Coming when called...

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

Amos and I have a very close relationship. He follows me everywhere, if he think he doesn't know where I am he panics, if he knows he can move to a place where he can see me, he will do so, but for the life of him, he will not come when called unless he knows I have something he wants. He is only obedient for play and treats, and then only if he wants them. He learns quickly, most tricks take not a few minutes to teach him. Has anyone else had this problem? He won't even respond when I say his name if he is busy doing something else, and knows where I am...

[Carol Brand]

You should come and join us in the training group.  You and your dog just need to start a systematic training program. 

[Adina P]

Here is the link to the Training group Carol mentioned above: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/trainingmindsets -- please peruse the archives on "recall" and "come" as I think you'll find lots of useful information on this obedience command.  Essentially you just need a systematic training program like Carol said.  It's never about teaching ONE command, but a whole system of how you deal with your dog and how you handle obedience and rewards/consequences. 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Naughty puppy syndrome?? The training group is great!

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

are you sure you are not talking about Ginger!!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I also think it would be great if you could join us in the Training Group, and maybe even post this exact question there.  If you want, I'd be happy to "cut and paste" for you.  I do have a couple of questions that will help us to respond better....

-Have you done any obedience training?  Could you tell us a little about Amos's training?

-How old is he now?

-How are you responding now when he does not respond to your recall?

[Geri]

I'm going to join the training group, if it's  Ok.

Brenna is pretty sweet and smart, but I need to get more training for her.

 

Geri

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

I got Amos a head collar instead of a prong collar. It seems to work really well. 

[Carol Brand]

Glad it works.  Hows the recall training going?  Remember.... the head collar is simply a tool.  It should not replace training.

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

That was actually one of the decidingf factors. I was at Petsmart, and another goldendoodle came in with a prong collar. She didn't seem like she was trained, just that the didn't like having her collar popped. They said they loved it and she rarely pulls, but I got the feeling the prong collar was her only collar and had been for some time. I decided that I would rather have something that redirects, rather than simply punishes poor behavior. I haven't ruled out a prong collar, but after going and talking with trainers, I decided to try a few other things first. I went to petco, where Amos took his puppy classes and talked with the instructor there. Basically, we started a series of trials to try to correct some of the bad behaviors. First, I've changed a few words when Amos needs to be scolded. I was not aware of the importance of not using his name when he's in trouble. I've made treats more available for good behavior, over emphasized praise, and began some more specialized training of shaped behavior. Then to deal directly with mouthing we tried bitter apple, which petco allowed me to return if it didn't work. (I know some of these behaviors I mentioned on a different post but I decided to unhyjack that one.) the bitter apple didn't work, so I went back, got a free 30 personal training session with the trainer, exchanged the bitter apple for the head collar, with another guarantee that if the pulling and jumping and mouthing couldn't be corrected with that, I could return it and we would try the prong collar as a last resort. 
I took him over to my sisters house for thanksgiving dinner. She has 3 little kids, all of which are smaller than Amos, and with a few corrections from the head collar and about 15 minutes of settle down and be good time, he was able to play with the kids the rest of the time without too much rough housing, mouthing, jumping, or tackling. :)

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

One of my biggest goals in getting a dog was to be able to enhance the lives of others. I want to get him ready for cgc certification, Which is why I post here. I'm a very big guy, no matter how big Amos gets, he will not overpower me, I can always control him with a leash, but I want him to control himself. I spend an average of 18-20 hours a day with Amos. I want to deal with the problems when they arise.

[Carol Brand]

If this is your goal, I suggest that you seek out some more experienced help than you will typically find at a Petsmart.  I think you may be in the SLC area.  If so, check out the Greater Salt Lake Dog Training Club  http://www.gsldtc.com/