Dog Clinic
Dog Clinic.net
A source of certified dog doctors and clinics

Pomeranian gets out without her leash she will not come back when called

We adopted our Pomeranian, now 20-months-old, from a rescue center four months ago. She was mistreated for the first year of her life. She will not come to us when we call her; she will come only so close, then cower. We think it is because her other owners called her and then beat her. Our problem is, when she accidentally gets out without her leash she will not come back when called; we're concerned that she will get hurt. Can you suggest something that might help? We've been using treats, but she still comes only so close.

It sounds like your dog has some serious inhibitions she will need to overcome before she ever will be able to really obey the "Come" command confidently and reliably. You need to be very careful to keep her safe until you have had time to build her confidence and willing obedience. Keep her on a leash, and do not state confrontational commands, such as "Come," and expect her to comply. Obviously this creates emotional conflict for her and allows the command to have the wrong meaning.

To your dog, the word "Come" probably means "impending trouble," as well as "optional." Because she doesn't always come when called, the word is going to be more and more associated with not coming and with feeling unsure. This makes it a negative, rather than positive word in her world. Why would a dog be asked to walk into a situation where it felt unsure? This would only increase her sense of insecurity and distrust. She wants to be compliant, but needs to feel safe. Don't put these two forces into conflict within your dog.

When your dog is on her leash, walk to her, gently place her on a sit facing you, state the word "Here" (new word, new associations), and praise and pet her. Pick her up if she likes it; do wonderful things each time she has been placed in that position and then heard the word "Here." Do not say the word first, testing her response, and then conclude the exercise for her after she has refused; this will put you right back where you've started. Only say the word once the desired end result (the dog is sitting facing you) is correct!

Anytime she happens to approach you in your home, help her to sit and then say "Here." Place her in a front-facing sit and name it "Here" before every perk in her day, such as meals or walks. Make the position known as "Here," sitting in front of you facing you, synonymous with everything positive she experiences. "Here" becomes passage to adventure, and a doorway to good feelings, where "Come" has become a word that causes negative feelings. Your dog will begin associating the new word with nothing but compliance, security, and positive results.

Once she has had at least four weeks of positive word association, state the word when she is a short distance (4 to 6 feet) away, in the house, on her leash. Say it once while you are sitting on the floor facing her and look at her to evaluate her response; if she seems at all motivated to approach you, praise her. Do not pull with the leash; if she hesitates, simply wait (possibly for a long time) until she decides what to do. If she begins to move away, gently disallow her to with tension (but no correction) against the leash. If she waits, you wait, without repeating your command. If she makes any even very hesitant suggestion of movement toward you, praise and encourage her, but let her resolve the conflict.

People often have little faith in the intelligence of dogs and their ability to make choices. Human impatience and doubt override the dog's rights to find its own way out of solvable problems. In many cases dogs "test" their owners, and are then forced or bribed into the owner's answer, never being allowed to find and commit to their own correct solution. A dog that isn't willingly obeying isn't obeying. Because you have repeatedly shown her safety is with you, she will embrace that safety by her own free will. At this point she voluntarily will have obeyed your request, making it the admitted best response for herself, not just you.

This is a topic I have researched for a very long time and have much to say about; some of my theories differ greatly from standard motivational approaches. I'd love to elaborate, but there is not enough room to explain thoroughly here.


People who viewed 'Pomeranian gets out without her leash she will not come back when called' also found interest in following articles . . .
Category: