My girlfriend and I got a shelter dog about a month ago and he is really smart. He's about a year and a half and his name is obi (short for obi-wan kenobi) View attachment 44169 . I have taught him his new name, to sit and stay, to walk on a loose leash and down, but now I want to teach him to come but I am not really sure of the best way. I use the clicker method (which is way better than the choke collar. He is learning so quickly.) I was just wondering what has worked for others? Thanks
There's a great DVD out there called "Really Reliable Recall" that is WONDERFUL if you've got good timing (and most folks who are fairly experienced with clicker training are at least decent.) Leslie McDevitt's "Control Unleashed" and Jane Killion's "Pigs Fly: Obedience Training for Impossible Dogs" also have good instructions for building a reliable recall with marker training. (Pigs Fly is probably more suitable for what you are asking about; CU teaches a really fast reliable recall as part of defusing reactivity.) When using a clicker to teach a recall, timing is CRUCIAL. You need to initially mark the exact moment the dog starts to come towards you (ideally, start with the head turning towards you, then click only for turning and taking a step, then turning and taking a few steps, etc). But you have to be careful and choose WHERE you train this carefully and increase your distractions very slowly so that the dog never gets achance to decide "Meh, a treat's not as good as zooming around." I am mostly a clicker trainer, but my guys drag a long-line for recall training and learn that they can be reeled in if they don't make the choice to come.
What I have been doing is taking him to the park when it is fairly quiet and let him go to the end of his leash. He pulls a little bit and then when he turns to me I click and then he comes back for the treat. The hand motion I use is patting my leg. For the most part now as soon as he feels the pull he comes back to me. Does this sound like I am doing it right? I haven't really worked on this a lot yet, we are just starting. When should I start using the verbal command come?
The problem there is that as soon as you take the leash off, you've lost your cue (the leash tug.). I'd recommend picking up Pigs Fly and teaching it from the ground up.
