Have you ever stood screeching at your dog to come back while he continues what he’s doing and blithely ignores you? You get more and more frustrated – and embarrassed, while the smug owner nearby calls his dog who runs like an arrow straight back to him.
It’s a common problem.
You expect your dog to come when you call them, don’t you? It’s what dogs are supposed to do, isn’t it?
Hate to tell you, but no – it isn’t a natural behaviour (except in puppies). Remember, dogs do what they get rewarded for – and coming back when called may be a punishment for your dog rather than a reward, because you’re calling him away from something he’s enjoying or wants to do.
So why is not coming when called such a common complaint? As always there are several reasons. Here are the four common ones.
The first one is that you’re lulled into a false sense of security when your dog is a puppy.
Puppies don’t like to stray far from mum or dad and come scampering back when you call them, usually in a soft, pleasurable, welcoming voice. “Great”, you think, “I’ve cracked recall. My puppy loves me so he’ll always come back when I call.”
Then adolescence hits.
Your sweet, cuddly puppy becomes an obnoxious teenager. Suddenly he’s giving you the finger when you call. You call in a hard, demanding voice, usually with a touch of desperation and frustration thown in. But your dog still ignores you. You now have a recall problem.
The second reason is that your dog hasn’t been rewarded well enough for coming back when you call.
As your puppy scampers back at your first call and your heart overflows with love for your tiny fluffy bundle, you give them a cuddle and fuss for coming back and everything seems hunky-dory – but it’s not. You’ve missed the opportunity to give your dog a stupendous reward, like chicken, or cheese, or a favourite game, or whatever your dog loves, which will really cement the behaviour in his tiny brain.
The third reason is that we inadvertently punish our dogs for coming back when we call. “What?” you say, “I’d never punish my dog.” Remember, punishment is not about hitting your dog (I’m sure you’d never do that). It’s about doing something the dog doesn’t like, such as shutting your dog in the kitchen so you can go out to work. Or calling him away from digging in your pristine garden. Or to put him back on lead. Or to do something he dislikes, such as giving him a bath.
The fourth reason is that you’ve taught him to ignore you. It’s all too easy to do that. Perhaps you’ve called him as he’s chasing something, or running off towards another dog, or when he’s just spotted that rabbit, or even when he’s just thinking of going to the loo. All those things are the equivalent of driving on the M1 when you haven’t passed your test -they are just too hard – so your dog learns to ignore you.
Keep training
Carol