Common sense is the key when training your dog to come to you on command. Many of us, at some point in our dog-owning life, are guilty of swatting or scolding your dog after he gets away from you. Why? It happens most likely out of frustration, or embarrassment of looking like a crazy person trying to out-run their dog. By punishing your dog for running away, training him to come on command will be all the more difficult. Think about it, if you called him and called him, then chased him down and finally he comes, you then reward him with negativity by yelling at him or swatting him. Your dog is not stupid - do you think he will come to you again the next time, when he knows how he’ll be greeted? Take it from personal experience - dogs are all about positive reinforcement!
There will be times when your dog will get away from you unexpectedly, and knowing how to train them properly to come on command, could save their lives and your sanity. Remember, rule number one is to never ever punish your dog for coming to you, after getting away.
You need to teach your dog the “come†command. This is much easier than you might think and I actually completed the task myself in just a few days. I am assuming your dog already knows how to sit and stay, which should be learned before trying to attempt the “come†command.
If you need to go back a step, in a nutshell, here's how you can teach them to learn to sit and stay. First, make sure to take your dog somewhere quiet, where he will not be distracted. Use a long leash. The “sit†command is easily taught by standing along the right side the dog, holding a treat in front of the dog's nose high enough for him to point his nose up to the treat, but not too high (that will make him want to jump). Then if you move the treat back a little bit he will naturally lower his backend to a sitting position. As he does this, you say “sit†and as soon as he sits, you reward him with praise and the treat. Using the dog’s name before giving the command will help him focus his attention on you (“Spot, Sitâ€).
To accomplish the “stay†command, start by asking the dog to sit, then say “stay†and at the same time take your left hand (straight, fingers together) and place it (vertically, fingers down) a few inches in front of his eyes. Then step in front of your dog and turn to face him, and hold the leash so that the leash and collar are positioned high on his neck. In this position, the dog cannot easily move as you position yourself in front of him. Praise him, every time he stays in position and repeat this move a few times. Then once he has that down, take a small step back and command “stayâ€. If he starts to move take the leash and hold it over his head so that he will sit back down. Once he understands what you want by the “stay†command, you can gradually increase the time and distance you move away from the dog (thus the reason for the long leash). If he breaks the “stayâ€, then go back to about a foot away from him and start over from that distance. Remember to praise him!
Now, back to the command “come.†This is probably the easiest command, once they learn what you want. While still on his leash, call his name, say “come†and ‘reel him in’ and praise him, as he gets to you. Gradually you can increase distance with longer leashes,just keep praising him profusely, get down on your knees, open your arms to him and get him excited to come to you! Practice everyday, in different situations. When you feel confident enough, practice the commands indoors, without the leash. Also, when you are in the house, start using the “come†command, instead of just calling his name. This is probably one of the most important commands to master, for your dog’s safety.
Lisa T. has over 30 years of dog owning experience and presents website BestPooch.com. This article is free to reprint as long as nothing is changed and all links remain intact and the rel="nofollow" tag is not added to any of the links. Thanks!
