Anyone out there have any suggestions for training a dog that runs away. He knows what the word "come" means and will readily come if he knows he will get a treat or petted. However, when it is time to go in his cage he runs and is hard to catch. If he gets outside - like he did today he just takes off and will not come. Running away is much more fun than treats or being petted. Today he chased away one of my birds. We found the dog but no bird. She was either hiding or dead.

I know an electric fencing system would be ideal but we simply cannot afford it right now, nor do we have the time to install it. My friends who have these say they are always malfunctioning. However, it is in the plan for next summer anyway. Still, I would like my dog to be trained to come regardless. Help!

I know

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), March 18, 2001

Answers

He thinks its a game .You have to retrain hinm .Get a long rope like clothline and put it on his collar .Let him wander and then tell him come , if he doesnt yank him back "telling him good boy" give him a treat .You may want to start this on a 4-6 ft leash and then work up to a longer one .Never use the word come unless you can make him .If he does get loose call his name and run the other way , he will probally chase you.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), March 18, 2001.

To some the word Shock Collar may seem bad but used properly they are a great training device. Saving Your dogs life by having him come when called (as in stoping him from running in front of a car) is well justified in my eyes. We have and use the collar when we have a HARD HEADED dog and it only takes a time or two and they respond great when called. It also workes great for other things ...barking at the wind, digging and many other things. Our collar has 4 levels of intencity and doesnt hurt the dog just gets its attention. Email Me and I will send u the address where we got our collar from over the net. May You have great success in training your dog. God Bless and have a Great week.

-- Charles steen (xbeeman412@aol.com), March 18, 2001.

We have the same problem with our dog. We tried the shock collar, but it didn't always work correctly, if at all. His skin is too thick, he doesn't even feel the electric fence unless it's his nose that's touching it. We tried running in the opposite direction, but he knows that trick now. Then the car worked for awhile because he thought he'd get to go for a ride. I give up. We take every precaution to make sure he doesn't get loose and if he does, we just wait for him to come back.

-- Epona (crystalepona2000@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.

JD had some great words of wisdom."When an animal forces you to change your system of management,get rid of the animal".That is papraphrased a bit but still excellent advice.Seems this dog is causing a great deal of trouble for you.You would probably come to like his/her replacement more.

-- JT (gone2seed@hotmail.com), March 18, 2001.

I don't see dogs as throw aways .When my dogs don't listen it's usually my fault not theres .You cannot expect a dog to just listen , it has to be trained .Some are easy , some are hard .It works best when started early .We cannot all be great at everything so maybe an obedience class or 2 will help .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), March 18, 2001.

I think I will try the shock collar if they are not too pricey. I would rather shock him then have him hit by a car. Although he is annoying, he is a very loving and gentle guy and I would be saddened if something happened to him.

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), March 18, 2001.

It takes daily training to get through to a dog who has developed bad habits..Rain or shine, every day until he "gets it" is necessary. One of the ways to train a dog to "come" on the FIRST command is to get a choke collar. Only put it on the dog for training, or when he is on a lead with you at the other end of it. Start with a six foot lead ( a regular leash attached to the choke collar). Make sure you attach it so if the dog pulls away from you, the collar gets tight. Have treats in your pocket. One person holds the collar, keeping the dog away from you. You stand as far away from the dog as the leash allows, with you holding the leash. Say "Come" and simultaneously slap your hand against your hip. The person holding the dog should let go at the same time.Do NOT repeat the command!!!! If the dog comes immediately to you, give him a treat and a HUGE hug..make a BIG deal out of it all..."Good DOG, GREAT DOG!!!!!!!! YEAH DOG!!!!!".If he just sat there and looked at you, pull him to you..drag him if you have to. When he gets there, praise him anyway, but no treat.Always praise him as if he has just rescued the family from a burning building. When you get to the point where he comes automatically from 6 feet, add rope and make it 10 feet..Continue this until the dog will come to you immediately from 50-100 feet away.If your dog is an inside dog as well as outside, make sure you call him to you several times a day, always giving an academy award performance by saying "Great DOG!!!!".You should have him on a lead even indoors to do this, remember, only say "Come" one time and then ACT. Dogs thrive on praise from those they consider to be the leader of the pack. Treats help too if a dog has already developed some atrocious habit. A dog learns faster than we do and will always take advantage of your tiredness or your giving up...your dog must be on a lead each and every time he goes outside until he learns to come the FIRST time you call. A million years ago, I used to train dogs..only dogs who had "problems".....I found that the biggest problem was the owners not willing or in some cases not able to take the amount of time required to re-train the dog. If you are able to train him every day and not give him a single inch over you, in 30 days, you will both be happier. God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), March 18, 2001.

