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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Simon has a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Psychology and specialized in Canine Behaviour. He was recently the first New Zealander approved for membership to the IAABC, and he is also a member of APDT Australia. Simon founded Dog Guru in 2002. Dog Guru has helped hundreds of dogs and their owners with training and specialist problems, and is also a dog trainer for the ministry of Education. Simon lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife Michelle and two golden retrievers. Sherlock is often used as a demonstration dog in schools and retirement villages. He was also used as a demo dog in the Auckland pet expo in 2004. Training is always using positive reinforcement.
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[Edit]
5/13/2005
One of the most common problems people come to me for is that their dog just refuses to come to them. This is a really annoying problem not only in the off leash parks that are often used here but also if your dog happens to get out of the car too quickly because there is someone there, when you open the door or even leave the gate open too long.
It is hard to compete for our dogs affection and convince them to come to us. We have to convince them that we are better than any dogs bottoms, better than a cow pat and much better than even chasing a cat. These are all things that your dog smells and chases on a daily basis and to compete with this is next to impossible.
So what do we do? The problem starts when our dog is brought home as a puppy. It is all lovely and wonderful but the things that we do for it now effect how the dog learns later. One of the best games that people like playing with their pups is chasing games. This is great for a little pup as we can easily catch it but try catching an 8 month old golden retriever. If you can you should contemplate running for the Olympics. Most people cannot catch their dog but they try. This is where the trouble starts. If you start chasing your dog in the park, back yard or the street the dog will constantly think it is
a game. So when your pup comes home, let it chase you. When it wants you to chase it, don’t!
This is all good advice I am sure you are thinking but my dog is a year old and is too late for me. Don’t despair. Most of the people I see have dogs that are old. The same principle applies; don’t chase your dog. You may have to put the dog on a long lead for a while, and every now and then call “come” and give it a little tug. When it is back to you give it a treat. Practice the come command constantly with the dog in the back yard.
The other thing I tell people is that they have my permission to look stupid. When I want my dogs to come sometimes I get on the ground and clap. They come all the time anyway but this way I am changing the motivation for my dog. Sometimes it may get a treat, sometimes a good boy command and sometimes a ball thrown. Basically I am making myself look silly to convince my dog that I can play and have fun as well. As I said I give you permission to look stupid and make a fool of yourself. You may look silly but as least your dog is coming to you. When the dog comes to you don’t put a lead on it all the time just reward it with a toy, praise or a treat.
Using these steps will get you a long way to having your dog come to you on command.
Simon Goodall is now a member of IAABC (International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants). This means the information you receive is the most up to date.
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