The Command To Come

Training a dog to come to you when it is called is the most important command you can teach your dog. A well-trained dog will immediately respond to your voice, and the sooner he can learn this the better.

There are many advantages to teaching a dog to come when called, for instance, if his collar breaks, or he slips his leash you will still have complete control of your dog. You need to be sure that your dog will return to your side immediately you call him, even when he has lots of other things taking his attention.

When you begin your dog training, remember to always incorporate fun things into each training session. If you or your dog get bored, training will not be so successful. If you finish the training with some play time your dog will know this will follow any training time and be more cooperative.

Training a Dog to Come When Called

One of the best ways to teach your dog the come command is to incorporate it in the sit and stay training. Put your dog into a sit position, drop the leash, and back away saying stay as you go. If your dog comes towards you, keep repeating until you can walk a few steps, then call his name and say “come”, once he comes to you remember to praise him with treats. Make the distance you walk away a little further until he has mastered this. You will want to carry out this type of training in a safe place.

It is often good to have a treat visible when you are calling him, as this gives him something to focus on. Teaching your dog to come to you on command for a treat is the first step in training a dog to come when called.

Repeat this until your dog will consistently says and come to you when called. Slowly introduce this with no leash attached at all – again you will need to do this in an enclosed area just in case he runs off.

A well-trained and obedient dog should be able to respond to your command to come to you no matter where it is or what is going on around him. You will need to include distractions in his training routine – this way you can be sure that whatever is happening he will still come back to you.

Perhaps you have a friend that also has a dog? If so you could try introducing the dogs and then calling him (while he is still off the leash in an enclosed space), if he is getting distracted by the other dog, put him back on the leash and try again. Patience is needed with this exercise. Your goal is to have a well-trained dog that will always come to you when called – you never know, one day this command may even be a lifesaver.

Zemanta