My Dog Won’t Come When Called
It’s so frustrating when your dog won’t come when called. Even when you have taught your dog to come on command in the backyard, the presence of other dogs or food in the park can be too much of a temptation.
Many owners say that, although their dog is relatively well-behaved and obedient, the dogs seem to ‘lose it’ in open space and run off easily.
I, too, have experienced this problem with one of my dogs. Through careful preparation and a planned training program, I can now have this ‘runaway’ walk beside me off-lead in a suburban street, and he does not run off. However, I always remain vigilant. Now my dog walks beside me with the lead draped over his back.
If you were to ask dogs why they do this, they would say: “When we’re out in the park, there are plenty more things more exciting than you. There are other dogs to play with (or fight!) and sometimes I come across yummy animal poo or food scraps such as sandwiches. So, when you call me, there is no incentive to return. Why should I? I am having plenty of fun without you!”
So, how can you begin to curb this issue? As one quick tip is to take a dog to a safe, enclosed area. Make sure you have not fed your dog its meal for the day (or if you feed the dog at night, do not feed her the night before). Then recall your dog, when the dog returns make a big fuss and give your dog a third to a quarter of her meal. Do this 3-4 times in one session. If you do this everyday over a period of 2-3 weeks you will see a big change in your dog’s recall speed.
Oh, and never, ever, punish your dog when she returns to you.
For more information on a more detailed and effective training program, you should consider the services of a skilled and experienced dog trainer to assist with this problem.
Have you used any techniques that have worked for this issue?
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About the Author
Mia Montagliani, known by her clients as "The Aussie Dog Whisperer", is a highly sought after expert in dog training. Discover how you can apply the same techniques as professional dog trainers to improve your dog's behaviour by downloading Mia's complimentary dog training guides and video. Don't forget to follow Mia on Facebook.
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