Confused MMM

R

RonandJan

Forums Enthusiast
Ok, we have confused McKinley and we need some advice.

I don't know how we have done it but we have managed to teach MMM that "Come" means to sit down exactly where he is and wait for one of us to "come" and pick him up and carry him wherever we want him.

He does it so perfectly and consistently too!

This morning, I said, "McKinley come".........he sits immediately down in the garden at the furthest point from the door and waits for me to "come", in PJ's and bare feet on frosty ground. This is NOT going to be fun when there is 24 inches of snow out there.

I really don't know how Ron and I screwed this up! :uhoh::uhoh: And I really don't know how to fix it either.

Help!
 
try putting him on a long lead, call him and gently guide him to you. Use lots of praise and treats when gets to you.
 
I'm sorry, but this totally cracked me up! :lol: They are so smart -- I'll bet that early on, you said "Come," and when he didn't come, you went to him. Being brilliant, MMM put two and two together, squared it, and invented a whole new meaning to the command. You've got a brainiac there!
 
:lol: that totally cracked me up!! LOL!!! MMM is much better than Noah, I say come and he thinks it means run away as fast as you can, funny though he knows what it means when I have chicken in my hand:rolleyes2:, but yes try the long leash method that should make him put 2 and 2 together.
 
"Come" to Rookie means stand perfectly still...and stare at you! Just as you mentioned...if I have a treat in hand though...he know's to run for me as fast as he can and immediately SIT... I've tried not treating every time to get him to know it may or may not happen..keep him guessing... However, he simply won't come if he doesn't see the proof in hand, or hear the container shaking..lol
 
That is what made it dawn on me this morning (6:00AM) that he was confused. There I stood flannel jammies, mickey mouse bed jacket on and NO fuzzy slippers with favorite yummy treat in hand that he could see plainly and I said, Come McKinley and he IMMEDIATELY sat and stayed!!!! And I had to run across the gardens to get the little bugger while the trash men hooted and hollared!:o:o:uhoh:

The eldest daughter (the yellow lab traitor!) when I told her, said, "ohh mum teach him to come to the command "Sit/Stay" Wouldn't that be a HOOT at the dog park!!!" Sick child that one.

The long rope is what we are trying, but guys, MMM "REALLY" balks at being tugged and is TOO excited about treats and loses his brain.

St Francis and Sheltie Forum help me, I have a sheltie that is smarter than me. HELP!

It is never good when a S.U.B.U. teamster KNOWS he is smarter than his management team!
 
I train using shaping and not corrections. So what I would do is, whenever he comes to you even though not called, say 'yes' or click if you have a clicker and treat. Soon he will be coming to you all the time, thinking 'this is great, when I come to her, I get treats'. I put a 'name' to the behaviour only after he has learned it and only after he is performing it the way I want him to. That way, when I name it, it is actually what I want and I am not shaping any unwanted behaviours into the command. I phase out the treats after he has really learned it by using variable reinforcement with the treats. This is just another training method. I find that it works great and the dogs really engage in what they are doing - it makes them really think.
 
Wonder how they knwo when we have a treat in hand and not? These dogs are way to smart for their own good sometimes. Some times when I call Maggie she just looks side to side- like know she is not talking to me and if I ignore her she will go away.
 
I'm still laughing my fool head off!

My boys seem to understand come when its important. But if they are hanging out in the backyard and don't see any pressing need to come when called, Bacca will normally just stare at me blankly...."Does she mean ME? What did I do?"
 
ronjantetrault said:
The eldest daughter (the yellow lab traitor!) when I told her, said, "ohh mum teach him to come to the command "Sit/Stay" Wouldn't that be a HOOT at the dog park!!!" Sick child that one.
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I confess that I thought the same thing- use sit for come :lol:. but seriously, you might want to try another word :wink2: Callie doesn't give you a paw when you say 'shake', she shakes her body- it's great at bath time :wink2:
 
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