If your dog is not a graud animal that needs to be loose for perotection then I would sugest that you put up a dog run. We have a lap sized dog that is very loving and most of the time listens, but when I correct her for the puddles she leaves on the floor and put her out she runs away. Up to a mile so far. Usually a neighbor sees her and brings her back. But it is still frustarting. We will be putting up a dog run this spring. Costs little and keeps her put.

-- michelle (tsjheath@ainop.com), March 19, 2001.

You must be smarter than the dog........ My husband and I have three dogs, which are on an extended stay at my parents.... when they were puppies, the very first thing I taught them after their names, was COME! Whether they are in trouble or not, they come when called. They also know "Kennel Up".... Which my mom loves. Most times you don't even get through saying the whole command, and they are headed towards their kennel.

When the dogs were with us, it was important for them to know "Come", as the landlord runs a kennel, and one of her dobberman's had free rein. When she came down, My dogs had to get inthe kennel but quick. Also, the more "urgent" I made the command sound, the quicker they came. If I spotted the dobbie, I would shout, "Come" like I was in trouble, and my three came running with ears pinned and tails tucked.

I agree with the re-training.....start with a small leash and lots of treats, for about 5-10 minutes at a time. work you way up to a longer leash.... Make the dog think that its VERY important that they come when called....if your dog likes to work, maybe you should give him a "job" to do..... My dogs are being trained to be ratters.

Sarah

-- Sarah Wilde (gilded_lily_1@yahoo.com), March 20, 2001.

I've never caged my dogs - only thing I have in cages is rabbits. But, I do have one that will climb anything anywhere and get loose. She stays pretty much in the yard, but it does bother me (and at least one of my neighbors). We simply put her out on a long leash. She's got shady spots, a sheltered area under our porch, sunny spots, water and toys. Seems pretty happy. It is a pain, though, having to tie her when the others just walk out the door and stay in their yard. And, she is chained *inside* the fenced area with the others so they can play. They don't pick on her, so there is not a problem with being jerked up short at the end of the chain.

She can climb a bare wall but hasn't figured out how to break through a leash.... Not exactly the brightest bulb in our package, lol!!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 20, 2001.

This won't be much help, but the only thing I've found that works so far is getting your dog as a puppy. These are the only dogs I've ever had that don't run away on a consistent basis. The woman who runs our dog class says to train for recall while you're watching TV--as soon as your dog wanders out of the room, call her. Give her a treat and a good treat, one she doesn't get all the time. Repeat. I guess it works for her.

-- Betsy in NY (sassyweitzel@yahoo.com), March 21, 2001.

It's cruel to keep a dog in a cage.they are not like chickens and rabbits.They are a social animal and interact with humans like no other animal.If you stay in the cage a few days with him ,you will understand how he or she feels.I'm not being sarcastic.Dogs show emotions.They get jealous ,if you make a fuss over another dog or even another person.They are also extremely loyal.You can get mad at them and as some people do hit them, and they'll forgive you instantly.Not even a spouse or children can be so instantly forgivivg.Don't put him in a cage,it's the same as if you put a human in a cage.It's seen by him as punishment only he probably can't figure out what he did wrong.

-- Steve (a12goat@cs.com), March 24, 2001.

Tiffani - I tried a shock collar on my beagleX who had a thick coat - all she did was shake her head and keep going! So ... if you dog has a heavy coat, it might not work. What worked for me with another of my dogs was utilize a fear she had. She HATES gunshots, firecrackers and anything else of that sort. So I first taught her come, then I used a whistle for come, then a small firecracker. Worked like a charm. Now, if she cannot hear my voice, (maybe the wind is blowing the wrong way or something) I use the whistle and it always works. We have to make it more fun for them to come back to us than it is to run the other direction!

-- Dianne (willow@config.com), March 24, 2001.