Learning to train your dog to “come” is perhaps the most important skill you need as a dog owner. Why is this commandment so important? just think for a moment.
- Some kind of danger is present (approaching cars or whatever).
- You command ‘Come’.
- Your dog obeys. Everything’s fine.
- Your dog doesn’t know. In the worst case (a) his pet is dead. (b) Not so bad – injured. (c) At best, fine, but an accident waiting to happen.
When you have taught your puppy to ‘Come’, you can have your dog where you need them anywhere at any time and it is vital to keep your dog out of dangerous situations in the future. This command is very forceful and will require more time than the ‘sit’ and ‘lie down’ commands to fully master.
But once your pup knows how to do it, he’ll realize the value of the command and be happy with the amount of time you spend on it. He Possibly he will find that his dog is more obedient than his children! Certainly the most important thing about the eat command is that it has to get an instant response. You simply have to make your dog respond in the same second that you have given the command.
There’s no way you want them to get used to hearing you say it 5 or 6 times and then wander off whenever they feel like it. Regardless of what they are enjoying or how far away they are, they should stop and come directly to you.
Why is it so difficult to obey this command?
For any of us, it is extremely difficult to simply stop something that interests you and respond to another request (from your spouse, for example!). There are several factors in the difficulty involved:
1. You may not have started training your pup in this response until he is a bit older, so he has already developed a habit of not responding and just ignoring you.
2. Your pup may just not realize what “come” means.
3. They may be engaging in natural canine behavior, such as chasing a cat or tracking a scent when you say to come.
4. Maybe you adopted your dog from an animal shelter. The previous owner may have taught the ‘come’ command but then inflicted a punishment.
You watch the dog owners. Very often they give the order to come, but when the dog obeys, they punish him by saying ‘bad dog’ and maybe even start hitting him. They may have been punishing him for a previous action, but all the dog knows is that he is being beaten for “coming.”
All of which leads to the absolute first rule of dog training: never discipline the dog using physical force. There are many better and more humane ways to reprimand your puppy and improve his behavior than hitting him.
Here are three steps to start teaching your dog how to come
Step 1 – Take the initiative and praise your puppy every time he approaches you. A puppy will naturally run to you, so he begins to develop the association of coming to you and receiving praise. This is an essential first step.
Step 2 – When he starts to get close to you alone, start looking when he starts to get close. Just as he’s getting to you, say ‘come’ (and of course, praise him when he gets to you).
Step 3 – Start in the association between the act and the mandate. Crouch down and say “(dog’s name), come.” Hold out one of her favorite toys or treats if she needs a little more encouragement to come closer to you.
These are just a few strategies. For four more steps on how to help your pup master this absolutely imperative command (and for all aspects of puppy training), visit my website listed below.