Won't come off leash

[Okanagan pet lover]

I have an 11 month old neutered male Lowchen. He has had obedience training and did really well. However, he refuses to listen when he is not on leash, unless he feels like it. I tried taking him to an off leash area, but left the leash attached and dragging behind him. He was off on his own and wouldn't have come back if I didn't grab the leash. He also runs in the opposite direction when my husband calls him and we are inside the house. He used to listen to me, but the older he gets the worse he seems to be. I've had him since he was six months old.

[eyeluvdogs]

To help with the ignoring of the come command, I have taken the following info from the Top 20 Consults ebook (included in the SSF package and with the permission of the SSF Team).

The Come Command Rules:
There are a number of Come Command Rules that I recommend people use:
1. Never call your dog to you for a reprimand.
2. Always call your dog in a happy voice.
3. Always praise your dog for coming to you, even if they have taken their time.
4. Praise your dog for coming to you without having been called.
5. Never call your dog to you for something you know they don't like e.g. baths or visits to the vet.

Another tip is to use a squeaky toy to get his attention.

I also recommend that you continue to use the Alpha Techniques. They will help reinforce all of your training.

Please ensure that you dog is getting lots of exercise, and I would also suggest that you initiate daily obedience lessons with your dog. This will help improve his responsiveness to your commands.

Good luck!

[Okanagan pet lover]

I am new to the program and haven't yet read a lot of it. However, I have been using most of the steps in calling my dog. I haven't tried the squeeky toy yet and I'll spend more time reinforcing his obedience lessons. Thanks.

[Annie]

Hi there,
I also tried walking my dog ( even in the garden ) on a really really long thin rope. This meant that I could call her in a sweet voice whilst walking away from her ( or running away happily) and she needed to come or I´d pull in the line. It was slow work...but she got it. It started when she was 'on-heat' and I didn´t trust her off line, and now she comes like a rocket. My calling her and a quick response became automatic. Also, anytime that she was by my side she could normally find a treat in my hand, and as she 'got it' and came running by herself she sometimes got a 'jackpot' ( in my case a small tub of cat food). It was the gambler in her ( I think!) that made her think..."THIS time!!". I also try not to talk non-stop with her when we walk. I don´t want her to be deaf to me....

[mindy]

Hello, dog lovers! I'm a brand new member as of today. My husband and I have a 6 month old (35 lb) Airedale Terrier named Bella (oh yeah, we also have a 6 y/o son and a 4 y/o daughter). We have had her since she was 8 weeks old. She has been to "puppy Kindergarten" for some basic socialization skills, but we have a lot of work to do! I'm especially excited to be able to get the entire family involved in Bella's training. There is a LOT of chaos in my house right now! Bella is a very sweet and enthusiastic puppy; her trainers need help! We are ready to get started!
Hope to share some positive stories of our journey very soon.

[MaxHollyNoah]

Hi there,
I wanted add one tip to "come" command training.

When you practice the command, don't do it where there is a lot of temptation and distraction such as in an off-leash park. Your dog would not hear you and ignore you even if he hears you because he is having a lot of fun or he is more interested in other dogs.

Besides, he would eventually learn to ignore your commands because you would probably keep calling him over and over while he does not come.

I had a same problem with my dog Noah when we adopted him at the age of 1. I used to have my other dog Holly go get him (literally tackle him down so that I could put him on a leash). But now, because of the obedience training and everyday practice at home, he would come to me right away even in the middle of playing at the park.

If you really want to have your dog come to you in an off-leash park, use a different command such as "Over here" in a more casual manner. This way "Come" will become a command that your dog always needs to respond.

Good luck!!