Puppy Ignoring Me

[Milo-&-Coco]

My problem is Coco is totally ignoring me when I call her, especially if she is doing something naughty.

Both Milo and Coco got through our side fence and went into next doors yard this afternoon, I managed to coax Milo back with a treat, but Coco totally ignored my calls and I had to run around the front and get her, I told her off and Milo for that matter too.

I know it's not their fault that they got out, and I'm surprised they haven't already, the fence is practically falling down and we intend to replace it very soon but my problem is that Coco just won't come to me when I call her, she would barely look at me even if I have a treat.

How can I fix this problem? Any advice on your experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[persephone]

Hi-

This is a generalisation... and simplified.

Puppies/dogs come to an owner because, basically, the REWARD they get from doing so is GREATER than doing anything else...

and... they have been correctly taught what actions are required when the owner yells "come' .. or whatever.

So- a dog who doesn't respond to a recall... eg: my Hamlet- a middleaged x breed...

is either

doing something MUCH more interesting..and with 4 mth old puppies- EVERYTHING is interesting.!!

not had enough practice in doing a recall

has been yelled at/told off on a previous recall, and doesn't want the unpleasantness again

I told her off

:D

or...

has learnt that "come, fido, come fido, come fido.." means that they only come when they want.... ..and then cautiously, because their owner, out of frustration and worry will probably tell them off

also-- being in a 'pack'- even just 2, will mean a different behaviour than a single pup. A pack gives security.. and (IMO) less dependence on an owner..so pack behaviour may come first

I KNOW Hamlet won't come back if he is hunting

It is my fault for not doing enough training early on..... and for not being vigilant enough to keep him from temptation.

I have never punished him for FINALLY returning... even tho I am worried and a bit angry with myself.

Which scenario fits with your pups?

What training do you do with them?

What is their recall like around home/on leash?

Edited February 21, 2009 by persephone

[huski]

What Persephone said!!

A dog that gets told off for coming when its called is not going to want to obey you.

A dog that ignores you in favour of doing other things (i.e. running around the yard) is doing so because in their eyes, what you are offering is no where near as excited or high value as what they are doing.

You can also teach your dog a bad habit by giving it a command you know it's not going to obey (i.e. calling them when you know they aren't going to come) - this sets them up to fail because they learn that they don't always have to obey you.

I never punish my dogs for obeying a known command - I would also be doing a lot of focus work with your dogs as teaching them a command in a low distraction environment like your home or their backyard is very different to getting them to obey the command in an environment that is a lot more distracting.

Ultimately - they are both still puppies and they are both still learning. Pups don't become 100% reliable with commands over night, it takes a lot of work, training, consistency etc to get them there and training is never really complete or finished.

Edited February 21, 2009 by huski

[Cockerlover]

Have to gree with others replys ,

as hard as it is ,you should never tell a dog /puppy off when he fails to respond to a call :D instead praise for good behaviour for coming (finally) when the far more interesting ocupation has worn off )

Pups dont learn overnite !,it takes many hours of training ,

Do your pups attend puppy school?might be a good idear to do so ,or read up basic puppy training, start with easy commands & progress from there .

Be paitent They get the message eventually.

[Dogsfevr]

Like others have said telling off was the worst thing to do.

The dog has no idea what you want .

If it isnt responding to you when call then you need to consider why.

Many dogs hear the same old thing over & over again with no reaction from the owners.

To put it bluntly the owners are either so boring that going to them in no fun or they hear so much vocal trash they cant determine what is expected or there told off when they do come back .

Your pup needs to be taught & this is an ongoing process for life ,they will go through good & bad stages of listening but you need to praise the final result even if it took longer than you want.

Your may nned to be more cheerful when calling ,make yourself more interesting than the object.

Use your voice in different tones & when calling come it must sound different than the daily voice thats heard.

Yes fixing the fence should be done asap.One day they,ll escape may not be so lucky

Edited February 22, 2009 by settrlvr

[Kelpie_Pup]

how old is the dog?

I wouldn't expect 100% recall in a dog until absolute minimum 6 months ... Halle wasn't 100% reliable until the age of 11 months.

And yes, I agree with other posters, telling off is not a good reward for your puppy to come. It requires ongoing training too.. halle is 14 months old and we still occasionally give her treats when she recalls just so she remembers how much more worth it it is coming to us than chasing kangaroos in the paddock!!

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

A better idea would have been to fix your fence and then get dogs.

That said, I agree with the others' posts.