My dog escapes the yard and won't come. Should I reward his return?

This Behavior may be due to the fact that she is more comfortable in her own environment. Being at a dog park, it is sort of an unfamiliar environment and is not where she normally is so she may feel more comfortable and that she can get away with more in your backyard. Also, there may be more distractions in the backyard that she is familiar with. I would recommend keeping her on a leash in the backyard and teaching her commands in the backyard when I'm the leash. Once she respond to those command on the leash reward her with treats to reinforce the positive behavior. I am glad to hear that she is listing to you when outside of the backyard versus the other way around. I would also suggest training her with a dog clicker or whistle to see if this helps more than your own voice. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns and I will be more than happy to help you further.

That is quite tricky. What you need to do it work on developing a "bullet proof" recall ("come" command) first instead the house, then inside the gate, then outside the gate on a leash, then outside the gate without a leash. At the same time, you need to work on impulse control and general attentiveness, again starting inside and taking it outside. I would highly highly recommend working with a qualified trainer on this, it's possible to do on your own, but will be hard enough with an experienced helper. Good luck!

In the beginning, pets come to their owners because they are in a new environment, and the human is their source of food, water, treats, pets, etc. Once they become more comfortable, they notice that there's a whole big world out there, and you are not so unique anymore. So they don't come running just because they're called. As with any othercommand or behavior, they have to be taught to come. Put Ricky on a leash and have him sit. Standin front of him and tell him to stay (this may take some practrice before he'll actually remain in place). Go to the end of the leash, wait a few seconds, and then call "Ricky, come!" (Not "come, Ricky'--there is a difference!) If he starts to come before you've called him, or even finished calling him, say "no" and put him back into a sit. If he waits until you've called and he comes, praise him! If he doesn't move, give a very gentle tug on the leash after you've called and encourage him to come. Once he is very reliable, start running backwards as he's coming towards you, to increase the distance. When you're ready to take the leash off (after he does it right every single time), put him in your smallest bathroom with you and close the door. Do the same thing as above. If he doesn't come or wanders around because he's not ont he leash, you can easily get him and correct him. As he progresses, you can move to larger rooms or the garage. DO not try this outdoors until you are absolutely sure he will come. If he does not, and you cannot correct him because he is out of reach, it will set your training way back. Good luck with this!

Casper is a very cute pup! It sounds like he need some consistent training to help teach him what you want him to do. Scolding him is not recommended, as this may cause him to be afraid of you and doesn't help him understand what you want - this may be part of the reason that he avoids coming to you when you call for him. To teach him how to come when called, you need to practice first inside the house. Call his name in a happy voice, and give him several treats in a row while praising him excitedly as soon as he comes to you. Once he's good at this, you can practice outside on a leash or long line for safety. It's important to reward every time you call him, so that he knows he will always get something wonderful if he comes when you call. Never call him if you don't have treats handy, and never call him to scold him or do something he doesn't like, since this will only teach him to avoid you. For additional training information, I highly recommend the book "Perfect Puppy in 7 Days" by Dr. Sophia Yin. It's a great resource for puppy owners, and should help guide you in how to train your puppy to do other things as well.

That is great that you are working on training! It will not get better, only worse without consistent training. I would highly recommend only calling his name once. I would also use AMAZING treats- like small amounts of baked chicken ONLY when training- to ensure that he takes you seriously when you call his name. I would also consider having a special command - more than just 'come'- that you reserve for emergencies and reward him copiously with treats and attention when you do use the 'code' word. To really make any of this stick you need to work on it everyday for months, and the reinforce often. A trainer can help a lot, if nothing else to make sure you stick to your goals! Good luck and I hope this helps!

Sounds like Louie is doing exactly what he is bred to do; sniff around and look for little critters to munch. If your pup has been a regularly obedient boy, getting him to resume his normal behavior should hopefully be no more complicated than rewarding him for the desirable behaviors. On your walks for the time being, make sure to carry treats with you that you can use. Also, use a clicker for training if you would like to maximize effectiveness. There are numerous great video series on clicker training that you can watch for free. I am typically not a proponent of choke collars, but in some cases with large-necked breeds like Pitties, they do require. Definitely not staying to start there, but it might be something to consider down the line if his behaviors are getting worse. You also may want to give a try to the gentle leader. That way you will have better control over his head, and ultimately, the direction in which he travels. Hope this answers your question. If you have further questions, please feel free to obtain a consultation.

Use a long lead and trained her anew to come when called. Pay out short distances initially and call her. If she doesn't come, gently begin reeling her in. Praise and reward her when she complies. Allow her longer and longer distances as she progresses. Do not let her off leash until she is consistently returning when called. Be firm, be consistent and be patient.