Don’t Touch Me There!

Does your dog respond with a hesitant motion as he approaches you when called? Did you notice that when you first called him to “come” your tone was sweet and approachable? The longer your dog appears to be ignoring you, the firmer your tone.

First, make sure your dog understands the command. I am writing this post not to talk about teaching the “come” command, but rather the danger in grabbing your dog’s collar every time you want them to go where they don’t particularly want to go. Does he flinch a little when you reach for him because he knows you’re going to grab his collar? He’s telling you “don’t touch me there!”

If every time you call your dog to you, you grab their collar, I can almost guarantee you that soon they will avoid your hand even if the intention is just to pet them. Take the time to call your dog to you without an ulterior motive. Don’t grab them every time they approach, even if it is in your mind for something “good.”

They learn very quickly to get close enough to you that you can’t reach for them. If I’m repeating myself on this subject, it is because it’s worth repeating. Watch how rapidly your dog approaches someone who hasn’t conditioned them and is eager for their hand to reach toward them.

It’s the equivalent of your being called to come to someone and when you eagerly get to them they grab your collar and lead you somewhere. That probably wouldn’t happen twice!

–I will add that if you dog is in harm’s way and they respond when called to you, grab their collar, scruff of the neck, tail, anything so that they can’t be hurt. You can “fix” the emotional scarring later. =) —