  "Charisse" is a one year old female Labrador retreive. (Brian/Donogh/QMI Agency) |
Dear John:
We have a 19-month-old Lab. We would like to be able to take her off the leash, but when she is following a scent, or chasing swallows, etc., she doesn't come when called. I know she hears us because she will look over when we call, but she doesn't obey. How do we train her to come when called, even when she's distracted? - C. and P.D.
Hi C. and P.D.:
Teaching a reliable recall is easy, but it can take a couple of years if starting from a puppy. It will probably take a year for a dog your age. It may seem like a long time, but it makes sense when you break it down from the perspective of nature's template. Your dog will start coming when you call much sooner than that, but the extra time is your insurance policy that there won't be back sliding.
'Come!' means the dog moves from point B (where it is) to point A (where you are) indoors or outdoors, regardless of distractions - other people, dogs, squirrels at home or at the cottage, etc. I don't necessarily look for sparks to fly beneath the dog's feet on recall, but none of the 'if you've got a minute, could you check your calendar and try and squeeze me in?' attitude.
One of the tenets of my training philosophy is 'if a dog can't be caught, the dog can't be taught.' There is nowhere that it applies more than when teaching 'Come!' No primate, wolf, pet dog, or human has developing progeny that (until young adulthood) has greater speed than its parents. When we take in a dog, we shouldn't think that raising a dog is any different. If we do, there are consquences and a dog not coming is one of them.
On average, when dogs hit 16 weeks of age, they start noticing that they can catch the squirrels the best. Incidents start taking place, like kids waiting until their mom is in the shower to start yelling 'Mom, the dog got out! Save him!' The dog leads Mom on a merry chase down the street, and once a sufficient crowd has gathered, decides to play tug of war with her bath towel.
The only way to teach a dog to 'Come!' is to not to give it an opportunity to believe the word means anything else. I do that by having the dog drag a long line as it grows up. If my adult Jack Russell, aka Elmo, decided he didn't like the way the back end of a skunk was winking at him and pelted off after it, he came if I said 'Come!' Not because I could catch him, but because by the time he was an adult, he believed I could catch him.
Until a dog is an adult (a year in your case), leave her on a supervised long line. Whether you're in the yard or on a hike, frequently say 'Come!', and if need be, haul in the dog like a banker does a bailout. Then love her up, or give a treat, throw a ball, etc. Send her back on her happy way, and the sound of the word 'Come!' will never be defined to your dog as 'Oh crap, old two-legs is party-pooping again.'
As your dog develops into an adult or if it already is, for a solid year keep it dragging a 30" long leash. And feel free to contact me if you have questions about long leashes or anything else.
Pawsitively yours,
John Wade
john@askthepetguy.com
www.askthepetguy.com
