[LoveLilly]

OKay.....Lilly is enrolled in training classes, graduated from puppy kindergarten part I and is currently in part II. She learns her commands & as anyone who has read my posts you know that I just adore my little Lilly to pieces. Now, here is my issue. She does her other commands, she very obviously loves/bonded with me (snuggles, gets excited when I come in room, sleeps right up against me at night, etc.....) BUT when I say "come" she refuses to come. Just looks at me as if to say "what you have better be better than a cheerio" and if it is she comes. When I need to go get her to take her to another room or be put in her pen she absolutely runs away from me unless I show her a treat. This has been ongoing now since she was 8 weeks old and she is now 5 1/2 months.

I did discover just a couple days ago on a fluke that if I do this really kooky laugh and wave my hands in the air she comes running like i am holding a giant hot dog, but I give her no treats.....but the laugh and waving my arms would be embarrassing in public. I have never associated come with anything negative. "Lets go potty" is the command to come to go outside & I understand why she does not respond to it - she hates cold and rainy weather so the command makes her jump up if she has to go but she won't come to me so she gets a treat, but that one makes sense.

Is she just being stubborn b/c she wants to run free on her terms? I can see that she is going to make the kooky laugh the new "come" ......... little stinker! Suggestions?

[mistyinca]

Chloe doesn't always come to me either, of course she's only 10 weeks though. We have just learned Sit. We did the Sit by giving her a piece of turkey each time. Then I started going to different parts of the house and calling her name. After she came, I would tell her to sit, then give her a piece of turkey. We repeated it about six times, each time she came, sat on command, and got her turkey.

Now she'll come to me once in a while, and sit looking at me as if to say, "ahem, where's my turkey" but not always. Especially, like if she has started making a turd on the floor (we're still potty training) and I stop her mid-way. I'll be darned if I can catch her or get her to come to me.

BTW, did you do the puppy training class at petsmart? They have one for $99 and I wondered if it was any good. We're still having trouble with her biting my 12 yo son (who is very good to her), though she doesn't bite me much anymore.

[LoveLilly]

We did not use PetSmart. We went to a privately owned place. The reason I chose privately owned is b/c I knew they trained their trainers based on their training philosopy & also had trainers who were graduates of a behavioral science program. May sound like a bit much but an unruly dog can do so much damage that I wanted to make sure I got it right the first time. I am very happy with the place I chose and it was only $125 for 6 weeks of 1 hour classes & the classes are smaller than PetSmart which I liked also.

[NewfCrazy]

When she runs away from you, do you chase her?

[Keno's Mom]

Ok what you need to do (inside or outside) is put her on a long leash (15-20 feet) and have her sit. Then holding the leash back up till you get far from her. Give her the command (once) of COME and make it a pleasant sound.

If she just sits there, reel her in and praise her (no treats).

Keep doing it over and over, give a gental tug on the leash when you give the command. She should be obeying every command with or without a treat. She's not totally trained unless she does so.

Some dogs have a tough time with recall commands and it takes time/patience to work thru it.

[blackgavotte]

Yes, I agree its soon going to be time to just get the command " Come " over and done with.

Depending on what is going on in the puppy class, you may be coming to it anyway, but sooner or later with that command especially, there comes a time when games and treats etc are over, they simply have to adhere to the command. In all the classic books on obedience, the same technique is used, its usually done after the Stay command, lots of praise etc, first with a lead on, then off. For her size no doubt you are using a softish collar and a light lead, but yup, soon she just has to learn, when you say that word, she is just not to ignore you.

If you know she understands the command, and ignores you anyway, its back to step one of the lesson all over again. That's one command I would never compromise on. It could mean their lives if they disobey that one.

I'd give her another week or so anyway, she just got spayed didn't she? Wait till those sutures are out and her system is back up to speed, she is old enough now to start to get that command.

[LoveLilly]

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, she just got spayed so I am trying to just keep her calm which is a challenge as she wrestles with the cats. Come was one of the first commands we did in class but she is the only one who does not respond to it. My challenge in class is that she is petrified of other pups so becomes frozen wether I have treats or not.

We did work on 'come' last night with some new peanut butter treats that apparently are fabulous and she did very well, but I know she kept expecting the treats but I gave them at random. We'll see if it continues this well. She most certainly knows what it means but is beligerant. All other commands she does very well with and most now without treats just verbal praise.

[opokki]

Somone here posted this article a while back. I think you might find it helpful.

Recall Redux

[cujo3269]

**CONTENT REMOVED**

[Cheetah]

Cujo3269, you are digging a very deep hole. I have removed you rude post. Keep it up and we will have to take further action. >u.u<

[Ginger Lee's Mom]

I'm new at this. I just got a female yorky that is now about 15 weeks and her
name is Ginger. I'll have to try the turkey! I am in the everything training and it is so hard as she is soooo----- cute. Have you had yorkies before.?

She is just so quick on her feet, hard to keep up with! Thanks for being there. Ginger Lee's mom

[skelaki]

Ginger Lee's Mom, A friend of mine had 4 Yorkies. The thing to remember is that no matter how cute they are, they are not people. They are Terriers with a terrier temperament. Be her leader and treat her like the intelligent dog she is. My friend, quite frankly, was not a good terrier owner and the dogs just about wrecked the house. But, another woman who got a Yorkie from the same breeder was a good terrier owner and her little boy earned is UD (Utility Dog) obedience degree. Btw, the UD is an advanced AKC obedience title.