my Chihuahua Charlie

Question
i have a 6 month old Chihuahua puppy that i have had for 2 and a half months, me and my mother got him from a puppy mill. he gets really excited when someone walks in a room but when you call him or go to pick him up he runs away as fast as he can! he is a really sweet dog and is a good dog. but i was wondering if their is something that me and my mother can do to have our puppy running towards us and not away from us! i was just wondering if maybe treats would help? if you have anything that would help i would greatly appreiate it!

Answer
He probably doesn't really understand what you want when you call him. I don't say my recall word until the dog is headed my direction - because if he heads the other direction, you may be teaching him that word means "run away". I mark coming toward me with a clicker (you can also use a word like "yess!" and treat when he gets there. For a good long while, every approach would be rewarded. It's important with little dogs especially that you don't lean over them when they are coming to you (that's pretty intimidating. Instead, turn to the side when you call, and really consider how he feels about being picked up. Just because a dog is small, doesn't mean that they are okay with being swooped off the ground and restrained. Think how uncomfortable you would be if a giant picked you up and took you wherever they wanted! Sandy Case BFA MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com