Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, I have recently welcomed a beautiful 4-month-old female toy poodle into my home. She was a gift from my boyfriend, whose parents' dog had puppies and they decided to give one to me. Juliet, as I named her, has had selective hearing since she came into my home. She already recognizes her name and comes when called, but as of the past few days has decided that the command "Come" is optional, and when she does come running to me, she gets about a foot away from me and turns to run away from my hands. How do I curb the running away, and how do I get her to do what I say ALL the time? It's really getting frustrating. I've tried treats; she knows I keep them in my pocket and she gets one every time she comes without running away, which is not very often. I also praise her endlessly when she does things right, which is also not often. Is she just too independent to be trained? Might she calm down a bit after I get her spayed? Please help!
-----
shodanhalo@comcast.net

First thing to remember is she is a PUPPY. This means that she has the attention span of a FLEA. LOL.

As to training, I would set aside a certain time, everyday for no more than 30 minutes. During this time, and this is what I've done with my kids, I would put her on a leash, walk away from her, offer her a treat and say COME. When she comes give her the treat. If she doesn't come, GENTLY put tension on the leash holding it to encourage her to come to you. This means just tightening up a slack leash, or a very gentle pull. Nothing harsh as that will only make her want to run.

Patience and Consistancy are the keys here. She's just a baby, and we all know that no one would expect a Human baby to understand commands at 4 months. So, take a deep breath, give her a BIG hug and tell her how much you love her, and be very, very Patient. Best of Luck to you.

-----
PH SmDog

No dog is too independent to be trained Some are much more stubborn that others, but even they will learn you are very persistent.. Give her a little time, and if at all possible get her into a puppy class. Make sure it's a puppy class as they have short play sessions worked in to relieve boredom and help with socialization..

If you can't get her into a class, read and read as much as you can about training and ask lots of specific questions like "what steps do I take to teach her to sit?" Lots of people on here are incredibly helpful, I know they've helped me through some extremely rough times

ahhhhhhhhh the defiant puppy days lol
The most important thing to remember when trying to train the "come" command is to never give your puppy the opportunity to ignore you. Until your pup is reliable with the recall, you can use a 50ft line to reinforce the command. You give the "come" command only once.....if puppy does not return to you immediately then you start reeling him/her in with the 50ft line. Don't give the command a second time...simply say "come" reel her in and then treat and "good come" when she is back where you want her.
Everytime puppy has the opportunity to ignore you it is reinforcing the behavior, so puppy is learning that you can be ignored which is never a good thing as your puppy's life may depend on the recall one day.
And always remember to be consistent....train often and for short periods of time (5-10 minutes 3-4 times a day works well)
and never forget that at this age, your puppies ears are strictly ornamental lol
Good luck and keep us updated on how you're doing.
Tammy

Keep reminding yourself that "too independent to be trained" can be fatal. Using a command you can't enforce DOES teach her that obeying you is optional. Use the line training as suggested. Dog comes first time every time because she gets rewarded & doesn't have a choice, anyway. Takes time & consistency.