Hi to all i hope this isnt a silly questionas i am new to this! We have a 2 yr old yello lab, of which he is our first dog. We have trained him the best we could and are relativley happy with the results as he is our first dog and as you are all aware you can learn a lot from your first! But my question is that our dog understands all commands such as heel sit stay etc but will only do any of them when he wants to and not neccessarily when WE want him to without a little persuasion. But one command that i am worried about him not obeying is that of 'heel' or 'come'. Despite many attempts using different training methods he still only heels whilst off the lead when he is good and ready! I would say about 6 times out of 10 he will heel to us which obviously isnt enough! Can any one help as we have just got a new black 6 mth old lab and i am worried that the new dog will pick up from the old and not obey untill he is ready to do so!
Many thanks
Mark

SOUND LIKE YOU AND ME HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I GOT TO THE POINT THAT I COULD NO LONGER COPE WITH SABRE MY 9 MONTH OLD GERMAN SHEPARD DOING WHAT HE LIKED THAT I TOOK HIM TO SEE A BEHAVORIST AND I HAVE TO SAY I LERNT SO MUCH. FROM YOUR LETTER IT SOUNDS TO ME AS THOUGH YOUR DOG THINKS HE'S BOSS AND THATS WHY HE DOSE WHAT HE WANTS HAFE TH TIME CUREING IT IS NT SO EASY. FIRST THING TO O IS WHAT I HAD TO. (1)FEED MEALS AFTER YOURS (2) YOU GO THROUGH DOOR WAYS FIRST (3) NEVER LET HIM PUSH PAST YOU (4) MAKE HIM WORK FOR TREATS IT AT TAKE SOME TIME BUT IT WILL WORK GOOD LUCK.

Thanks Alex, I do much of what you have explained, i dont let him go through doors first etc but still he persisits! I have now obtained a whistle and am currently training both dogs on that, hopefully it might put a clearer message through to him as to what i want him to do, especially if he is a long way off! Instead of me screaming " heel" to him from a distance and getting weird looks off other people!

Mark

On of the biggest things dog seem to struggle to understand is 'why when I call the shots at home, should I listen to you when we're outside?' - After all - at home dog says 'let me out' and we do, dog says 'fuss me' and we do, 'feed me' and out comes the dog food........ Try and manage your next few days so that *you* decide when he goes out, maybe divide his food between three or four meals and feed him by hand, making him do something before he gets his bowl every time can help too - kids can be the same - they call the shots with their parents by 'demanding' this pair of trainers and that brand of cereal, then can't deal with it when parents say 'be back by 4 o'clock or else....' ;-)

Thanks digger, both our dogs stay outside most of the time except on most evenings when we let them in, but we are now finding two dogs together can sometimes be a handfull! When they are fed they are made to sit and stay etc and are not allowed to get their food untill i tell them to "get"! The problem that i am finding is that the older dog ( yellow lab ) does know all the commands and also understands what i am asking him to do but looks up and says " if you think im coming to you now ive found something interesting too smell you can forget it! "
Any ideas?!

Mark

It could be that as the dogs live out mostly, that he is happy being independant of you? He perhaps isn't as attached to you as he could be, and is used to occupying himslef at homw without your constant input, and chooses to do the same when you are out.

I would suggest training sessions when you are out, not free time, as he gets plenty of that at home. Maybe a few weeks of on lead training so that he learns to pay attention to you???

Just an idea, as most really highly trained dogs see their owner as the centre of their world. Don't know if I could cope with the responsibility of that much devotion, but maybe it is the key, warming up your relationship.

i know how you feel!!
i had terrible recall problems with Tarot, our Dane cross for ages. He would only some back when he was good and ready, and if there was something interesting to sniff forget it!!
i had him neutered and after a few weeks he was much more attentive in general.
Is your lab neutered? If not, it may help. If you isn't and you don't want to get him done unless you're sure it'll help, there's an injection called Tardec you can have done that will have the same [temporary] effect. It's not a "quick fix" to the problem, as you'll still have to be consistent with all the things you're doing already, but in time it'll get easier!

Annette

I like this thread because i'm having same problem. My dog (Buddy 10mths) whom i have posted before on his inability to 'come' when out, especially if there's other dogs around. I especially like digger's coments on dogs calling the shots at home etc. Buddy's general training improved lots when i stopped letting him through doors first etc but recall is still a problem generally i'd say 5/10.
When at home i take him out as soon as he indicates his need to which is always in the wee hours of the morning. He tends to want to go out every couple of hours and i imediately oblige. I've tried ignoring it but he justs urinates on the carpet. He's also started barking when he wants tit bits (even though i just fed him), or to be played with which is driving me nuts. I try getting up and walking away and closing the door behind me which sometimes work or just plain ignore him. Saying 'NO' has no effect at all.

I'll bear diggers coments in mind when at home and see if it spills over onto outside training.

Budmag

Sounds like we do have the same issue! It sounds like your dog however is 'wearing the trousers' with you walking him etc when he wants to and not when its convienient for you. My dogs like many i assume thrive off routine, i.e when i wake up and have my breakfast they wait and then i feed them then walk them, eves we have dinner then i feed them then they walk etc etc, they seem to be relativley calm and happy when other things are happening because of the routine they know the procedure and also know that after they have fed they will walk etc. ( i hope this makes sense!) And yes i have had Benji seen to at the vets and we went for his first off the lead walk yesterday which proved to be a great success heeling when i wtd him to with the use of the whistle ( which i have also found very good to use for commands 1 peep for sit, 2 for heel and 1 long peep for lie down ) with the younger 6 mth old lab following! - Big smiles!

Regards
Mark

Well i took him for his first walk off the lead yesterday since his op and he is better but with practice i am sure he will come through! But unfortunatley the younger 6 mth old pup does mimic him when the elder sometimes ignores the whistle to come! Will this be a problem or will they both get better??!