shiftlft

Need some suggestions on helping with our situation. George has developed a large defiance to coming inside the house when he's had some time to play outside in our fenced in yard. All will be well and when it's time to go inside we'll tell him to "come". We have never laid a hand to him or put him in any negative situations but he somehow decides that if he comes inside per our command something bad will happen to him and he gets very afraid. He'll come all the way up to the door but won't cross over the sill.

It's been happening more frequently lately. Sometimes it will take up to one full hour of us trying to coax him in. We have tried everything available from food, treats, every single one of his toys, and promises of a walk or car ride. Even new house guests don't do it. He simply refuses. After 45 minutes or an hour he'll realize he's done wrong, ears go back and we can get him in. After he submits and comes in we praise him, give him treats and make him know we are happy he came in and we don't yell at him.

Any suggestions on how to prevent or help this? He knows the come command and usually responds with treats but when he is in this mindset we cannot find anything to make him respond.

Georgiapeach

Take him out on a long lead (25-30 feet - you can get one at Tractor Supply or a pet store) and keep him on it to play. Call him to you several times during the play session and treat each time, so he doesn't think when you call him, it's always to go inside. The lead lets you rein him in as necessary as well as getting him inside at the end of the play session. If he won't come, give him the come command, and gently rein him in, treating when he gets to you. He needs to learn that good things happen when he comes when called, and that he doesn't always go inside when he has to come to you. Don't let him loose in the yard until he becomes more reliable. I hope that made sense.

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af_wx_wife

Pheona will come in when called but since the weather has cooled off here in TX she wants to stay outside & play. Unless I'm having to go someplace I will leave her out there till she's ready to come in. Pheona also knows when I'm wanting to go some place. As soon as she sees the keys in my hand she'll come running & when she's released to come in the house she'll go right to her kennel. Working on this with Murphy now.

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Bosley'sMom

How old is he now?

Like Georgiapeach suggested, keep him on a lead and when it's time to come inside, then go to him and say come and give a little pressure on the leash so that he does come.

You don't want to drag him over the threshold (the sill), you want him to go willingly so use the leash as a tool to get him to do what you want, however making him think that he did it himself.

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Valerie **Bosley's Mom** DOB 02-11-10

Mom2Jax&Bay

Stop allowing him outside off leash until he follows your command to "come". Never say it more then once and if need be go get him and bring him in. He will learn quickly that he gets more fun when he does what you ask of him. Also a lot of this may be because of his age. How old is he?

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Owned by Jaxon- Flashy Fawn docked and natural 11/21/09 and Baylee- Fawn docked and cropped (kind of) 4/07/09 Rescue

Lone Star Boxer Rescue volunteer since 2010

MYA

Yup! Long lead and tug him in if he refuses

shiftlft

Thanks for the suggestions. He's just over a year and a half old so he's still quite the puppy. He's pretty well trained besides this gem. We do have a nice long lead we've used at parks before that we are going to try. He sometimes will obsess on the lead and chewing it but with enough toys he may ignore it. He'll only do this behavior when we are outside playing with him and his toys, not the couple times a day he runs out to go to the bathroom and runs back in like clockwork.

I'm guessing this largely could be also due to his age. I'll post an update on how the lead goes.

Gypsiemouse

Did something scare him?
Did the door almost close on him by accident maybe?

Maggie knocked over a step stool once- she is still hesitant around that step stool and its been about 4 years. If one of her toys rolls too close to it, she won't get the toy but stands there and barks for us to get it.

The other suggestions with the long lead are great, and don't just call to bring him in. Maybe he thinks the fun of playing outside is over when you call him in.

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Lynne- Owned by and Slave to Maggie and Mongo

af_wx_wife

My husband was deployed when Pheona started training & seeing as she was 2 months old when he left she wasn't quite sure about him. Figured he'd been gone & didn't need to listen so she didn't listen to him. Well our trainer told hub to just go outside with treats & call her. Then treat her when she comes to him up on the porch. Then let her go back to play. Let her see that play time can continue but when you call her she needs to come. If you notice the chewing on the leash, put some bitters on it. Then again, some crazy dogs (like Pheona) don't mind the bitter taste. LOL

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shiftlft

Nothing has scared him, strangely enough he's not scared of anything at all - thunder, loud noises. We've even brought him to parades and the only thing to make him a little nervous was the 7 rifle firing in front of him but that's about it. We feel he just is having fun out there and doesn't want to come in and either thinks he'll be in trouble and put in the crate (we don't know why this would be) or just wants to stay outside. We've just never seen such a strong will and he doesn't forget what he wants even after an hour.

Too smart for his own good.