[merlin00724]

my 1yr old generally behaves and responds to commands well. i have a small handfull of individual issues to work on with him, but overall he's great. my question for this post is about recall. 99% of the time when you say "come" he drops whatever he is doing and sprints to you as fast as he can. every once in awhile though, he will ignore the command. i have never disciplined him for ignoring this command because i dont EVER want him to associate anything negative with the "come" command. but i was wondering if there was a way to positively or constructively discipline for ignoring "come"??

a brief history on how i have treated recall with him:
i use the command as sparingly as possible.
i always have a food reward ready for this command and on the very rare occasion when i dont, i praise him greatly and make a big deal of it.
i try to not use it as a tool to remove him from a situation he finds fun.
when the kids are playing with him, i dont allow them to use the command.


ive provided the history for criticism. if im not doing something right, please let me know.

 

[Sinister]

Simple answer, no. Always make it a positive experience (no yelling, or scolding), but when Juno decides to run off I lure her into the house, she goes in her crate for a time out.

 

[workingk9s]

Actually I agree with you. I wouldn't go over and be nasty to the dog if they ignored the command. Why would a dog want to ever come to you if that is something that is on the table. I know lots of people who have proofed the come command with a long line or e-collar. Sounds like you are doing well with it though.

 

[melbrod]

When a young dog doesn't come you can run away from him as quickly as possible and make it a game of chase. You can also try to make what you are doing look as interesting as you can, while ignoring him at the same time. Bend over and pick something imaginary up off the ground, examine it, eat it--ham it up to get the dog's interest.

With a dog who is mature (give him 18 months to two years, anyway) and who KNOWS THE COME COMMAND THOROUGHLY, I have found you can grumble and correct him, at a distance (he KNOWS what "come" means and that he is disobeying), so long as you start with the praise as soon as he turns toward you to obey. And with all cases, no matter what he has done in the way of resisting the come command, throw a party when he DOES finally come to you.

You should also make it a part of the command that he sit at the end, or that he at least comes close enough for long enough that you can touch his collar before releasing him, or he may start playing the annoying "There I came (close enough); I'm leaving now; if you want me, you have to catch me!" game.

I should add that you should RARELY even get to the stage of whether to chastise your dog if he doesn't come when called-you really shouldn't be calling him unless you are sure that he will come and you should have a backup to make sure you can get him under control (fenced area, long line). So the need to grumble, etc. if he doesn't come applies to the trained dog and his first refusal so you can bring him back in. If he blows you off more than once or twice, you should back up a step or two in your training--the blow off is a sign that you moved too fast and let him off his leash too quickly in his learning process.

 

[GingerGunlock]

Recall is never-ever something that I discipline. Even if I have to go get her, I still act happy once I've got my hands on Elka, praising her and giving her treats. Other than at my house/in my fenced back yard, she is never off-leash, and so we use a long line at the park. OP, it sounds like you're doing just the right sorts of things, especially the detail about not letting the kids use the cue.

 

[PatchworkRobot]

I've never disciplined recall either and I probably never will. I only use "come" when I am 99% sure that he will and when he comes to me I praise him like he just won the lottery for me. If I call and he doesn't come running I go get him and make nothing of it (no praise or discipline).

 

[KCFilley]

I don't know the answer to your question but I would think NO. I am going to need to work with my puppy so I'm watching for others who are more experienced to see what they say. I have a female and male who drop what they are doing to come when called (female more so than the male).

My first thought is if you walk in to kiss your wife and she bites you, will you hesitate to kiss her again or want to run to her?

I know, I know dogs are different but just my thought.

 

[OliviaB]

Nope, never. I make it a constantly positive experience. My dog knows when he comes to me, good things always happen He's still a puppy though and I don't expect perfection. If he does get distracted by something, I usually change my tone of voice and it gets his attention. My in-laws have two schnauzers who have ZERO recall. I've lost count of how many times they've run off and had to be chased when my MIL dropped their leashes on accident. My FIL hits them with newspapers when they are finally caught...then doesn't understand why they won't come back the next time. See the lack of logic here? Why would you come running to someone who punishes or hits you

 

[KevinK]

Dakota's recall is about as good as you can get. That being said, I would never try to call her if she was heavily distracted. I would get her attention first. If she's sniffing a bear turd, and she is in full prey drive/tracking mode, she probably wouldn't even hear me. I will call her name, clap my hands, something to break her focus, THEN call her, and she will come.

I have never yelled, or something like that if a dog doesn't come. In initial training, it is proofed with a lead, and when we get to off leash work, if a recall isn't obeyed, it's back to the leash. I do my own version I guess of NILIF, EVERY priveledge is earned. Being allowed to roam off leash, imo, is a priveledge.

 

[Beaumont67]

merlin00724 Re::
- 99% of the time when you say "come" he drops whatever he is doing and sprints to you as fast as he can. every once in awhile though, he will ignore the command
- i always have a food reward ready for this command and on the very rare occasion when i dont, i praise him greatly and make a big deal of it

***************
First of all - I applaud you for not smacking your dog...FOR NOT LISTENING 1% of the time.
**********************************
When I train formal OB, the choke chain goes on around my girls neck and she knows it's a drill, and not to disobey me...just simply changing the collar + my voice pitch & timing is solid.

When I call or command my girl to come from the front yard to the back, for a pee-pee:
- I don't give a "rats ass" if she obeys completely, cause maybe she don't have to pee...lol
(she is that smart, seriously)
- if I ask her and invite her into the back yard 3x...who cares / she eventually, did come into the back yard & I am not using a stern voice...to get what I what (not like she ran across the road & got hit by a car)

My dobe has 110% recall if it involves her living or dying (in the next second, of her life) & my voice intensity will reflect the situation / and FYI - I mega trained Amy quickly on city streets, from a 4 month old puppy...to full off-leash @ 6.5 months old.

I also train to ask my dog questions...like, Amy do you want to go into the house and lay on a warm couch.
Be most flexible, and have 110% when it counts most and +50% when it doesn't matter a "fock".
Your dog will love you and continue to expand it brain power, because learning more - is FUN.

NOW a little extra DOG MENTORING:
- stop the treats and start reward with a wet kissy/hug &/or pat, every time / + constant verbal praise
- communicate in a most loving voice & add your own happy baby talk / to show respect & excited happiness
Be flexible and the two of you, will learn a ton, more together:
Getting the language intelligent &/or humanized dog...its all in the "soft approach of love & building the desire to please".
Once your dobe teaches you this principle, you will think it was "all your idea"...lol
(can be that easy, to master the ultimate canine bond... just keeping it fun & moving forward)

 

[Jenny]

Vader's come command for situations where he needs to come to me instantly is "now". I use come & here in training so I wanted a different word for recall. I use come for come front - here is mostly in agility combined with get to get him to come over here so we can start the exercise . . . He also will recall to come but I wanted a word that he knew meant he better get his self back to me instantly and now seemed to work.

 

[merlin00724]

thanks

thanks to all the responses. for the advice and the assurance that im not totally screwing this up.