The command "come"

[Meemoo]

Hi All,

My doxie is pretty good about commands. He knows the sit, down, heel, no bite, quiet commands but the come one forget about it. This is one of the ones I wished he knew the best for if he roams around, it's impossible to get him, we go through this chasing routine and he thinks it's a game. We've tried just saying ok we're leaving and go to another room. The only method we've found successful is (what else) food. Don't want a fat doxie though. I've also tried putting him on a lead and doing "happy talk" and coaxing him to come. He wants no part of it. Even tried toys, he'll come for the first time and then forget it, even while praising and having a treat now and then. Anyone have any thoughts on the issue?

Loren<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm10.gif" border=0>

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by meemoo on November 02, 2000 at 10:57 AM</font>

[LisaH]

The only method we've found effective is food, too! We hold up a fist to indicate there's food inside it, and then call "Come!" Once you've practiced this awhile, you can start substituting praise for the treat more and more. Every once in a while, still give the treat. Then he's likely to come just on the off-chance of a goody.

This came in very handy when we were visiting my mother. I told her if Annie got out of the house and wouldn't come, she should hold up a fist and yell "Come!" Annie did get out of the house, my mother tried it, and Annie came running like the dog in the Alpo commercial!

Maybe someone has a better idea; I just find that "dachshund deafness" instantly takes over when you say "Come" unless there's a chance of food.

[Oscar's Mom]

In puppy kindergarden, they taught use treats. So you would start by saying 'Chiefy Treats Come', then you slowly wean off the treat word. Or use what ever word they know that means treat to them. It worked great for us. I think treats are an important part of training, at the start of it anyway.

[OwnedByChaucer]

Chaucer and gidget bless their naughty little hearts, are pretty good with "come", though we don't use the word--they each have cues that they'll come for.

Chaucer responds to clapping and whistling--we've even taken him to a big football field and stood at opposite ends, and called him..and he comes a-runnin', ears flappin' in the breeze...

Gidget's pretty responsive too, but we've never tried it with her off our property...but she responds it a high pitched call...which (stop laughing) goes "gidgee widgee midgee"

[Mark]

I've never had a problem with Duck Butter and Masse . . . they have always come on command. Please don't ask how because even though they are treat driven we have never made that a means of training . . . so I don't know how. They both have always just obeyed instantly.

But if anyone has an idea about training a non-food driven Catahoula . . . there's where it's been inconsistant. Are you there Mary? http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif I would even use treats for training him, but they don't work.

Probably a silly question, but is there anyone with a Dachsie that isn't food or treat driven that has trained them to come. I'll try it with Top Spin.

Mark

[Oscar's Mom]

Wow, non-food driven must be so hard to start with! There was a Irish Settler in our obedience class that was not motivated by food, so they stepped up on the verbal praising, but were still having a tough time.

[Krista]

Both of mine usually come when I call them, sometimes I use treats, coupled with praise and belly rubs, other times I don't.

I think my key is I squat down to their level and call them in a high pitched happy voice. (But I have been told that I have the kind of voice that babies and animals love, and telemarketers usually ask to talk to my parents http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/wink.gif.) They come = cuddle time. Thats what really works for me. Now, if I am squatting or on the floor, they just come with out me calling them in most cases.

Now, my real problem is getting them to come when very distracted...we're still working on that.

[Wienergal]

This is how I learned to train a dog to come in both Peaches's and Farfel's obedience classes. You have to do this consistently, every day, for about 10 or 15 minutes, and reinforce it spontaneously during the day. It works and doesn't involve food.

Put a long line on the dog. An extra-long leash is fine, but so is a length of drapery cord or light clothesline. Put the dog in a sit-stay and walk off to a distance of ten feet or more. Turn and face the dog. Say, "Come."

If the dog comes to you, praise, praise, praise. A treat if you like.

If the dog does NOT come, give ONE GENTLE TUG on the line. If the dog gets up and comes to you, continue to say "Come" as the dog approaches you, then praise, praise, praise, as above.

If the dog responds to your gentle tug by getting up and sniffing around or walking in the other direction, give another tug and gently reel the dog in, saying "Come" the whole time. Praise, etc.

