Flight Instinct
From the age of five months onward, puppies grow more confident and independent. Coupled with their instinctive curiosity and natural hormonal activity, this may result in behavior that resembles disobedience.
There is another stage in a young puppy’s life that owners should be aware of if he starts to show signs of disobedient behavior. A young puppy is usually eager to stay around his owner. Your presence gives him confidence and security, so “recall” is not normally a problem at this time. But from the age of about five months onward, puppies start showing the physical and mental signs that they are maturing and growing into adolescence. They suddenly become more independent, and you may find that a previously fairly obedient puppy does not come when called. This stage in the puppy’s development is called the “flight instinct period.” Some animal experts link this period to that of young wolves who are old enough to start learning about hunting and want to begin fending for themselves. With domestic dogs, this period usually lasts from two to four weeks.
It is important to recognize the signs when they occur and to act appropriately. If the owner does not deal with this situation promptly, the puppy may come to think that coming when called is optional. If a puppy who has previously responded to recall is playing in the yard (for example) and fails to come when called, that is the time to act.
Reasons for Recall Problems
In addition to the “flight instinct period,” there are other reasons why your puppy may not want to come when called. You will find your puppy’s recall skills are much better if you can try to avoid these situations and continue to call your puppy for “nice” reasons, such as a treat, to be fussed over, and for games. Sometimes a puppy will not return if he was:
- Previously scolded or punished for returning too slowly.
- Recalled for something he perceived as unpleasant, such as having his nails clipped.
- Always recalled to have his leash put on.
- Distracted by a new and interesting sight or smell.
- Doing something more enjoyable, such as playing with other puppies.
- In a new and disturbing situation, such as first day at puppy school.
Take the puppy for walks regularly, as before, but the next time you let him play, keep the puppy on a very long leash. There are long leashes designed especially for this purpose, or you could simply use a clothes line. Call your puppy to you regularly. If he comes, feed him, praise him, and then let him go and play again. If he doesn’t come when called, encourage him using a friendly voice, hand gestures, squeaky toys, and, if necessary, use a gentle hand-over-hand pull to take up the slack on the leash and restrict his movements. Don’t jerk the leash or drag the puppy to you.
The very fact that his freedom is being restricted to some extent is sufficient to give the puppy the message. For the next two weeks, use the long leash every time the puppy is playing outside, and continue to call him regularly. He is most likely to ignore your call when he is distracted by more interesting sights, sounds, and smells. Make yourself more interesting to your puppy than all other distractions. Try taking a favorite toy and play with him, changing direction and/or hiding behind a tree. He should realize that he should watch you or you’ll get lost. When hiding, ensure that you can always see your puppy, even though he can’t see you, otherwise he may go off in the wrong direction. If you are out in a group, ask different members to hide and teach the puppy to find them. Keep it simple initially, increasing difficulty as his skills improve.
During this period, take your puppy to as many places as possible, eventually building up the level of distraction, until you are satisfied that he will come when called, regardless of what is going on around him. If he comes to you reluctantly or after a delay, offer moderate praise but don’t give him a treat. Rapturous praise and treats should be reserved for those times your puppy comes to you promptly when you call.
When you feel that sufficient progress has been made, usually after about two weeks, to a safe place, let the puppy off the leash, and tell him to go and “play.” Give him time to play and run around, then call the puppy. If he comes quickly, he should be rewarded with a jackpot of treats and lots of warm praise and petting. If he comes more slowly, he should be praised quietly just for coming eventually, but without the treats and effusive words. If the puppy still doesn’t come, use the long leash again for the next couple of days and repeat the exercise. Most puppies get over this phase after two weeks — but in some cases it can take as long as a month. Some puppies don’t go through the phase at all. If you put in the time and commitment now, the recall will remain extremely good — even if not entirely perfect. But if you don’t train the puppy now, you will find that in the future, he will think that “come” is optional and you’ll have a major task ahead of you in retraining him to obey you.
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