Does any one have any suggestions for a stubborn lab pup 5 months old. Who will not come when called.:confused: . I feel like an idiot calling him and he just lays down in defiance. My Golden mix 10 years old is a pleaser and always comes when I call him so I this is very frustrating for me. He is great in all other aspects. He is a quick learner he just has a stubborn streak and looks at me like: "I don't think so I have better things to do." He is picking up the leash training, sits when told. Is very mannerly at feeding time... I have tried giving him a treat each time I call but he still only comes when he thinks it is better than what he has in mind. Help please. Also we are crate training him and we are also dealing with the pooping in the house issues. Sometimes when we take him out to potty and I know he has to go he will just opt to sit or roll around on the driveway or slide down the dirt bank. Yes we walk him every day and give him plenty of run around time. So what on earth to do:eek:

Have you tried putting him on a very long leash (or rope), then walking to the end of it and calling him? That way if he doesn't come, you can tug gently on the leash to encourage him to do what you are asking. And remember to always give treats and lots of praise when he does do what you've commanded.

I'm sure others will have some ideas for you, there are several people on this board with FAR more dog experience than me!

"Come" needs to be taught as part of proper pack status and obedience. The
Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. Start at
Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete.

If you dog is at least 4 - 5 months old, start with a good 6' leather leash and
A sturdy slip collar, the metal chain ones with the rings on each end. You want the shortest one that will go on and off easily. If you walk with the dog on the left, pull the chain through one loop forming a "P". Facing it, slip it over its head. The free end should come over the neck to the leash, and the other end should drop slack when there is no pull on the leash. Before 4 months use a conventional flat collar to protect the tender young neck.

With the dog at the end of the leash, call its name and "Come" in a firm
Voice. If it comes, praise it lavishly and pet it. If it doesn't come, repeat
The command and give the leash a light snap. Keep it up with firmer leash snaps
Until the dog does come. Do not forget the praise. Then switch to a longer
Leash or rope, about 25'. When it comes well on the longer leash, you should
Be able to go to off leash in a fenced area, etc. Once the dog is doing well, introduce come, treat. This is for emergencies only when the dog has gotten loose accidentally. Use it routinely and you will have nothing to fall back on when your dog is headed for a busy street. "Name, come treat!" is little different from the regular "Name, come!", except the dog gets a great treat when it comes. We are talking a hot dog, cheese, etc. much better than any treat you use routinely.

Relying on come to control most dogs loose outside is risky, and I do not
Recommend it. Dogs are individuals. Some can be trained to come when you have
No way to enforce it, but some will never be completely reliable even for the
Most experienced trainers.

I'll second labman's advice about an emergency recall. I'm working on training Trinkett on one right now. The way I was taught is that you pick a word that you don't use normally in conversation (this is Texas, so "aqui" and "arribba" are often used by the English-speakers, which I am, so blame me if I misspelled them), and a VERY high-level treat. Prime rib, sauteed chicken, canned tuna, anything strongly scented and really attractive to the dog. Yes, it's totally indulgent, but this is a command that you want the dog to always respond to, and it's not something that you are going to be doing everyday once you get the dog trained to it, so it's the one time you don't want to be stingy on the reward.

And the most important thing: Once the dog is consistently responding to the command, do NOT use it except for those times when the dog absolutely must come to you. When it's about to run into the street, gotten loose in unfamiliar territory, etc. That's being hard for me, since Trink is responding so beautifully to it... I get tempted to use it to call her for non-emergency things. But you have to reward each time you use it to keep it strong, and that limits how much you want to use it.