Wilful, strong, 9 month puppy won't come when distracted

[kirsten]

I have a 9 month, lab/beagle, he is very wilful. He comes to me when he wants, but if doesn't then it's no go. I have tried the crouch down, hold out your arms, and call, and he will come, but again only if he really wants to.

Any other suggestions!?

[eyeluvdogs]

I know from personal experience that this can be pretty annoying! I had a similar issue when my dog was a puppy. What I did was get some of his favorite treats and went to the park. I got my husband to hold onto the puppy, I waved the treats under the dogs nose, and spoke to him in an excited voice, then walked 10 feet or so away from him. I called his name, and he came running to get the treat. I praised him like crazy and gave him the treat, and then we did it all over again. I practiced moving various distances, and made sure that we both had lots of fun, and that it was a good experience for my puppy. It worked really well for me!

[DogWalker]

Hi Kirsten, I have also heard that using a squeaky toy to get a pup's attention works pretty well Or you could try making a funny noise, and then running in the opposite direction. Hopefully then your dog will run after you!