How to get dogs to come when called??

[cp54]

My two yorkies are 3 years old and spoiled. Big mistake I know. They will sit on command--with a treat. They know their names, and will come if it suits them, but have had them sit across the room and just stare at me when I call, and outside forget it. How do I go about teaching them to come when called? Any help will be greatly appreciated. I hope it's not to late to start.
Cathy

[Bill]

What have you tried so far and what do you do when they don't come?

[cp54]

Have tried calling and reward with treats. Only works unless they are interested in the treat. If they don't come I usually try to get in back of them and "herd" them in. Have considered a dog trainer, but only one in my area I can find use to train police dogs in Germany--doesn't use treats and seems to use very strict methods. Not sure how babied dogs will respond to that type of training.
Cathy

[Bill]

I think you are wise about not using a trainer like that. Don't try to train both dogs together. Train one for 10 or 15 minutes then the other. Keep the other dog away from the training so he isn't a distraction. In the beginning work in a distraction free area. Don't train the dogs just after they have eaten. you want them hungry when you train. We will start with baby steps. Put the dog on a 6' leash and call him to you from 6' away. Call him/her in an excited upbeat voice. When the dog gets to you, praise heavily and give a treat that the dog really loves. After he is reilable at 6', move to about 10' and when proficient at 10', move to 15' then to 25' then to 50. You can use a long line made out of something like clothes line or small rope from Home Depot or Lowes. You may have to teach "stay" to get them not to follow you as you move away to call them to you. Make sure the dog is reliable at each distance before moving further away. It's cool if you have someone who can work with you to call the dog between you as you gradually move further apart. Once the dog starts to lose interest, swap dogs. Hopefully you do this before they lose interest. Use very small treats so they don't get full. Remember to stay in a distraction free area until they are reliable at somewhere close to 50' or more. Then go back to 6' and work with more distractions. Repeat the process to get longer distances. THen increase distractions and start back at 6' again. Use a treat the the dogs really like. A hot dog would probably do good. Cut it into very small pieces. If you don't get 100 treats out of one hot dog, the treats are too large. Go try that for a few days then come back with any questions you may have.

[cp54]

Thank you so much! That was a very helpful answer. Now we can get started.
Cathy

[ShibaLover]

Thanks Bill, I've been trying to train my dog o listen to me, with not a whole lot of luck up until the past couple weeks..Your tips were helpful and I also found the blog on the dog training facility to have a couple good articles. Dog Boarding Rochester NY | Training | Grooming | Doggy Daycare | Boom Towne Canine Campus