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It happens
to many dog owners. That puppy you brought
home, the one who once stayed at your heels and
adoringly trailed behind you every step of the way, is
now seven or eight months old, has morphed into the consummate
escape artist, and has either forgotten his name or
gone completely deaf. You find yourself standing at the end of
your driveway one morning, with only fifteen minutes to get
dressed and make it to work on time, and Fido or Fifi is
across the street in the neighbor's yard or charging down the
sidewalk like a second grader let out for summer vacation. You
call, again and again; you cajole, threaten, pursue, or
drop to your knees and beg, but there is no
acknowledgement.
You know, of course, and at a
gut-wrenching, ego-bruising level, that sudden
amnesia or profound hearing loss doesn't explain your dog's
unwillingness to respond to your pleas. Your first assumption
is most likely correct: he is, quite frankly, ignoring
you.
In order to avoid a repeat of
such scenarios, we have to understand the situation from the
dog's perspective, know what to do, and what not to
do.
First, there is a difference
between a dog knowing his name, and knowing that when his name
is uttered it means "C'mere now." We want the dog to link that
magic word (Fido, Fifi, Butch, Precious) with a specific
action, and we accomplish this by teaching reliable
recall.
The DO's of Teaching
Recall
1.
Practice under controlled circumstances. The time to
train your dog to come to you is not when you are in a crisis
situation, or during those times (like feeding time) when
the dog comes to you willingly. Rather, either in the yard or
in the house, wait until there is some distance between you
and the dog, and when he isn't paying any attention, call his
name. When he comes to you offer either intense praise, a
treat, or both. This may sound very simple, but the
lesson dogs must learn is that coming to you when called is
always good for them. Next, take your
dog for a walk around the neighborhood. Every few minutes,
stop, let him get ahead of you, then call him back. (A
retractable leash with a long lead works best for this
exercise.) When the dog responds, offer praise, give him
a treat, and resume your walk. It is important that you don't
jerk on the leash. A light tap to get his attention may be
necessary, but the goal is to teach the dog to respond to your
call willingly. Once the dog has responded promptly three or
four times, stop the exercise and let him enjoy the
walk.
2. Have your dog
spayed or neutered. Not only do you do your part to control
overpopulation, but spayed/neutered dogs are less likely to
want to roam.
3. Take your dog
on regular walks. Canine escapees are often driven
by sheer curiosity about what lies beyond the
backyard fence. Accompanying your dog on frequent adventures
through the neighborhood will help stave off backyard boredom,
help satisfy his curiosity, and ultimately reduce the
urge to embark on an expedition without you.
The DON'Ts of Teaching
Recall
1.
There is only one: don't punish. Despite our
tendency to treat our dogs like furry human beings, they are
not creatures driven by ethical concerns. This may come
as a shock to some people, and it is in no way meant to
degrade our canine companions, but dogs do not see the
world in moral terms. They do not calculate or weigh
their actions based on a sense of right
or wrong. Why is this so important to know? Consider
this: you finally manage to get your wayward pooch to
come back to you, and when he arrives he is yelled at, jerked
by the collar, or worse, physically beaten. How many times
I've heard dog owners say, as a way to justify a fist to the
dog's chops, "He knows he did wrong!" I've got news for you.
The next time he escapes, he will indeed remember the lesson,
and will stay as far away from you as possible. If we teach
our dogs that coming to us when we call means being slapped
around, thrown roughly into the house, or dragged through the
backyard gate, they will, out of common sense, avoid us like
the plague. From our perspective, punishment corrects moral
indiscretion. We mistakenly believe the dog will ponder
the problem and arrive at the proper solution: "I better
not run off again, or I'll really get it when I get home." In
fact, what the dog thinks (translated, of course) is
something more like this: "Answering that call is
bad for me, so it's better to keep my
distance, if not increase it!" So, as counter-intuitive as it
may seem, when the dog is back safely in your possession,
when she leaves the neighbor's garbage and wiggles and
wags her way back to you, pet her, praise her, and
say "Good girl!" You will be surprised how quickly that once
deaf amnesiac learns to recognize her name again and
responds to her best friend's call.
About the Author
Paul Bowers, Ph.D., is a member of the Association of Pet
Dog Trainers (ADPT), and a certified therapy dog handler and
evaluator.
Important Disclaimer: The views expressed
here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the Enid SPCA, staff, volunteers, or
Board of Trustees, nor is the information intended to
substitute for professional training services.
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