come on command

[animaluver]

I am training my dog, Dakota for the county fair. Dakota is a 1 and a half year old American Eskimo, and I have been working on come with him for about 6 months. I'm just starting to go off leash with him outside, but whenever he doesn't feel like coming to me he just wonders off. If I try to bring him to me, he runs the other way. I've tried treats but I guess he thinks it's more interesting to watch the cats or whatever. I know he knows what the come command is because he does it just fine on leash, so my question is how can I get him to come every time I tell him to? Also, I never scold or punish him when he does come, I just give him treats and lots of praise.

[adunphy]

You need to be more interesting than the surroundings. Be more exciting than the cat! How can you do that? Well, find better treats, or toys. Also try working in fenced areas. Jackpot your dog when he does come. (Give a ton of praise).

You can also try the 'if you ignore me I may disappear' - some people hide from their dogs. Make them come and find you. Try running away from your dog as well. This may excite him to chase you which you can then reward. There are tons of fun games to play to teach come

Amy

[animaluver]

I have tried using his very favorite toys and treats that he normally does anything for, and we don't have a fenced yard. I have also tried running away from my dog and hiding from him, but nothing seems to work. Do you have any other suggestions, or should I just keep working with him on leash, adding a lot of distractions?

[adunphy]

Think of it in two layers. Distance, and difficulty. Increase one at a time. Can your dog come to you in a room filled with treats on the floor? Can he make good choices when there is his favorite toy he has to pass up? What about coming from a longer distance on a long line? Make it a little more difficult each time, slowly and keep track of what is troublesome for him and you will hopefully narrow down the training a bit. good luck and keep me posted!

Amy

[animaluver]

Okay, thanks for the advice. I will test him on leash to see if he can pass up distractions. That might just be the problem. Also, he won't usually listen to my commands unless I give him food or a toy. I've tried fading out the rewards, but it seems like he suddenly loses all his training. Do you have any suggestions for this? Thanks for the advice and sorry if I'm making extra work for you.