dog wont come

Remmy

right i need some major help with my springer.Anytime i take him outside to train him to come, off the lead he just ignores.I'm very positive and i have treats but its like everything is more important than me.He would come occasionally but would just try to snap the treat out of my hand and run off again.Anytime i try to approach him he just run's off.He's 5 month's old and i plan on training him as a gundog so time is running out for him to learn the basics.someone please help!If this persists i'll have to either send him away to be trained or sell him because he'll be no use at all in the field with this attitude.

Remmy

stevoman

patience remmy! i know thats easy to say but you need a lot when it comes to a springer. you'l have to incorporate everything you do with the pup into a lesson.

im lucky in the sense that my dog (8 months old) isnt so giddy. my appraoch is whenever i am doing anything with the pup i make a lesson out of it. is he sitting on command? thats the basis of everything and without that he wont do anything. once he sits on command usually everything else follows as the dog then knows whos boss.

ps - a good dog doe'snt usually become one until they are around 3 or 4 years thats something top keep in mind, so dont be too brash about letting him go as you may be seling a bad pup in your eyes, but to somewhon else it could turn out to be the best gun dog anyone has ever had.

peasant

Remmy wrote: »

its like everything is more important than me

That's because it is !

He knows boring old you already, wheras there are a million new scents to be explored outside.

The secret to a good recall is repetition/routine and not to water down the command.

Train the "come" command in a non-stimulating environement ...your garden, inside the house ...somewhere he knows already and that isn't destracting.

Shower him with praise and/or goodies when he does come and over time he will learn that coming to you is worth his while. Keep at it and he will start to do it automatically without weighing up his options first. (that'll take a few months of constant practice)

When you're out and about, don't use the "come" command unless you're 150% sure that he actually will come. Otherwise he'll just learn that "come" can be ignored without consequence if he's found something more interesting.
And that's the problem ...you can't enforce the command once the dog is running off in the opposite direction

The trick is to let him run somewhere safe and let him come back on his own ...only when he's almost there do you say "come" and then praise him for doing so.

If he wanders too far, you may entice him to come by walking/running off in the opposite direction ..you may need to get his attention by clapping your hands or whistling ...but don't "burn" the "come" command by shouting after him repeatedly while he obviously isn't listening.

Nothing makes a dog unlearn a command as fast as applying it in situations where there is no chance of it being heeded.

Lauragoesmad

Try to train him inside first or in an enclosed space. There wont be as many distractions and if he does run off, you wont have to spend half your training time running after him. Also, your dog seems to think he is the leader of you. Take him for a walk in an open space on a lead and dont even look at him for the whole walk. If he pulls on the lead, change direction. Keep doing this no matter how much he pulls. Soon he will learn that you are the one leading and he is just lucky to come along. When you get this perfected the dog will look to you for all directions and training will be so much easier. Good Luck!!!

Lauragoesmad

peasant wrote: »

Nothing makes a dog unlearn a command as fast as applying it in situations where there is no chance of it being heeded.

BRILLIANT ADVICE!!!

Remmy

great advice thanks guys.

"but don't "burn" the "come" command by shouting after him repeatedly while he obviously isn't listening.

Nothing makes a dog unlearn a command as fast as applying it in situations where there is no chance of it being heeded."

Now that really hit home with me cause thats what I found myself doing.Calling and calling at the dog and him looking the other way:rolleyes:I'll take this on board from now on.

Also theres also the problem of when he does come to me running past or snapping at my hand with the treats then scampering off.He's really a lovely little guy but should i be more firm with him?

foxshooter243

remmy as hes going to be used for shooting-it will help if you put yourself in a position that when he is called to you that he cant run past you ie;
you are standing in a corner cos this will pay dividends when you are trying to get him to deliver to hand without circling etc-another tip is not to stare at him as he runs in but keep him in your peripheral vision as he
will try then to make eye contact with you by coming to your feet and looking up-exactly the way you want him when retrieving-when i am bringing on a pup i would use a certain place on the shore where there were little hills and when the dog was returning to me the easiest route was straight up and thats the path they would take-;)

peasant

Remmy wrote: »

Also theres also the problem of when he does come to me running past or snapping at my hand with the treats then scampering off.He's really a lovely little guy but should i be more firm with him?

Yes you should.

The easiest way to make him come to you directly (and stay there!) is to build a "sit" into your ongoing training.

When you call him and he comes and you give him the treat or praise, don't give it unless he "sits" first. Initially you will have to use both commands "come" followed by "sit" ...but after a while he will sit all by himself (because he's so eager for reward).

Every now and then he may need reminding, but after some practise the "come" should routinely involve an expectant sit in front of you ...performed automatically.

If you want to be really perfect, you could make the "come" command a voice command and the "sit" a hand signal ...that way you can combine them/give them in quick succession, if needs be.

another thing:

Vary the degree of reward. Don't give him the same old boring bit of kibble everytime. That way he might decide that whatever he's after right now is more important to him than that same old kibble ...again ...

Use varying rewards, ranging from verbal praise, a quick pat on the flank to food ...but every now and then throw in the "super reward" ...a bit of cheese, ham ...whatever it is he really likes ...even playing wiht his favourite toy is a "super reward". Don't give the jackpot only for difficult maneuvres ...even a simple "come" from five meters away should get the "super reward" once in a while, while other times it gets nothing.

This way he will always be in hope of hitting the jackpot when he comes to you ...in other words: motivated