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Posted by TeamBoxer on January 30, 2003 at 23:04:42:
In Reply to: Re: Come Command posted by DanielleC on January 29, 2003 at 13:57:45:
I told him he doesn't use his regular voice and he sounds mean and she thinks she is in trouble. I can't get him to understand. What should I do now??? HELP! I']m going crazy!
Tell him, FIRST, that she will never EVER learn anything more important than coming when called. Right now, it's just an annoyance when she doesn't, but the day may well come that it could cost her life.
THEN, ask him which tone of voice would HE be more likely to respond to if you were calling HIM? Demonstrate with the tone you might use when he's done something to annoy you (nagging... which is no doubt the sort of voice he's using to call the puppy) and then the tone of voice you might use when you think he's the best person you've ever known and you're so grateful to have him in your life.
And... just another thought to add. I don't use a leash... not even a long line... to teach come. I guess there must've been plenty of people who succeeded with it, for the method to be so popular.
But I don't like it for two reasons... three really:
The first two are related to 'come'.
1. My goal in ALL training is to teach the dog to control HIMSELF, as opposed to depending on a tool to control the dog. I want the dog always making choices, and I work to make sure that *I* am always the BEST choice.
2. I know that if/when the time comes when I NEED that come command to save my dog's LIFE, there is NOT going to be a leash to help make it happen. So I prefer not to build that context into the dog's understanding of 'come'.
My third reason has to do with the leash. I use leashes to restrain dogs before they've been trained, but never to pull them or make them go where I want them to go. Dogs have the same opposition reflex that we have... the reflex to resist force. Push against them, they will push back... pull them and they'll dig in to resist that too. There is quite enough 'conflict' built into 'walking nicely on a leash' without inviting/engaging the dog's resistance by pulling on him.
I teach 'come' by choosing moments when the dog is already moving towards me... it might be for any reason, but when I can see the pup is intent on getting to me, I say 'come' and then throw a big party when she gets to me. I've had the weather on my side, raising my own four month old puppy. It's most often unpleasant outside these days... bad enough to make teaching her to ASK to go out to potty difficult, cuz she'd much rather do it inside where it's warm and cozy. So I've largely made it my business to get her out there when I know she should go, not allow her in til she's finished her business... praise her as she's finishing so she knows she can come in now, and while she's making a bee-line for the door to get in out of the cold/rain/snow I say "Bliss, COME!" And when she parks her butt on the floor in front of me in the kitchen she gets a mouth full of Easy Cheese.
Kim
with Rosie, Bay, Teacher and Bliss