Its me AND the dog.
About the dog coming, when you call ! What to do if the dog does not come at once.
Valdi and Bastian (labrador og golden retriever)
A great deal of people have troubles with their dog not always coming hen they call. It is really annoying and especially embarrassing, if other people are watching you and absolutely nothing happens. You shout the dogs name several times and with more and more desperation in the voice. Finally the dog comes and what in the world do you do then. Most of all, you feel like telling it of. Most people do know though, that chances of the dog coming next time, will be even more remote then. Then what ? Are you really suppose to praise the duchess, when it finally suits her to show up at her deeply frustrated owner? No right, cause of course it is not OK, that you have to call more than once. Dilemma! What I teach my students are the following (besides keeping calm and not get angry): When the dog comes, they have to remain neutral, get a grip of the collar in a calm way, and wait for a moment with putting on the leach. After that they have to get the dog to sit, and remain seated – step a couple of meters away (the length of the leach will do) and call the dog – the dogs name and “come”. If the dog is quick to respond, praise and reward it. In other words, we have to create a situation, where the dog has a possibility to do the right thing. Repeat a couple of times and praise a lot.
When I go for walks with my dogs, without a leach, I always give them a treat, when they, by them selves, take contact with me. It happens frequently. It always has to be nice to come to the owner.
In the puppy period, when we start the teaching of in call, it often happens that, the puppy stops just out of range of the owner – and then it turns around and run back to the other puppies to play a little more….. the owner is in advance instructed that if (when) it happens, he has to run as quickly he can in the opposite direction (never towards it!). This will make the puppy chase the owner. Now the owner bends down and investigate the grass or alike, as if there is something fantastic right there. Be certain, that the little guy will come running. Never put the leach on right away. Praise, praise praise, and be free to give a treat – and then the leach can come on.
The foundation, for calling in, is achieved in the puppy period. Though, it is never to late to begin the learning process. Better late than never.