Coming when called (or not)!!! advice needed

[Fiona]

Our 6 month old JRT puppy is adorable. She is fully housetrained, never whimpers at night, and has only been caught chewing forbidden things a couple of times.

She doesn't pull on the lead, sits when she is told, and always comes v quickly when we are out on a walk.

Sounds like a bit of a paragon...

The problem we have is at home. Our house and yard are one one side of the road, and sand school and fields on the other. Not a busy road but is on a bend.

One of our cats likes to tease her, ie she lobs along just in front of the puppy, then jumps up on a fence post or a tree branch etc, and puppy goes mad barking and running about and will not listen to any "come" or "sit" command. If caught with a treat and brought back across the road, she has been known to turn around and run back again the instant she is set down.

How do you ensure that training is so ingrained that she responds whatever the provocation. She always gets a treat when she comes when called, so she doesn't ever get the chance to associate being caught with being smacked or told off (much as I might like to sometimes).

I am just worried that she might run across the road in front of a car one day if we don't get ground rules established from the start.

Any advice??

Fiona

 

[Blackhawk]

Well, what's her reward when she comes to you?

She needs to realise that you are much more fun than anything else going on around her!

Start by calling her to you when she is in the house, and giving her a treat when she responds. This doesn't need to be an edible treat, it could be her favorite toy. Just find something that motivates her.

Graduate this to the garden and then outside. Each time she returns when you ask her to then give her a reward. She'll soon rather come to you!

When you pull her away and treat her she isn't learning, because she isn't doing it for herself.

 

[Fiona]

Her kong squeaky ball is her fave toy at the moment, and I have 3 of them. It would be easy to carry one in a pocket to be squeaked if needed. She always comes right away when it is squeaked (except when the cat is around). She is so obsessional about poor Sox (the cat).
Her normal treat is one chocolate button.

FIona

 

[foxviewstud]

make a huge thing of her coming back start playing and just be really fun and interesting for her, when you have to go and get her be the most boring person around and dont fuss or talk she should soon realise not doing what is asked of her is not fun and very boring, it works for my 2 as my rottie can be very deaf when he wants when out so i just walk away and start playing with the collie he soon unblocks his ears and comes running back

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

When she does decide to come to, run backwards a bit, make it a game of chase, keeps her attention on you.

But we have a 8 months old terrier pup and she also is selectively deaf, terriers often have their own agenda!

 

[Fiona]

Thanks guys!
So the idea is that when she comes back immediately make a great fuss and praise her, when I have to go and fetch her then don't talk to her and ignore her.
Also make being with me more fun than chasing cat (not sure how to do this though - cat chasing is v v important to her.
OH calls her a "ground to cat" guided missile!!
Fiona

 

[brightmount]

Your JRT sounds like it has typical terrier instincts: if it moves, chase it. I have a Yorkie just the same.

Not wanting to distress you, but I would take the road situation very seriously and fence if possible. My Dad once ran over a JRT and killed it, it was a neighbour's and always in the road. Even though we lived in a cul de sac, his speed was enough to kill the dog, they are quick and come out of nowhere.

And spare a thought for the driver of a car that kills a dog. My dad was very upset about it as you can imagine

 

[suzyseymour]

Agree with all of the above!! My friends young terrier was killed running on the road, very upsetting!!

I have a 3 year old jack russell with terrier hearing! As well as makng a complete idiot of myself being exciting when he comes back, some days he takes a long time to come back, but he will stop when I tell him. So if he is heading off after another dog he responds much better to stay than come back. As your puppy is doing well with basic training, if you can teach her to do a good stay, then give you another option for stopping her running off.