The Recall

[pitbullmamaliz]

Okay, so I feel like a dumbass, but no matter what I do, Inara is not learning (or refusing to obey) the "come" command. Since we got her at 8 weeks old, I've been working to get her to learn that as I feel it's probably the most important command. She comes in the house when I call her, but that's probably 'cause she's limited to only two rooms. When I take her out on her 30 ft leash, I'll bribe her with treats and everything, and she just WILL NOT come. I NEVER call her to me for anything even remotely bad. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever said, "Inara, come" w/o giving her a treat when she arrives! But she's just not getting it. Does anybody have any ideas? I'm just frustrated as this seems like it should be so easy for her to learn.

[mnp13]

When I take her out on her 30 ft leash, I'll bribe her with treats and everything, and she just WILL NOT come.

I'm confused...

If she is on a 30 foot line, just reel her in.

[SisMorphine]

Unless she comes when called always she should be on a long line that you yank in.

[dogcrazyjen]

Will she pay attention to you at all outside? She need to be able to focus on a 6 foot lead before she will be able to focus on a 30 foot one.

You could start doing restrained recalls, inside first. Have one person hold her. You start running away with a great toy or food pack full of liver or other HIGH value treat. Have the first person let go when she is excited and pulling towards you, and she should run to you. Dogs like to chase, so if you are moving away from her, she will be more likely to come to you than if you are standing still.

Are you using a clicker?

Have you taught eye-contact?

Do you randomly treat outside when she comes to you on her own?

It can be tough, but they will get it eventually.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Thanks all.
I do reel her in with the 30ft lead, however, I want her to come on her own when I call. She does it on the 6ft lead.
She pays minimal attention to me outside, unless she's on the 6ft leash. On there, we can be walking along and I'll say "watch," and she'll immediately crane her neck back to look at me. But on the 30ft, lost cause.
I'm not using a clicker, but I say "yes!" as soon as she does the right thing. I "loaded" that work like you do the clicker - I just didn't feel like carrying a clicker!
Maybe I should mark off 15ft on my 30ft lead and not let her roam farther than that. Maybe the 6ft - 30ft is just too drastic of a change.
And just an aside - she is NEVER NEVER NEVER off-leash outside.

[mnp13]

Did you go right from the 6 foot to the 30? That would be the first problem - you need to go up in increments. She's not going to get it right away, but increasing the distance to 5 times as far is setting you both up to fail. Mark your leash in 5 foot increments and work with her until she is good at one distance, then go to the next.

I want her to come on her own when I call

It won't happen immediately, especially since she thinks she can ignore you if sheis farther than 6 feet away from you.

[dogcrazyjen]

[pitbullmamaliz]

Hmmm, never really thought of it as increasing the distance 5x - I just thought - it's still a leash...

I'll put tape on the leash in 5 ft increments and try that. Thanks!

[rockermom]

Thanks we have the exact same problem. Exactly!

[pitbullmamaliz]

Almost embarrassing, isn't it?

[katiek0417]

I agree with using a leash longer than 6 feet, but much shorter than 30!!!

Also, if Inara comes to you in the hosue (on her own, or after you say "come here," etc) praise her for that....it's okay to train it formally, but there's also nothing wrong with doing "incidental" learning.

Also, how do you say it? Regular tone? Happy, mommy voice? For the learning phase, it might help to do happy mommy voice?

Also, I agree with having someone hold her and you run away (not far). Have the person holding her "load her." For example, have the person holding her say "Where'd she go? Where is she? Do you want mommy?" Etc....

[pitbullmamaliz]

I always say "come" in the happy Mommy voice. And when she does either wander over to me or respond to "come" in the house she still gets the dickens praised out of her.
The only problem with the 2 person thing is my hubby works 2nd shift, so I only see him 2x a week! But we'll try that on those two days...

Thanks again for everybody's assistance! I will stand strong - she will learn it...I hope....

[pLaurent]

Is this a bully thing?

I've had Chloe for 4 years. She is obedience trained and very good with all commands except Come.

She absolutely will not come when called, even though she understands the command very well.

Trying her on a long lead (or any lead) is futile, since she will INSTANTLY come when she knows she's attached. She will also come with the speed of a greyhound if she knows I have a treat for her, and skid to a stop and do a perfect sit in front of me.

Otherwise, she either ignores me totally or looks at me and runs the other way. If I get closer, stamp my feett and pitch a fit, she will come, stopping numerous times to sniff something or roll on the ground.

I feel like beating the daylights out of her.

[dogcrazyjen]

e-collar


Actually, I have never put one on my dogs, but my husband wants to. Tallulah the Bull Terrier gets a bug in her butt once in a while (usually when the compost is taken out) and runs to the bin, ignoring me completely. I just go get her. Don't bother calling her as that would lessen her normal recall.

