# Buster refuses to come.he just ignores me



## Buster90 (Sep 24, 2011)

Hey! So I am new to the site. I have a little one year old Maltese named Buster. I am quite obsessed with him and he is my little baby. I sadly am away from him while at school but he is my constant shadow when I am at home and we skype often. My parents are getting really frustrated because he refuses to "Come" when called. He'll come if you tell him "treat" but other than that if you say come he tends to look at us and then walk away as if to say 'aw thanks for asking but not now' he knows what the word means but hes definitely got a mind of his own. He is intelligent and plays hide and seek, fetches 24/7, sits,lays,plays dead, rolls over, and shakes. but i am having a lot of difficulty with 'come' and eventually will teach him to stay. 
any advice?? should i start teaching him a different word instead of come? 
I'd love to get him well trained and also get him to obey so my parents will enjoy him more when i am gone.


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## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

Hi there, welcome to SM. Buster is aodrable :wub: I love those sweet looking eyes :wub:

I am sure he is very smart. In regards to "come", here is what I think and how I do it with my own malts.

It isn't about the word used. You can simply use any word. Since you started with the word "come" and he knows it already, I will stick to that. I will not switch words unless you wanted to go through teaching him a new word for it (which you will have to teach exactly like you did to "come"). These little guys are super smart and can learn and re-learn. 

ETA - I also like to attach a body language (hand signal for example)with the word (whatever word for whatever command I teach mine. for Come, I tap my leg while calling out "come"

That said, what I would do if I were you to improve the command "come" is go back to the basic of teaching & practicing it. I will not teach/practice it outdoors at the beginning. We are going to do it in doors. Turn it into a training session with a treat (or ball or whatever your malt will work for when performing and learning tricks). Keep the session short (10 minutes per session for example...three times a day as another example [maybe morning, afternoon and evening]. 

In the training session, I will ask my malt to sit & stay (of course, malt should know the two commands already). I will then move further while my malt does the sit & stay command, then say the word "come" (or whatever word I used for it) and reward him/her for it. I will then repeat it, gradually by increasing my distance away. 

Once the malt fully gets it, we will practice it in new environments. one new environment at a time. Little by little, add small distractions to the environment (example, at the part where strangers walk by) Keeping in mind that a long leash is attached already where i can walk away at a certain distance (holding leash) while malt sitting and staying until I ask for "come".

Practice make perfect 

That said, I will not allow my malts to be off leash in places where I am not too sure if they will take off. First we master "come". Then, we go off leash in safe places. 

All the best and have fun teaching Buster 

Kat


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Katkoota said:


> Hi there, welcome to SM. Buster is aodrable :wub: I love those sweet looking eyes :wub:
> 
> I am sure he is very smart. In regards to "come", here is what I think and how I do it with my own malts.
> 
> ...


Hi and welcome! Buster is adorable! Kat gave you great advice. The only thing I would add is to use the leash in the house also, and when you use the come command and if he doesn't come, maybe give a tug on the leash. The idea of using hand signals is great. The only nand signal Bonnie knows is for sit, but it always works.

And, I agree, that Buster should never be off leash until and unless you master the come command.

Good luck!


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

That sounds familiar! My Bailey is the same way...he is a very smart dog and he KNOWS what "come" means but he will decide if he wants to listen or not... Of course if he knows he's getting a treat, he is more tempted to obey. He's almost two years old and I still have some trouble getting him to "come" every single time but generally, he is now getting better at listening...

Kat and Linda gave you good advice. Stick to lots of practice and be consistent and he will catch on!


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## Buster90 (Sep 24, 2011)

Thank u so much! I will definitely try that. He is so smart but also stubborn. Malteses definitely have personality. Any advice on teaching him to stay or wait? He's so hyper I'm having trouble getting him to stay calm. I may try wearing him out first and see if that works.


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## cleterdog (Jun 23, 2011)

I don't have my Malt-baby yet, but one thing I noticed with my mini-doxie is that I have to reward, reward, reward. Then after he masters it, just reward at random so he never knows when there may be a treat. There is a lot more incentive if you "think" you could get a treat, even if you don't. And praise, praise, praise, when he does it right. Best of luck to you. He will get it.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I suggest you get a good training book. I don't know about you, but I know people who think their dog is stubborn, but the dog really doesn't know what come means. It is a hard one to teach, but it is the most important one. I got the book Train Your Dog Like a Pro by Jean Donaldson. Her method of teaching the dog to come worked instantly for me. In the meantime keep in mind that you should never ever call your dog for something unpleasant...even an end to play. And treat, treat, treat. You know how he comes when he hears you preparing his dinner? He comes to a sound that means food. That's what you work to instill in him...and as Crystal said, after he has mastered the command, start making treats random.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

When he does come, what happens? Lots of praise and treats? Or something he doesn't like? Like a bath, being confined, left alone? If you decide to use the leash idea, say Buster, come! In a happy voice, lots of praise in a happy voice, kisses, let him go. I never call my dogs by name for bath time.


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## Buster90 (Sep 24, 2011)

All of this advice is so helpful! Thank you Sylie for the book title, I will look into getting that one. I think my family and I tend to use the word come to broadly including when it is the end of play time and so I will work on only using it for good things. I will also start having treats more available except he tends to smell them on me and then won't calm down until he gets one. He will do tricks for praise though also. I am so excited to start working with him more with all the suggestions. He definitely knows what the word come means though, i just need to work on repetition. :thumbsup:


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

You could use Cheerios for training. Maybe he couldn't smell them as well.


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi and welcome!:Welcome 4: What I did was use his name first. So you would say, "Buster, come." Say it not in a firm voice, but a voice that tells him you expect he will obey. I did the treats each time. I use hand signals with the treats. I snap my fingers when I say come, silly, but it gets his attention. I use hand signals for sit and stay as well. My trainer told me that when he gets old and hard of hearing, those hand signals will help out. Use treats each time he comes, just give a tiny bit of the treat. Start indoors only. When he masters that do it outdoors with treats. Keep treats in a fanny pack when you take him outdoors or for walks. He will realize you have them on you and will come each time! Good luck!


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## Buster90 (Sep 24, 2011)

Wow i'd never thought of using cheerios. what other things like that do malteses tend to like? thats a great idea thank u


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## Buster90 (Sep 24, 2011)

thats a great idea! thanks i never would have thought of using cheerios. he gets so excited about the other treats he wont calm down. il definitely try that.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

For training I use there regular small kibble. For the initial training to come when I made a sound...one they never heard before...I used chunks of beef and tiny pieces of pecorino Romano. The point is to make it a lavish treat..a totally over the top treat. But, get the book and read the whole regimen before you try it, you don't want to mess it up. Honestly, this book is so worth reading...and it comes with a training DVD. Go to Amazon and buy it now. Then follow it. All I have to do is crow like a rooster and all three of my dogs will come running...no matter where they are...no matter what they are doing. The first time I did it they got such a fabulous extravagant treat that nothing will stop them from coming to that sound. 
It is the most solid recall ever.


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