Will he come this time?
- Thread starter vega
- Start date
His name should actually be a command to instruct him to come to you. If he ignores it then you will have to train him to stop whatever he is doing and come to you on the first time you say it.
You can place a long line on him, and if you call his name and he ignores you, then you can give light pressure on the line. Please see the Name lesson in the classroom as I give more details there.
You can place a long line on him, and if you call his name and he ignores you, then you can give light pressure on the line. Please see the Name lesson in the classroom as I give more details there.
CollieMan
Experienced Member
How much is "mostly"? If you called him ten times, how many times would you expect him to return to you?
If it's over seven times, then I would say that your dog doesn't have a recall issue per se, so much as you may have a problem with issuing a recall command at the wrong moment(s). This is, of course, relative to the context. If the dog was competing in an obedience event, then a seven out of ten recall success would be a major issue. For a pet, walking on a field, it's really quite good.
If it's over seven times, then I would say that your dog doesn't have a recall issue per se, so much as you may have a problem with issuing a recall command at the wrong moment(s). This is, of course, relative to the context. If the dog was competing in an obedience event, then a seven out of ten recall success would be a major issue. For a pet, walking on a field, it's really quite good.
You should always aim for saying it once getting an immediate response. Reponse to name is so important that it can save your dog's life. That's why it's good to train your dog in different environments and with intense distractions!
If you have to say your command seven or ten times, then your dog is either completely unconditioned to the command or ignoring it (as being distracted).
If you have to say your command seven or ten times, then your dog is either completely unconditioned to the command or ignoring it (as being distracted).
CollieMan
Experienced Member
That's an easy one to answer -- always praise (lavishly) on a recall, even if it takes him thirty minutes to come back, and sixty "come" commands. I can't stress the importance of this enough.
If you get angry, you make the next recall harder still, as the dog remembers it and thinks "I'm not going there, I know what happens when I do...."
If ever there's a time to go silly with your dog, it's on a successful recall.
If you get angry, you make the next recall harder still, as the dog remembers it and thinks "I'm not going there, I know what happens when I do...."
If ever there's a time to go silly with your dog, it's on a successful recall.
Wow, sixty come commands? I don't think I would ever allow my dog to ignore me for that long.
My philosophy has always been to give a treat only when he comes on the first time. If it takes 2 or 3 or 4, then I would only give praise.
But the most important thing is to make a recall fun. If you get angry at the dog, he will learn to stay away from you when you call his name, which is the opposite of what you want.
If you've looked at the Name lesson, you can see that I run away from my dog to entice him to chase me. If you are training in a safe environment, then start walking away from your dog instead of getting angry with him. Hide behind a tree or somewhere he can't see you. Then wait until he starts looking around where you are and magically say his name and run away, he'll chase you!