Train The Canine

This week, I have worked with 2 dogs who weren't exactly following their owners' commands when asked to "come"--anyone relates? I have included a 2:30 minute short video at the bottom on the 2 reasons AND the 2 fixes why this happens, but I will give a quick synopsis here as well.

Reason #1: What your dog is doing is WAY more fun than anything you would be calling him for--i.e., he is playing with a dog friend, rolling in the grass, etc.

THE FIX: Make what you have to offer more appealing than what he is doing. Always keep "leverage" toys--your dog's absolute favorite toy-- on hand, and don't let him play with it all the time because he will get bored of it (like humans who get too much of a good thing, we don't like it as much). Get your dog to start thinking that his pet parent has all kinds of fun things in store when you call him, and it is worth his time to listen to you and find out!

Reason #2 Your dog associates "come" with something he doesn't want to do, possibly being created, you leave, etc.

THE FIX: Break the association between "come" and automatically going to the undesired outcome. Instead of him coming inside and immediately going to the crate, or you leaving, mix it up with some affection for 3-4 minutes inside the door when he gets in, or perhaps work on a sit/down/stay. You can use your imagination here, but it is all about putting an extra step between "come" and whatever the activity is your dog doesn't want to do.

Watch this video to understand the reasons and the fixes better.