Cesar,

We just adopted a great little dog. She is well- behaved, but she won't come when we call her. She thinks it's a game to run away. Otherwise, she is very obedient...and smart!

David Kimmett

Dear David,

A lot of times in situations like this one we're not taking into consideration that the dog is still sniffing around when we ask him to come. That's going against Mother Nature. The dog is paying attention to something else, and you're not going to redirect his attention with sound if he's paying attention with nose or sight. When the dog is sniffing or looking, sound is not powerful.

Remember, the dog experiences the world in this order: Nose, Eyes, Ears. Pay attention to which one your dog is using when you want him to come to you and use that to your advantage. Is he using his nose right now? Then use smell to bring him to you. Carry around a cookie, or maybe a little bit of chicken or peanut butter to distract him from what he's investigating. You have to work with Mother Nature. Once the dog gets close enough to you, you can use a command like "come" to begin forming that association that you want. The dog needs to learn that when you say "come," that's the end of playtime; he doesn't get to sniff around anymore.

Since you've just adopted this dog, it hasn't really connected yet. Having a trainer around that teaches them certain things could also be helpful. I recommend looking around in your area to find a professional qualified to help you train your puppy.

Stay calm and assertive,

Cesar Millan