If your dog ignores you when you call their name, you’re not alone. Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines has the same problem with her puppy dog, Bratha.
Speaking to Dr Harry, Marcia says, “If I take him off the lead — goodbye. He doesn’t come back.”
Making a very unusual house call, Dr Harry pops into Australian Idol HQ to see if he can help.
“Everybody at Idol wants a piece of the dog,” Marcia explains. “It’s ‘where’s the dog, where’s the dog?’ the moment I walk in.”
The problem? All that adoration, the cuddles, the being picked up, the sweet nothings whispered in his ears, have created a very confident, very disobedient little dog.
“The people are making the problem worse,” Dr Harry says, gently but firmly. “Try and control the dog on the lead, and try and control the people.”
Dr Harry’s tips for getting your dog to come when called
If Bratha’s behaviour sounds familiar, here’s exactly what Dr Harry prescribed.
1. Stop just using their name
Calling “Bratha, Bratha, Bratha” without result? That’s because your dog has learned that their name doesn’t mean anything in particular. According to Dr Harry, you need to prefix every recall with the word come. So it’s “Come, Bratha” rather than just “Bratha.” The word “come” becomes the command.
2. Add a whistle
Dr Harry introduced Marcia to a high-frequency dog whistle, and the results were immediate. The advantage of a whistle over your voice is that it carries further, stays consistent, and, crucially, doesn’t carry the emotional baggage of a frustrated owner yelling across a park.
3. Build it up gradually
The whistle isn’t an overnight fix. Dr Harry’s method is a gradual process. Start with “come, [name], whistle,” then move to “come, whistle,” and eventually the whistle alone is enough. It takes time, but the consistency is what makes it stick.
4. Treat with every successful recall
Every time your dog comes back, make it worth their while. Dr Harry used treats during the demonstration, and Bratha, smart as he is, figured it out immediately. The goal is to make coming back to you the best possible option every single time.
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