What does your dog do when you call him/her? Does the dog come to you quickly and consistently? Do you think it is magic, when you see obedience dogs respond reliably and happily each and every time? Well, the magic is in the discipline - the discipline that the owner has.

One of the important things to establish with the dog is that every time he/she approaches you, good things happen. You are happy. You praise. Sometimes, you have a treat to give. The welcome for the dog is ALWAYS positive (no matter how upset you are). Let this be an unwritten law that you and your dog have. And you will NEVER call the dog to you and scold the dog (no matter how upset you are). If you call and scold the dog, it destroys the trust the dog has for you. The dog will remember and it will take time and effort to re-establish that trust.

Dogs think in terms of black and white: right and wrong. Dogs do not handle ambiguity well. In fact, ambiguity causes anxiety and dogs will avoid anxious situations. And dogs are honest about it. Let’s look at this situation from the dog’s perspective. The owner calls and the dog responds. The owners response must always be praise. If the owner’s response is negative, then confusion ensues. It is a negative consequence to the dog for a behavior that was correct. A human may be able to reconcile such ambiguity - perhaps. Certainly, for the dog, it causes confusion. And the next time that dog is called, the response will be one of uncertainty.

Therefore, if you want that dog coming every time it is called, be consistent. Be a good actor if necessary - be happy. Praise the dog. Even if the dog comes slowly or reluctantly, praise. Be positive. Welcome the dog. Next time, the dog might be quicker if you, as the owner, are disciplined and if you always greet in a positive manner.

The dog will tell you how you are doing.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

Tags: dogs, recall, praise, consistency, consequences, ambiguity, discipline