Whats going on ?????

[ann]

Today Ellie ( almost 15 weeks old) decided that she was NOT going to come when I called her, even though I had treats in my hand....I always give her lots of praise when she comes to me when I call her name.
She decided to just sit and look at me, and when I approached her she let me get a few inches away from her and then she ran.... there was no way i was going to try and chase her....
Also she paws at me when I am sitting on the settee and I usually just pick her up, but today as I bend to pick her up she runs off, only to keep coming back and doing the same thing......
Of course she thinks this is all good fun how can I break this habit?
She is a very independent young lady and very strong willed and I know I must not let her get the better of me
Today she has really tried my patience

[kimberlya]

I read on one of the references found on this forum about some of the puppy stages. It sounds like she is in the middle of testing her independence with you and forgetting her training. Ellie is starting to "forget" everything we've worked so hard on, and reading that really helped to know what is going on. Anyway, if you go into the Caring for your Cavalier part of the library, it is under Training your dog; puppy issues. Hope it helps!
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/Dev...talStages.html

[ann]

Just had a good read, but it doesn't really help a lot.....I have tried bribery and lots of praise.....she is even worse today...for EG: she was in the garden and I called her ...she came running and then stopped about a foot away from me and sat, I told her what a good girl she was and I was just about to give her a treat when off she ran . I really needed to go out, but I wasn't going to chase her ( even if I could)...So I had to wait until she came in by herself, and I was late for an appointment. I know full well that now is a very important time in her development and I dont want to get things wrong........Of all the dogs I have ever owned she is the hardest to cope with........And we love her very much...

[Cathy Moon]

Ann, you might want to try something yummier for treats, like bits of cheese or boiled chicken.

Also, what about putting a harness on her and having her on a lead?

Other things that just might be putting her off could possible be body language and voice. Does she prefer a soft calm voice or a singsong voice? Some dogs don't like people to lean or hover over them, so if you could get closer to her level or lean away from her she may want to come closer to you. Some dogs don't like people to reach over their heads, so if your hand is down by her chin or chest, she may be more likely to stay near you. One other thing is to pick her up properly you should use both hands, one to support under her chest and one to support her hind end. If you are picking her up with one hand it may be uncomfortable for her.

These are just a few ideas that might work... hope this helps.

[arasara]

Hey !! You are describing Faith (3 1/2 months!) She is naughty - LOL. She gets that look in her eyes and says "hey mommy, wanna catch me?!" We're just learning come now but it is coming along. I've found that if you crouch down on the ground and call them very high and excited and say a secret word (like cookie!) it works so much better... Also if you lean away from her like Cathy suggested. A reliable recall is something that's really important, but it's VERY hard to teach (in my experience.) It just takes a lot of repetition and time. Good luck!

[moniechris]

Zoey is in this phase as well. My hubby gets so frustrated when she is romping in the back yard and comes inside after calling her for 20 minutes that he comes in stomps his foot and pouts "She won't listen to me!!!!!"

If she is really wanting to play chase, you can try getting her to chase you (when you aren't doing training or attempting recall). This was one of Wesley's favorite games when he was going through this phase. It may get it out of her system and leave more of an opportunity to do recall training later.

My trainer gave me a nice reminder with Wesley that we forget that the dog has desires as well, and if their activity needs aren't being met through us then they will find a way to meet them themselves. (destructive chewing, ignoring commands etc).

What is nice about having four dogs is that when Zoey decides to ignore me, I give cookies and praise to the other boys and she comes running!!

[arasara]

Ann -

I should add to this since we are just learning come right now and it's fresh in my memory:

My trainer said she cannot stress enough how important it is to always keep the recall command fun and positive. Never ever punish Ellie for not coming .. it's a mistake i made with kosmo and i really regret it - sometimes I have a really hard time with him. I used to say "bad boy - when I say COME - you come!" and he didn't ever really connect the link between coming and getting lots of praise. Since then we've had to play games in the house with him - hide and go seek and stuff like that to strengthen his recall and it's still not anywhere near 100%.

Good luck!

[ann]

Many thanks for all your comments, I will take onboard everything that has been said. The only thing I can't work on is me crouching down or running as I have arthritic knees . Ellie is going to be a challenge that is for sure.
Today I took her to meet my friends 3 dogs aged( one 5 years, and two 11 months old). By the time I left , my friends dogs were worn out. I got home and thought Ellie would be tired and flop......but she ran round the garden and house. I wish I had her energy

[ann]

Forgot to say, I have never shouted at Ellie for not coming when I call, and I have tried chicken etc to intice her......she is just so stubborn

[arasara]

hehe they don't seem to have an off switch do they Ann?? Faith is the same way.. I play and play and play with her and she is still like a live wire all the time. I look forward to 10PM

It sounds like you're doing everything right with her. Puppies like to test their limits (like kids) so just keep on doing what you're doing. I didn't mean to insinuate that you were shouting at her but I did get mad at Kosmo for not coming back to me before and it was the worst mistake I've ever made. I just don't want anybody else to have it happen to them