But that is when a nice button on the remote would be so nice....

[dogcrazyjen]

Apon thinking here, I will share what I tell my clients. To be honest, recalls are my favorite thing to teach! They are so fun!

The first thing I do with my clients who are having attention problems, which no recall is an attention problem usually, is to make a list of things that interest your dog. Everything from kibble, popcorn, hotdogs, and liver to deer poop, getting in the garbage, sniffing the ground and sniffing other dogs, to chasing squirrels, rabbits, cats, to tug and ball, to belly rubs, to laying down on the couch. List at least 20 things. They do not all have to be things you approve of, in fact list the things you have problems with the dog wanting to do! Make at least half things you find acceptable. It is OK if your dog isn't super interested in some of them, that will tell you something too. A little of everything.

I then have them rate these.

Mildly interested means that you can easily call them off that activity. My dogs will all come off the couch where they were getting petted to play ball, eat, or go outside. (Unlike Sis's Wally, who lying on the couch I bet would rate Highly interested! )

Moderately interested means that it definately keeps thier attention for many distractions. Kibble is a moderate interest for my dogs. It will keep them focused over being around strange people, but it will not help for squirrels.

Highly interested means that there are few if anything which will call the dog off this activity once engaged. Chasing squirrels, frisbee, cooked liver are a few of these things for my dogs. For Tallulah it is her basketball tug toy, and me running away from her.

Now when you have the list complete, you have three tools here.

One, you can see what drives your dog is strong and weak in. A dog which has all food and attention from people in the high, and all toys in the mild, is a high food and pack dog with low play drive. Dogs like mine tend towards high prey and play drive, low pack drive. They are moderately food driven. There are infinite combinations, every dog is different. This can help you pick a sport appropriate to your dog.

Two, you know what things you need to train for. I had to spend a lot of time teaching distractions of the live furry kind. A high people drive dog will have to spend more time learning to cope with self control around people.

Three, you have the tools you need to teach this. Take what is on your high drive list, and make it the reward. If you cannot allow sqirrel chasing, then make a flirt pole with a tail or rabbit fur on it. If your dog loves sniffing, start tracking, and make the track the reward for attention. Or if you have a very high pack dog, make praise and petting the reward.

This was a real eye opener when I first did this exercise. It has really helped me focus my training, and it helped me break away from agility with Jack(back in 2001) and into frisbee and flyball, which he ADORES. It allowed us to build a relationship based on who he was, not who I wanted him to be, and in turn he has been willing to do things like agility and freestyle with me, that he is not as passionate about. It really is a handy thing to have around. You may also find you can build drive in some things and diminish interest in others through training and personal involvement.


If you find this helpful, I can go on the the next step. Just let me know.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Thanks very much! I'll work on that list - it may take me a while as sometimes I feel I don't know this girl at all! Honestly, I think oxygen is high on her list - pretty much if she's breathin, she's distracted!

[Malli]

You could start doing restrained recalls,

yes yes yes! In dog training school we taught all the dogs like this. You have a friend hold them, not paying any attention to them or giving any praise, then you stand a few feet away and work the dog up i.e. "Oscar! Who's a good puppy? Whatcha doing? Good boy, good boy, good boy!" Until they are squirming! Then give a happy loud come and she should come barrelling to you. Our only problem with this is that Oscar likes to play leg bowling, your legs are the bowling pins, he is the bowling ball.

Malli

[katiek0417]

You could start doing restrained recalls,

yes yes yes! In dog training school we taught all the dogs like this. You have a friend hold them, not paying any attention to them or giving any praise, then you stand a few feet away and work the dog up i.e. "Oscar! Who's a good puppy? Whatcha doing? Good boy, good boy, good boy!" Until they are squirming! Then give a happy loud come and she should come barrelling to you. Our only problem with this is that Oscar likes to play leg bowling, your legs are the bowling pins, he is the bowling ball.

Malli

The pit I was watching used me as a pivot pole when I called him to me...his come was actually a call to heel (so come in, but go to the heel position)....

Well, he'd come barreling in, then pivot against me using his shoulder...but he'd bang against me...okay....55-lb PIT BULL squarly hitting (in the thigh) 110-lb girl...girl lands on a$$ first 10 times she does it....after that, I'd just squirm before he hit...always threw me off balance...at least I stayed vertical!!!

[dogcrazyjen]

Aren't recalls FUN!

[Malli]

try 75 lb Pit! (for Oscar anyway)

picture me "Oscar, come!" from about 100 ft. away and then "oh sh!t, oh sh!t" as he literally barrelled toward me. little hellion.

Oscar has run up behind me before and launched himself into the back of my knees, sending my feet flying out from under me. I put a stop to it with some effort, I am not cool with our training or my interactions with him causing that much pain, now he just aims for my boyfriend whenever he comes out to fetch with us

Malli