begin to fade the food rewards slowly, in low distraction environments first. Don't forget to PRAISE!

So if you are one of those people who have asked your dog to " take a road trip" before he has learned to "drive the car" here are some questions that you should consider:

How many times have you said your dog's name in anger or frustration? If the answer is more than once or twice why should he respond when you call him? Try creating a positive association now with his name and favorite treats or activities.

Does your dog believe that COME equals YUMMY TREATS or does he believe COME equals SOMETHING BAD or UNPLEASANT? Remember its your dog's perspective here, not yours. Do you call him and put him in his crate? Do you call him and turn off his fun? If the answer is yes, then why should he come when called?

Have you planned training so that your dog can succeed by ignoring small distractions first? If the answer is no then how does your dog know that coming to you is more interesting and exciting?

Have you trained with a long line for weeks or months so that your dog learns that the behavior is not optional? If he has more rewarding options, and you cannot insure his success through management, why should he come to you?

And finally, have YOU put in the time and effort it takes to teach your dog what you want or do you believe he should "just do it because...?" To that I reply, WHY SHOULD HE? The answer is clear. He won't until you train for it!

Cooperation

Anyone who is married or has children knows that when your relationship is smooth sailing it probably means that you understand each other, and that you can cooperate with each other to get tasks done. When cooperation doesn't happen your day to day interactions may seem frustrating and certainly become more difficult to manage.

Living with a puppy or adolescent dog can be easier if you and your puppy cooperate. What does he like? Use his favorite things to gain cooperation when you need it!

Does he like to go outside? Reinforce sitting by not opening the door until he does! Won't cooperate? Simply say "too bad" and walk away. Does he like to eat? Use his meals as training treats by asking to earn every kibble! Does he like to go for walks? Make him earn it by sitting quietly for the leash to be put on. Won't cooperate? Again "too bad", put the leash down.

Your dog doesn't know what your rules are unless you help him learn through cooperation. Cooperation means that you understand what he wants and reward him with these things for good behavior, not punish him for what you don't like. He will cooperate with you if you can communicate that his needs will also be met by doing what you want.

Puppies that are continually punished for their behavior have no reason to cooperate. Why should he come to you if he isn't praised, rewarded, and allowed to have some fun in return? If jumping up on you produces attention, you yell at him and push him away, is he going to sit politely for you to pet him? Not unless you cooperate and help him learn to sit first, then reward him with petting.

Cooperation means a relationship built on trust and respect instead of pain, force, or dominance. Most if us don't describe our relationship with our spouse or kids using those terms. Why is it considered acceptable when we talk about our dog using those terms?

Do we use prong collars, shock collars, or physical force when our children make a mistake? As absurd as that sounds they are mainstream in dog training. Your child runs out into the street. Do you install an electric fence so he gets zapped the next time? No, you manage him so it doesn't happen again and TEACH him to stay in the yard. If he cooperates he can play outside. Why then do we not teach the dog the same way?

I know we all have busy lives. But is your life too busy to simply take a few moments every day and work on a few simple tasks? Encourage cooperation through consistent behavior. Reward your dog with what he wants. In the long run you will both be happier. And his behavior will be more consistent.

Success

How do you measure success? Is it the number of tricks your dog knows? Is it when your dog finally learns not to do something?

As an instructor I do not measure my success by the number of students I have in classes. I measure success by the number of repeat students I have, and by their success.

Congratulations to Lori and Marzi and Maggie with Bing and Phoenix on their successes in K9 Nose Work training this weekend.

Each time you set out as team you gain experiences to build on.

Trust your dog! The nose knows!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! My hope is to be able to create a forum for questions from students, a place to discuss new ideas, products, and techniques, and to educate owners on how to create a positive, lasting relationship with their dog.

Remember we have new classes beginning next week:

Kindergarten Puppy II class - Monday night at 7:00 pm
Beginner Obedience II class - Monday night at 8:15 pm

- sign up through Lake Bluff Park District at www.lakebluffparks.org or by calling 847-234-4150

Beginner Obedience I class - Wednesday night at 6:30 pm
Intro to K9 Nose Work class - Wednesday night at 8:00 pm

Location: Gorton Center in Lake Forest - sign up at www.twopaws-up.com

Puppy Kindgergarten II class - Wednesday night at 6:45 pm

Location: Woofman's Lodge, Kenosha - sign up at www.twopaws-up.com

We have also addes some evens for April! We are offering a 2 hour workshop on Coming When Called on April 6th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, and a 2 hour workshop on Loose Leash Walking on April 20th fro 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Sign up for these under the events tab at www.twopaws-up.com.