# Willful puppy or something I'm doing wrong



## Bugsy (Jul 2, 2009)

Do all dogs need to be trained to come when called? When we first got our puppy he came when called without any trouble. He learned his name very quickly and responded to our calls without any kind of training, other than our praise when he came over to us (no treats). Figuring we got that down we never really reinforced that behavior.

Now he's 5.5 months but he never really comes when called. He might do this when we first come home or in the morning after he's out of the crate for the night. But after that he will look at us when we call him and then just go about his business.

I guess my question is... have I broken his trust somehow? Or are some dogs just willful, they got their own agenda and are not "eager to please" as most dogs seem to be. He's a cockapoo... one of the "eager to please" breeds.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Bugsy said:


> Do all dogs need to be trained to come when called?


Yes. In fact recall may be the one behavior you'll want to reinforce always.



> I guess my question is... have I broken his trust somehow?


I wouldn't say that. However, you do have to consider what's competing against compliance. It may not be obvious to you but why a dog refuses a recall is exactly what you should be using to reinforce recall.



> Or are some dogs just willful, they got their own agenda and are not "eager to please" as most dogs seem to be. He's a cockapoo... one of the "eager to please" breeds.


Ahh yes, the "so called will to please". Your problem is that you have a puppy. Keep training the dog until you have the dog you want. If done correctly, you'll always be training...that is part of the fun in owning a dog.


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## Nevallen (Aug 6, 2009)

In my basic obedience courses I insist that the students teach the dog it's name and right through the 8 week course they are required to call, click and treat whenever they are standing doing nothing.

This does 2 things. It does teach the dog that it's name means he has to respond and it teaches the dog that the handler is more rewarding.

Also, if you call the dogs name, pick it up, and immediately take it away from whatever it was enjoying doing, why would it want to come back. Call the dog in, clip a lead on, reward the dog, unclip the lead and let it go play again. Call it in several times before you actually clip the lead on and walk away to wherever you wanted to go.

Hint - the secret is in the value of the reward. The tastier the reward the quicker the pup will learn. I'm talking curried prawns or fillet steak ( well maybe not curried).


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

You should also consider how you're reinforcing recall. If you're using it only when you need the dog to recall, and not when you know the dog will recall, you're likely teaching it improperly. I would not up the ante on recall until you get a very reliable recall at lower levels. And yes, I second the value of the reward.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

Most young puppies will come when you call them, follow you around, run after if you leave them. Its hardwired into them to stay close to survive. Then they hit around 5 months old (give or take a bit, varies pup to pup) and they switch to wanting to explore, learn to hunt, get out in the world. I've known many people who have fallen into that trap, they think their little 10 week old pup has a perfect recall so they don't both to actually teach and reinforce one, then the pup hits adolescence and the "recall" they had disappears.

One of the ways I teach recall:

Have your pup out in your yard on a long line, let them wander around and wait until your pup gets really interested in sniffing something. Once your pup is preoccupied with sniffing and has totally forgotten you are even there, get a treat out of your pocket, needs to be a great treat, like a piece of steak or hotdog and put it in your pups nose. Lure the pup around with the treat, as the pup starts turning around and is almost facing you say "Fido Come!" (or here or whatever word you want use), back up a few steps, lure the pup into a sit in front of you. Mark it (good, yes or click) give the treat and wait a few seconds and release (ok!) and *very important* send the puppy back out to do what it was doing. Do that a gazillion times every day for a few days and then try calling the pup without the lure. If the puppy comes to you (don't forget the sit in front) have a party, jack pot treats (one treat after another, give about 20 treats but not all at once) and then send the puppy back out to play. You can do this inside the house too during this time, if you notice the pup sniffing something intently or just looking away from you, do the above (luring with the treat).

Then do the above in a park at a slow time, on the street while on a walk, at other people's houses, at pet stores. If you try calling the dog and the dog doesn't even twitch an ear, go back to luring for a few more days and try again.

Also, any time your puppy is just walking or running up to you for no reason, say "Fido Come!" when the puppy gets to you lure the pup into a sit, praise and give a treat, wait a few seconds and release (ok!). 

Make recall fun, sometimes when you call your puppy, turn and run away in the opposite direction for several feet, then turn around so your puppy can sit in front of you.

Its very important that for a good month or two while you are doing all of this you do not call your puppy to you unless you are 99% sure the puppy will come and you do not call your puppy to you to end its fun, put it in a crate, bring it inside from playing in the yard, to leave the park. Recall must _never_ end fun or equal anything bad (like a bath, nail cutting) for at least a good month or two.

Then you can once in awhile use recall to mean leaving the park, but making sure for every time you do that you have 10 more recalls that result in going back out to play. And the recall that wasn't so great better have some really, really good treats.

Another important rule. If you call the pup once and the puppy does not listen, do not call it a second time! Go get the puppy, do not teach the puppy it doesn't have to listen the first time around by calling it again. 

The reason I have the dog sit in front of me during a recall is because I don't want the dog to come running to me and keep on going past me! If a recall ends with a sit in front of me they can't do a flyby!


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## kritterkare (Aug 18, 2009)

i will say you always to reinforce behavior when you call the dog point to a spot on the floor you want the dog to come to this will help him to know whats expected of him.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Eagerness to please has nothing to do with it.
And you haven't broken the dog's trust.

Think about it this way: 
When you first got the dog and it came when called, it came because it didn't know what to expect (having no prior experience with you). After calling the dog to you, you probably did something that the dog viewed as not in its best interest. Like clipping a leash on it, leaving the park, going inside, etc. So the dog learned that coming when called leads to bad things happening. Hence, he won't come anymore.

You need to change the association. Get a long line (you can make one out of a clothesline) and if he doesn't come when called, gently reel him in. Praise and treat when he comes. Get him thinking that good things will happen if he comes to you when called!


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