I need to start over... please help me with this

Lola is a year and a half old now. I thought we did pretty good training her but obviously we failed because she WON'T listen at all. We've just about got the potty training thing down pat... she does still go in the house on occasion but it's usually because we've missed the sign she has to go potty or lost track of the last time she had been out to relieve herself.

But.. she will not come when you call her. You can be sitting 3 feet away from her on the couch and call her and she will just look at you and stay right where she is. She will be chasing a squirrel or bird outside and you yell for her and she ignores you and goes on with chasing.

She has bolted a few times to a neighbor's house and absolutely refused to come back when repeatedly called back. This was never a problem before... she is never left outside alone at any time. But we have more neighbors now and I can't have her running off and not following commands.

I have never really been good at training a dog. Sure I can teach a dog to sit, give paw, roll over..etc. But I haven't been that great at the important commands like stay, leave it, come...etc.

I would like to be able to do the training ourselves. I am hoping someone can give me basic steps on how to achieve a well mannered dog that will listen to commands.

Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated!

Have you seen this thread Nancy? http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16165

I'm sure you'll be getting lots of great advice but that thread is a good place to start. There is a recall post in there too.

have you taken her to obedience class? that'd be my first suggestion. you'll learn the basic behaviors, but you'll also learn how to teach a dog in a way that makes sense to them and results in reliable results.

in the meantime, best recall link ever.

She's not ignoring you. It's not that she's not listening. It's not that she is refusing to come when you call. She doesn't KNOW what she's suppose to do because she hasn't been taught. She hasn't been reinforced sufficiently to do these things. You need to learn how to train a dog and also to remember that she doesn't think like a human and that she thinks like a dog.
Dogs do whatever works for them.....to get whatever it is they want. They're selfish, but innocently so. You have to motivate your dog and then reinforce the behavior you want. Your dog doesn't come knowing how to do these things. You have to teach her in a way SHE understands.....being a dog and all.

Take some time and read and study this from the beginning. And I too, recommend a class with a positive method trainer.

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm

I recommend too, that you read a few books; Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson, The Power of Positive Training by Pat Miller. There are other good ones, but these are really good to start with. If you put in the work, the reading, you will be sooooo ahead of the game and in sync with your dog instead of having this friction and frustration.

I confess, "come" is not so great in our house..... So right now,while I'm sitting here, I call "come" the dogs are coming running- get the 'click" sound and are treated, did they come faster the 2nd time I called? you bet!!! I am going to work on this till we get it better.... just calling and treating when they appear.... dogs usually get the treat thing pretty fast...

Good Tinksmama! And it's important not to say the cue word, "come" unless the dog is coming.....for sure, positively. If the dog doesn't come when you say come, the cue is "poisoned" ....the dog learns that it means nothing. So, entice the dog to come with goofiness, playfulness, squeeky voice, patting your thigh, shaking a toy and then when he comes, say, "come" and give it a treat and lots of praise when the pup comes. Every time.