Walk around for a minute to rest the little doggy brain. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

The important thing about this training routine is that, until your dog gets the idea and comes on command without a tug, you must NEVER issue the command when the dog is not on a leash or line--in other words, in a situation you can't control. You don't want to give the dog the idea that it's OK to come sometimes and not at others. So during this period, occasionally attach the line when the dog is in the house, and issue the command spontaneously--when he's doing something he really likes doing, such as playing with a favorite toy, chewing a bone, or even eating.

If you do this consistently, it WILL work. Oh, and of course, when the dog comes to you, s/he must sit.

Good luck!

[Mark]

Pamela,

I'll try that! Thanks!

http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif Yeah, the obedience trainer didn't know what to do with Top Spin. He'd toss a cookie to the floor testing him for the "leave it" command . . . he just looked at the treat, then at the trainer as if to say "Yeah, so?". Then when he got the release command . . . he still didn't care about it one way or the other. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif He didn't even eat one treat throughout the whole training course! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm12.gif" border=0>

Mark

[Meemoo]

I've tried that Wienergal. Fat chance he learned. I did it consistently for over a month. The only time I can get him to come is when there is a treat involved, otherwise...he ignores me. I tried the clapping, crouching down, happy talk, he just is stubborn, stubborn and did i say stubborn?

Loren

[Oscar's Mom]

Wienergal - you can get yours to sit and stay, thats an accomplishment in itself! We dont do that well on staying, as soon as I move so does Oscar.

[Wienergal]

Loren, please note: There is no "happy talk, crouching down," or anything else in the regimen I described!! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif You say you did it for over a month....well, some wieners take longer. Many dachsies ARE stubborn, no question about it! But the thing about this training technique is that the dog has no choice but to come on command--it can't NOT work...because YOU are holding the line attached to his collar! So when you say, "Come!", one way or another, he's gotta do it!

My suggestion: Eliminate all the other tricks and go back to the line method. Be totally consistent and do the exercise often enough that it begins to penetrate the thick dachsie skull! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm27.gif" border=0> Don't switch to the other methods until he will consistently come to you on his own with the line attached.

Yeah, it's a lot of work. Farfel, being a Velcro dog, was eager to come to me (because he wants to be with me at all times), so he learned to come very easily, and he always comes on command. Peaches, on the other hand... Well, she's a more classic dachsie. Her best thing in obedience was the down-stay. She was just awful at "Come!" I would do the daily exercises faithfully and think we were making progress. Then, in class, I would tell her to come and she'd just sit there. One night, when she had humiliated me in front of the entire class AGAIN, I put her in the car after class, turned to her, and cried, "Peaches, how COULD you?" She licked my face. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/frown.gif I felt like a complete idiot.

She DID learn. Eventually. But now, at age 12, she pretty much ignores me when I give her the command. So we do the exercises again, and she gets better. But with Peaches, it's a lifelong task.....

Mark, I can just see Top Spin ignoring that cookie!!! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif They are a challenge, these doggies!

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Wienergal on November 03, 2000 at 09:41 AM</font>

[Krista]

Pamela,

Well actually it CAN -not work. A stubborn Dachsie that really does not want to come when you tug on that line twists their head and slips that collar pretty quickly. thye can also do the "I'm not moving. You're gonna have to pull my dead weight by my poor little neck" routine.

Just wanted to point that out. Maybe using a harness would work better for this training method for those very stubborn ones.

Meemoo, see how many things were suggested, and how many things some people have tried? That is just more proof that no one method works for every individual all of the time.

Also, How do you make sure they get the idea they have to come when they are OFF leash?Just wondering...That's when it is most important that they DO come. I always practice out in the yard or in the house while they are roaming free.

Mark,
Will Top-Spin come for a favorite toy??

