Dances right out of arm's reach

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Lacysmom

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According to the breeder, my almost 5 month old sheltie has done this behavior since she started to walk. Is this going to be a life long behavior? If I call, Sadie will usually come, but NEVER, EVER close enough for me to pet her or touch her. She stays out of reach and takes off if she things I'm going to get close enough to pick her up or pet her. She does the same with playing: will bring the ball almost to me, and wants to play with me, but always stays further than arm length away. I've tried the treats right by me. Occasionally she will venture up for the treat.

This puppy absolutely will NOT come when called. She shows NO inclination to do it. If I'm training with treats, she will come when called, but again stays just past arm's length.

Having a dog NOT come when called is not acceptable. I've never had a dog who did this before. It means I'll never be able to let her off leash, which means she'll never have freedom.
 
Don't worry, this is actually perfectly normal behaviour, it's why recall is the key component of all training classes.

Recall is something you need to practice. You need to make it worth her while to come close. High value treats for coming close to you and work up to her coming right up close and sitting in front of you. Don't always put a lead on her when you call other, otherwise she will think that every time you call you'll be restricting her activities. When you practice, call her to you, when she comes close give her a treat, play a game and then let her go again, sometimes put the lead on and then take it off and let her go, other times put the lead on and keep it on. Mix it up, but always reward her when she comes close. You're halfway there already if she is at least coming just within arms reach, many dogs esp at this age don't even do that.
 
If you're not doing it already, you might also try sitting on the floor, so you're on her level. If you're standing up, she might be intimidated by your size.
 
As Caro said, this is absolutely normal puppy behavior. It's the puppy dance...a game they all play. High value treats are definitely the way to go so when she does come she gets something really tasty that you only give her for this. LOTS of praise when she comes. She'll learn it quickly.

If you're outside (in a fenced area) keep her on a long leash or line. Just keep it attached to her collar. When she get close enough, step on the leash and then you can reel her in.
 
Spitfire did this x100 when I first got him. His came from living the life of a barbarian as a puppy :lol: There was a dozen of them and he was the smallest. On top of that he was sick as a real young pup so unlike the rest he came in the house then (the rest had a really nice brick dog palace). Well without making the story longer anytime he was in and someone bent down it was to pick him up and put him outside, Spitfire did not want that so he got good at zooming away and under things (he was tiny then). It took me a while but he is pretty much over it with me.

Oh and Sca is a wiggler, you pet him and he gets all excited and has to wiggle away to go on a victory lap around the coffee table. In contrast Spitfire will bounce up on my lap to soak up petting (this the dog you had to catch before) So there is hope :yes:
 
Missy still does this every once in a while. I'll call her and she'll just stand there like she doesn't understand (she does). Then when I start walking towards her, she knows she's about to get caught so she gets real low and starts to move away. I have to tell her to stop or wait and she'll sit there and give me a look like, "why do you have to catch me?" Sometimes if I can, I'll just turn around and start to run away. She likes to chase me, so running away from her makes her run after me and then she's right there for me to grab. Luckily this doesn't happen very often, and her recall is usually pretty good. It mostly happens at flyball or the dog park, where she's having fun and doesn't want to leave.
 
Gavin did this for a long time. He never wanted anyone to catch him and make him stop playing and go home from the dog park. Treats were an equalizer (promise of treat works, too).

But, I also have him to the point if I squat down he comes to me almost 100% even if I don't call him (less threatening?).
he will walk right into my open arms with a waggy tail :D

No real answers for you, but just don't give up!
 
This might clear up a little for you as she gets cuddlier. It took until about one and a half years before Honey really seemed to enjoy being petted. However she loved getting my hands, so maybe play games like that as a reward rather than making her sit through being petted?

Although Honey is good at doing a recal, (she wants nothing so much as to be by me, even if she isn't letting me grab her) she does still love to play chasing games. Even in the morning when by all rights she should be hopping from foot to foot by the door, she'd rather us be running around the couch playing you can't get me.
 
Hanna (16.5 weeks) is getting pretty awesome at recall - I have stopped using the word "come" as I think she figured out that I didn't always mean it and for sure hubby seldom means it. When I absolutely want her to come, I say "Hanna Now!" hold out a yummy liver treat ( she only ever gets this treat for recalls) and then I bend down and keep encouraging her, by saying puppy puppy puppy (the cheering section) as she's running my way… at this point she comes flying when I call, but at first if she didn't turn towards immediately as I called I would move closer to her making sure she could smell that yummy treat and run backwards when she turned towards me. Once she arrives I have her sit and look at me for a count of 5 then she gets that treat and I let her go play again. I started doing this indoors first, then on the deck, then in the yard on a long leash and now she will come from 100 feet away off leash in our yard. I aim for at least 5 times a day when she's not expecting it - our yard is great for this as there's lots of stuff for her to explore so I can watch for just when she gets really distracted by something and then call her. Even with missing some entire training days (hospital days with my mother in law can be very draining) - she's doing really well. Recall test at puppy class is in a week and a half, when I have to recall her from the instructor tempting her with a squeeky toy and a tripe treat in a room with 7 other puppies. we intend to pass! :biggrin2:

I don't call her if I'm going to just end the play session or if we're doing grooming - I just go pick her up for that stuff. Coming to me always means something special. At some point I will stop using the liver treats every single time but for now I don't want any failures on recall.
 
If she is staying at arm's length and not doing/knowing what you want, why is she getting treats and reward for still doing it? If she isn't doing a recall correctly (coming to you and sitting) then just put the treats away and stop the fun and games :) She must think she is doing enough to get what she wants. Darn those smart shelties!!!!! Sounds like she is clever and you just need to figure out how to work it :)

If she can't get it from a distance, try having her on a short lead and heavily rewarding being close to you and coming to you. Also if you have her next to you condition her to find petting/handling reinforcing. Start with a little touch and reward, another touch reward, work up to stroking and keep going as she appears to be relaxed or enjoying the touching (don't reward if she is anxious or nervous at your touch). Only go for as long as she feels comfortable.

Use the herding instinct as you friend and play hide and seek games and get her to follow you around by making getting you the reward. As mentioned don't say come for bad things (grooming, things they don't like).
Here are a couple of videos that might help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjd99MlmqqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL9Rk-8KF9I
 
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