Coming to her name.... sometimes

[Jen & Ember]

Wondering if you might be able to offer some suggestions for me...

Ember is about 4 and a half months, and while she used to do pretty well with recall, it has gotten pretty bad recently. I'm frustrated! I feel like we're starting all over again. :(

 

How did you train your doods for recall? At puppy class we learned a name game w/clicker and gradually over time increased distance and distraction. Unfortunately my house is super tiny, so distance is hard to achieve. 

[Cathy w/Shiloh~Cody]

It may just be that Ember is going into adolescence. It usually starts around 5-6 months but maybe she

is starting early. One of the most common signs is they become more interested in the big, wild world than she is in you.

A dog who once happily bounded up to you when you called may suddenly become deaf to the "come" command.

I would just stay consistent and she will hopefully outgrow it. When my dog did this-I would walk or run away in the opposite direction and he would watch me-thinking I would leave him and then he would follow me. Do not get frustrated it really is just a stage. An aggravating stage though!!.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I agree that her age may be a factor.  I remember when Tara reached that age and stopped thinking that I was the center of the universe! LOL!  I used leads of various lengths to train the recall.  I even used them indoors because every "come" needs to be said once and needs to be responded to and having a lead on her really helped me to quickly get control of her and redirect if she suddenly went "deaf".

[Jess and Pippin]

Pippin went through a phase around 5 months where most of his commands happened when he felt like it.  I could almost see his brain thinking "should I or should I not?"  Go back to where Ember is being consistent.  It feels like taking several steps back.  Work on recall on lead and enforce it every time.  Try some high value treats (Pippin will do anything for cheese).  We also played lots of hide and seek (I have 2 teens.  They would each hide and take turns calling Pippin.  When he found them, there was a praise party and a treat waiting.  The second teen would call Pip and the first one would change locations.  tons of fun).  Keep training sessions short and fun and don't worry about going back to basics.  Pippin is almost a year now, and we've had to backtrack a few times, but each time for a short while and then we were able to quickly raise the bar.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

At four and a half months, Ember is approaching the age where you can begin some real obedience training.  I would suggest setting up a couple of times each day when you "practice" the recall (assuming that's where you want to start).  I'd put her on a long line outside or in a room where you'll have enough space to get a little distance (not to much at first).  Then I'd get a real high value treat, and call her "Ember come".  When she comes to you click and treat (assuming you are going to use clicker training at this stage).  If she doesn't come, because she's on the long line you can make her come to you....this is just showing her that is what you expect.  I would not treat if she didn't do it on her own.  Then drop the line and let her get distracted and try again.  You can also put her in a sit/stay, then back up a few feet and call her.  When she comes, click and treat.  With enough repetition she'll get the idea.  Good luck!

[Carol Brand]

The long and short of recall training is that if you can't enforce the recall you only set your dog up to ignore you.  At this age, recall training should ALWAYS be done on leash or on a long line.  The puppy can should drag a long line when it is outside and it can even drag one around the house. This way, when you give the recall command, if the puppy does not come right away the first time you call, you can pick up the end of the line and reel the puppy in. (All the while PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE).

 

Running backwards, tossing a treat between your legs, play hiding and seek etc are all good techniques for making the recall fun and for building drive but in the end you have to make sure that the puppy knows that the recall is mandatory and not optional. 

[Adina P]

Agree with Carol.  But I want to add that usually dogs up to Ember's age ALL seem to be 'trained' until you they realize there are other options besides responding to commands as they have learned.  So in reality NO pup is 'trained' by 4.5 months.  Your work is JUST beginning now =)

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I so agree with this.  This is the age when they're developing minds of their own, and there are so many distractions that are way more interesting to them than listening to your "command".  This is when things start to get interesting....

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

So, what do you do if after 15 minutes, my dog learned how to bunch up the lead and run away with it so I can't grab the end?

[Adina P]

I'm not clear on what you mean?  How does she bunch it up and take it?

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

I mean that he will grab the handle, so he has both ends of e leash, the one attached to his collar, the other end in his mouth, and sometimes the middle of the leash too if it's long enough, so essentially he has the lead shortened to the point where I can't grab it any better than I can grab him, and run!

[Adina P]

And this with a long leash or only the normal 6 foot ones?  I would say you need to practice with him at a distance and you holding the handle of a 15-20 foot leash.  Have you done distance recalls?  Sounds like Amos simply needs some more serious obedience training as he seems to think it's kind of a time for silly fun rather than 'time to work'.

[Ben & Amos Zeeman]

He'll do it with a 15 foot one. I've never understood this 'not allowing' him to do this or that...  He will do it no matter what i do. He is a big mouther, and I tried all the techniques to stop it, all of which caused him to do it more "aggressively". Whether it's yelping when he mouths, stopping the game, turning my back he finds something else to mouth. The same thing seems to happen with anything else, the more I try to stop him, the more he asserts that he will find a way to do it anyway. He is more obedient when i let him do what he wants, or take the thing away. I can't do that with a lead.