[Meemoo]

yes...u r so right about the "i'm gonna let you pull me, I'm not coming. To me this is just reinforcing NOT to want to come. If I was being pulled, do you think I would come the next time...NO WAY. Even with his leash, it doesn't matter, he gets more amd more adament about NOT coming. It's a real challenge but I haven't given up yet..although he thinks I have!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0>

[Mark]

Hi Krista,

Well I don't know. His only toy that is a favorite is a 16" diameter ball with a handle on it that a horse would play with. But I don't think he'd come for it. Inside toys . . . forget it - no way! His loves are running flat out and patrolling the fence & woods. On a nice day he will have been running flat out for hours & hours and as tired as he is . . . he's got the biggest smile I've ever seen. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif He's also more stubborn than Dachsies, extremely strong, impervious to pain . . . yet still accepts me as alpha. Now, he will come in from being in the woods all day when I call everytime. But if he has not been out that long or just started playing with the ball, or sees an animal or another dog . . . forget it. He'll come when he's ready and not before. We actually have a very long leash for him and I've thought of trying it . . . but Pamela's blue print of using it made me commit to trying it.

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions everyone! I appreciate it.

Mark

[Wienergal]

Krista, I should have added, of course, that you have to use a training collar on the dog when you're doing this exercise, so that the dog can't slip the collar.

[bigotis]

Oh my gosh everyone! I just came into this category and was going to ask:"even with the fear of being laughed at, can anyone teach a dachsie to come?" and I see all these great ideas and suggestions. That's what is so fantastic about this board! My Otis is seven months now, and he can sit and stay and lie down and roll over. Yes, they are smart little buggers. He doesn't like to shake, and he was coming to the command, "Come here," when treats were involved, but as he gets older he is more selective about when he listens. I even resorted to bribery, so I think he knows "let's go get a treat" much better than "come here." I appreciate all the suggestions because I don't have time for classes with my full-time college and my kids'schedules! I do have time to work Otis at home and plan to work on this. I'll let you know how it goes. Also, can anyone recommend any training books I could read? Has anyone had success with "heal?"

Thanks everyone,

Otis's mommy, A.

[Heather]

Yes, I have had success with Heel. I have taught Beanie 'Let's Go', which means walk close, don't pull, but you can sniff now and again if you like. 'Heel' is a more disciplined right at my side walk. I started with a food lure, and then went from there. I can even do it around the house, but have not been able to totally get rid of the food lure. I must admit he has never been a pull you down the street type of dog, but it did take ALOT of patience and practice. He is still not the greatest when we encounter other people or animals, but we are working on that.

[Cindi]

Wienergal,
I totally agree with your method except for one thing. I don't keep repeating the command 'come' as my dogs have then learned that the command is 'comecomecomecomecome' http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif
I use the long line in preliminary leash training (no words used - they learn to pay attention because there IS a leash attached) and then when it comes to 'come' as a command, they get the one command and then they must move. As soon as they get up, be it with help or not, there is great praise until they get to me....and then the rest of your routine. Sometimes, with some of my children, I have used the command and when they get up we play tag with me being it. Some of them love this, some just give me the finger if I try to play that game to make them come faster.
And the training collar is a must! buckle collars will not work when you are trying to give them no choice.
And Mark, you might try the tag routine if your recalcitrant, non-treat oriented dog likes chasing. Sometimes it works, sometimes not http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/frown.gif

[wireweiners]

Well Katie is a chow hound so treats have always worked for her. One thing I did was when she was very young, I would take her out in the pastures with me. She would go sniffing around but was not confident enough to totally run off. She would go off a ways and I would call and praise her when she came. I also taught her hand signals at this time so I could give her commands at a distance. Now, my dad's dog, Bubba, is another story. When he is baying cows, nothing short of a shock collar or a BB sting to the butt will get his attention. I have found the best way to teach come is to start very young, take them some place safe and just start walking with them. They will have a natural tendency to explore and then return to you. Praise and treat when they do this and then start adding the come command with a lot of encouragement. I do this with the dachsies in the yard, just call them to me, pet them and then let them go again. I don't have a problem with catching my dogs in the field trial. Unless they are on a sight chase they will come to me when the judge says pick em up and I holler at them. Not an obedience recall but they do start back in my direction. I am too old and fat to chase dogs all over creation. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm32.gif" border=0>