Thank you all so much for your wonderful and helpful advice! I am so impressed by how knowledgeable you are.
I think the "never call unless you're sure she will come" hits it on the nose. I need to be doing that. We have been practicing easy comes the last few days--just from the end of the leash to me--and she's doing pretty well with that. I tried the hall outside our condo but evidently that is too distracting. She does the "I'm free!" dance and stays out of arm's reach.
You're so right! I also appreciate the words of reassurance from Julie and Caro. Sometimes it's hard for me to know when to just be patient and when to expect more from her. It sounds like for now, I just need to be patient and up the difficulty factor later. We have plenty of time to train this... no need to be in a hurry, I guess.
Yes, I do look silly sometimes. But I'd rather look silly and have my dog come! The thing is, I think the excited voice thing doesn't always impress her anymore. I need a new trick. If only I could whistle! (Maybe I should buy a whistle?)
JusticeMom and Jessica mentioned using a long line. I do have a flexi-leash that I would basically only use for this purpose. I also have a 10 ft tether. Any advice on doing long-line training? I will try using the line, especially in distracting environments. There was a chapter about this in Puppies for Dummies, maybe I should look it up.
And finally, about treats: salami, roast beef, and cheese are good ideas. Interesting point for PitterPatter... sometimes I do worry that she's getting too food motivated. We do the happy dance on her walk and she seems to love the praise. Praise is a big motivator for her too. I sometimes use toys, too... she gets sick of treats after awhile and sometimes needs something new. When do you phase out treats? My general inclination would be to wait until the behavior is consistent before doing it, but I'm not sure.
I think the "never call unless you're sure she will come" hits it on the nose. I need to be doing that. We have been practicing easy comes the last few days--just from the end of the leash to me--and she's doing pretty well with that. I tried the hall outside our condo but evidently that is too distracting. She does the "I'm free!" dance and stays out of arm's reach.
You're so right! I also appreciate the words of reassurance from Julie and Caro. Sometimes it's hard for me to know when to just be patient and when to expect more from her. It sounds like for now, I just need to be patient and up the difficulty factor later. We have plenty of time to train this... no need to be in a hurry, I guess.
Yes, I do look silly sometimes. But I'd rather look silly and have my dog come! The thing is, I think the excited voice thing doesn't always impress her anymore. I need a new trick. If only I could whistle! (Maybe I should buy a whistle?)
JusticeMom and Jessica mentioned using a long line. I do have a flexi-leash that I would basically only use for this purpose. I also have a 10 ft tether. Any advice on doing long-line training? I will try using the line, especially in distracting environments. There was a chapter about this in Puppies for Dummies, maybe I should look it up.
And finally, about treats: salami, roast beef, and cheese are good ideas. Interesting point for PitterPatter... sometimes I do worry that she's getting too food motivated. We do the happy dance on her walk and she seems to love the praise. Praise is a big motivator for her too. I sometimes use toys, too... she gets sick of treats after awhile and sometimes needs something new. When do you phase out treats? My general inclination would be to wait until the behavior is consistent before doing it, but I'm not sure.
I always kept using food though out my dogs life.