It Can't Be That Simple!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I hope I don't jinx myself with this post, but one command that we have struggled with here when the Doodles are outside is "COME"! Sure they will come ... when they want to!  AnnaBelle will pretty much always come if it is only her.  However, she looks to see what Lucy decides to do if they are both outside.  So, this week I read (on FB of all places) someone say "I use HERE instead of COME because they seem to hear HERE better than COME.  So, I thought what the heck, let me try it.  100% success over the last two days.  About 30 mins ago I let them both out and they took off to the fence because the boy next door was tossing a football with some little kid.  I was like oh great, now they are going to bark and I'm not going to be able to get them back inside.  So, I tried the "No Bark" a few times and it would last until someone said something and it would start all over again.  They were ok with just the ball being tossed but I guess when one said something to the other they felt like they were talking to them or something.  So, I'm not one to let my dogs just stand outside and bark so I decided they were coming in.  Figuring I was in for a challenge since they were so interested in the football game,  I decided rather than just open the door and call them I would walk out towards where they were at the fence knowing once I was getting close they would take off.  So, about half way out I said "Lucy, AnnaBelle, HERE!"  Holy crap, they both turned around and ran straight to the house.  It can't be that simple!  Of course they have gotten some great treats for their efforts, but I just don't get it.  What is the difference between the two words.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Haley responds to "Here".  We have rarely used "Come", it's been years.  He also responds to "YO DOOD!"

[Christine & Camus]

I switched to using "Here" instead of "Come" over a year ago because Camus stopped responding to the "Come" command.  I thought it may have been due to the similarity in the sound to his name.  However, for whatever reason he continues to respond to "Come" with no problems, so I am sticking to it.

[Christine & Camus]

I meant to say:  However, for whatever reason he continues to respond to "Here" "Come" with no problems, so I am sticking to it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wonder if sometimes when people give their dogs a treat, they say "Here, Bozo" and so the word "here" makes the dog think he's getting a treat...which is exactly what happened with your girls, Sheri. :)

Maybe the long E sound in "here" causes our voices to rise or some other inflection that dogs respond to; it's easier to say "here" in a high-pitched enthusiastic tone than to say "come" the same way.

I actually used both words together when teaching recalls. "Come" to get him to come to me and then "here" with a hand signal/finger point to show him that I want him to stop in front of me. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I use come for casual use and Here means business. I assure you it doesn't a;ways work. Luca's trainer taught us this. If the dogs have cornered a critter only dragging them away does any good.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We use Come for Clancy and Here for Ned - totally different commands for each dog.  At first it worked and we could call one dog and not the other, but Ned became bilingual and we got lazy about training.  Glad the new command is working.  For us the for sure come signal is a whistle - sadly I can't whistle, but dh can.

[Anne]

I agree its probably the "newness" of the word. I don't think the actually word matters to their ears.  Our trainer recommended using "here" because he assumed (correctly!) that we have tried "come" and he  has learned that he can ignore it.  He insisted that we NEVER EVER use the "here" command at first unless on leash so you can give a leash correction if he ignores.  One request…if ignored, correction.  If he comes, praise and treat.   Once that works, you can do it with a longer leash.  Every single time, a great treat awaits.  I have now reached the point where I can say it without me holding leash, and he comes every single time.  

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I was trying to sit here and respond to each of these but AnnaBelle is insisting on playing fetch.  Neither Lucy or Sophie were fetchers, so this is new to me. 

I think the one thing that seems certain here is that we are all challenged by come, here, monkey, or whatever word that we choose.  We are already in training mode with AnnaBelle, so I think that we are going to work really hard on this and hope it continues to work.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

OT, but don't let her "insist" on playing fetch, lol, or every time anyone sits down in your house for the rest of her life, they will have a ball dropped into their laps. :)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

So far our main focus has been only cooperating when she would "drop it".  She wants you to play tug but we have said no, drop it.  Well of course this morning she was "dropping it" so I didn't feel like I could not play with her.  So how should I handle this going forward?  Thoughts?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I had to institute an "I Decide When We Play Fetch" policy. If JD brings me a ball without being invited to do so, I never throw it and just ignore him. 

When we do play fetch, I'm always sitting, whether indoors or outdoors, and I always have a towel on my lap. The latter is necessary, because he chomps on the ball between throws, and the ball gets sopping wet and slimy, but it's turned out that the towel is now his signal that we are going to play fetch. If I sit down in the armchair or a patio chair with a towel, JD knows he can bring me a ball. Otherwise, he knows there's no chance. That doesn't prevent him from trying to get unsuspecting visitors to throw a ball for him, lol, but he's become way less obsessive and insistent about it. And he never drops a slimy ball in anyone's lap any more. The most he'll do is drop one at someone's feet and stand there looking hopeful. He gives up much sooner than he used to, too. 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Sounds like a good plan.  I just said to Mike this morning I think she is getting a "chuck it" for christmas.