Only had pup 2 weeks and we've hit teen years!!!!!

[hennipenni]

He's 5 months old, we've had him two weeks and he's a sweety really. He's got brilliant recall in the house and we've taught him to sit, stay (this is work in progress) and we're working hard on having all four feet on the floor before he gets a fuss -he's so excited to see us in the morning he just forgets to keep his feet planted.

However in the garden he has started to totally ignore me, he's not food or game/ball etc orientated. When i call him to come inside he thinks it's a game and just runs off (waiting for me to get to him before he runs off) and if he's found a scent in the garden that's interesting I don't stand a chance! how can i make myself more intersting to him than the smells in the garden? we use lot's of positive praise with him, i want to nip this in the bud so that I can feel confident to let him off lead in the garden/park etc

We can only get ours in if we give him a cocktail sausage. Either that we show him his ball and he will come running. He is very young.

I mean yours is very young.

I had this problem with one of mine, I used a training lead, very slack whilst he went round the garden doing dog things etc then when it was time to come in I would call him if he ran about thinking it was I came I shortened the line and basically made him come when he did come lots of praise and lumps of cheese or cooked liver [ dogs go mad for it! ] eventually with lots of time and patients he got the idea that I gave him special treats and lots of fuss when he came, now even when out he comes back every time, if he isn't into treats find something really tasty he just can't get enough of.
Hope this helps and good luck

I came is ment to say a game, stupid iPad!

Thankyou for the replies, I have found the most revolting liver treats that he loves and have had some good results in the garden with these. We do use a training lead when in parks etc with a good result, I would love to let him off the lead at parks but after he tried to leg it back to the carpark last time I think we need to secure recall in the garden again first!

Think you're right henni, my experience is that heaps of practice in an enclosed space with no distractions is the way to go until you have a cast iron recall. It's impossible for them to concentrate where there are other dogs/smells/temptingly rollable fox poo. We made a game of it for our new dog. DH and I stood at every increasing distances and called her to each of us in turn, rewarding with a real high value treat each time. She was soon haring back and forth like a demon in search of fresh chicken bits. Now when I call her I see a chicken shaped light bulb go on over her head and she's heading my way pronto. She still ignores the lightbulb and me if there's a squirrel in the offing though - one day, eh!

I read a great sounding tip in a dog book last night that said to make sure you don't just call your dog back when it's time to go in/home/back on the lead. Regularly recall and reward during play/walking so that Mutley doesn't just associate the Here or Come command with the end of funtime and immediately leg it.