What to do When a Dog Doesn’t Want to Come Inside

In this Omaha dog training session, we worked with Evy, a 1-year-old German Shepherd. She lives with her roommates, Black Lab Sully and GSD Hogan. Sometimes this young dog doesn’t want to come inside when called.

Evy was rescued from a bad situation, even though her guardians were not planning on getting another dog. This post focuses on training a dog to come inside when it doesn’t want to. This post is about teaching a dog to come inside when it doesn’t want to.

We also worked on setting rules and structure during the session. This helps prevent the dog from challenging other dogs over items.

The more the guardians establish a healthy leader-follower dynamic by enforcing rules, petting with a purpose and rewarding wanted behaviors through passive training, the more Evy will identify as a follower. It will be more difficult for one of the guardians than the other.

I’m sure she now realizes that by giving in to every request, she was making Evy’s behavior worse. It will test their patience to see who gives in first. I believe the guardian will stay strong and guide Evy to think like her follower. This can improve many of her dog behavior issues.

Why a Dog Doesn’t Want to Come Inside

There are several reasons why a dog might not want to come inside. It could be due to a lack of training or insufficient training, so the dog doesn’t understand what’s expected. This was the case with Evy.

A dog may not want to come inside if they have had bad experiences, such as being punished or not having enough time outside. This can make them hesitant to come indoors. Dogs may associate coming inside with negative experiences. It is important to create a positive environment for the dog to feel comfortable coming inside.

Additionally, the outdoor environment might be more stimulating and enjoyable for the canine than the indoor space. Dogs that are accustomed to spending a lot of time outside might simply be more used to making their own choices. Lastly, anxiety or fear, such as a fear of the dark, could also play a role in a dog’s reluctance to come inside.

Some breeds are naturally more independent, which can make them less willing to come inside.

How to Train a Dog to Come Inside

We spent a few hours discussing dog behavior tips, then went outside to demonstrate how to train a dog to come inside on command. You can learn how to teach a dog to come in from outside by watching the free dog training video below.

When Evy refuses to come inside, the guardian repeatedly asks her to no avail. This inadvertently teaches the dog not to listen. But by waiting and rewarding for what she wants, she can stop the dog’s refusal to come when called.

The great thing about this kind of positive dog training is the dog gets to determine things on its own. I didn’t call Evy over, but simply rewarded her when she did so. By being passive this way, the dog learns on its own and since they like the reward, it doesn’t take long to form a new habit. Best of all, you don’t have to train German Shepherds for a living to do this.

We made a video to help Evy’s guardians remember all the tips we shared during this in-home training session. Watch the roadmap to success video below for more dog behavior tips.