Help with the "come" command
- Thread starter Dwele
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ehayes21
Boxer Insane
He's still just a baby, so my advice to you is to just keep practicing. The key to a good recall is to always make it fun and rewarding for the dog to come. ALWAYS. So if it means continuing with the treats for now, then that's just fine.
Here is a great article for teaching a reliable recall.
ClickerSolutions Training Articles -- Teaching a Reliable Recall
Good luck!
Here is a great article for teaching a reliable recall.
ClickerSolutions Training Articles -- Teaching a Reliable Recall
Good luck!
Yep, just keep practicing. How I did it with Monty was with a long line and would let him roam on the long line and then use the command come and gently, and I mean gently, tug on the line, make a huge fuss, get down to his level and get him to come to me. He didn't get it straight away, but when he did get it, it stuck. I didn't use food as he just wasn't motivated by food - his motivator was huge amounts of attention, ear stratches and being told what a good boy he was. Strangely enough Monty didn't like the word 'come' and wouldn't recall to that each time, but he would recall and come each time when I said 'come here' - go figure!:rolleyes:
Dwele
Boxer Pal
Yeah he is still a baby =)
I'll definitely keep it up, it just gets frustrating at times that's all but i'll keep at it! And thanks for the article i greatly appreciate it!
Dwele
Boxer Pal
Yeah i've tried that as well but haven't had much luck with it if i dont have any treats =\... But i'll give it another go later when i get home from work because as you said, i dont want him to get into a habit of ONLY coming when i've got treats. Thanks for the advice!
I don't want to alarm you or anything, but Monty didn't get it properly until around 18 months of age, but each dog is different.
Hutch is still just a baby and it may seem like he won't get it, but just keep on being very consistent all of the time with the recall. One day it will all come together for him - and you. Good luck!
Hutch is still just a baby and it may seem like he won't get it, but just keep on being very consistent all of the time with the recall. One day it will all come together for him - and you. Good luck!
whiskers
Boxer Insane
It took a really long time for Juno to become relatively reliable. She still ignores me once in a while (mostly only when I recall her at the dog park gate while new dogs are coming in) but she is leaps and bounds better than she was even just a few months ago. I can take her to the dog park now and not worry "gee, I wonder how long it'll take to get Juno back today," and she has earned other off-leash privileges for doing so well. But it was a long journey.
My biggest advice would be, don't set him up to fail. So don't take him to a dog park and call him to come while he's busy playing with other dogs. There is just no way he's going to listen to you, and each time they blow off a command, they're just learning that commands are optional. I'm a lenient dog owner and don't care if my dog blows off a "sit" every now and then, but she NEEDS to come when I ask her to. So, don't call him unless you are sure he will come, or you can enforce the command (by enforce I mean, reel him in on a leash, or physically go get him).
Always reward. It doesn't have to be food. I've had the most success using toys, and I have a ridiculously food motivated dog. But in some situations, a game of tug is more worth it to her. Something that comes in handy, if your dog is motivated by toys (which I think most boxers are
), is using your leash as a tug toy. So that when your dog is off leash somewhere, seeing the leash is not a signal that the fun is ending and you're going home; it's also a toy! You may not always have treats on you and you may not always have a tug toy with you, but if you're out and about with your dog, you SHOULD have a leash with you!
I'll also rough house with Juno as a reward. Shove her around, let her jump on me, etc. So then I'M the reward, which is always nice.
Just some suggestions for ya. It's a difficult command for dogs to master, especially if they are the independent, easily distracted type. It takes A LOT of consistent practice for it to become reliable.
My biggest advice would be, don't set him up to fail. So don't take him to a dog park and call him to come while he's busy playing with other dogs. There is just no way he's going to listen to you, and each time they blow off a command, they're just learning that commands are optional. I'm a lenient dog owner and don't care if my dog blows off a "sit" every now and then, but she NEEDS to come when I ask her to. So, don't call him unless you are sure he will come, or you can enforce the command (by enforce I mean, reel him in on a leash, or physically go get him).
Always reward. It doesn't have to be food. I've had the most success using toys, and I have a ridiculously food motivated dog. But in some situations, a game of tug is more worth it to her. Something that comes in handy, if your dog is motivated by toys (which I think most boxers are
), is using your leash as a tug toy. So that when your dog is off leash somewhere, seeing the leash is not a signal that the fun is ending and you're going home; it's also a toy! You may not always have treats on you and you may not always have a tug toy with you, but if you're out and about with your dog, you SHOULD have a leash with you!I'll also rough house with Juno as a reward. Shove her around, let her jump on me, etc. So then I'M the reward, which is always nice.
Just some suggestions for ya. It's a difficult command for dogs to master, especially if they are the independent, easily distracted type. It takes A LOT of consistent practice for it to become reliable.
Dwele
Boxer Pal
To All-
Thanks for the advice and really do appreciate it!
I feel A LOT better that knowing it's just a matter of consistent training and that it'll eventually come with age. The only reason i worried is because I've seen puppies around the age of 4-6 months that are already aware of the "come" command, so with knowing that I started to worry that I wasn't training Hutch properly. Now that I know that I just have to keep at it really does reassure me that he'll eventually learn the command.
Thanks again everyone!!
Thanks for the advice and really do appreciate it!
I feel A LOT better that knowing it's just a matter of consistent training and that it'll eventually come with age. The only reason i worried is because I've seen puppies around the age of 4-6 months that are already aware of the "come" command, so with knowing that I started to worry that I wasn't training Hutch properly. Now that I know that I just have to keep at it really does reassure me that he'll eventually learn the command.
Thanks again everyone!!
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