One of the first things a puppy needs to learn is to come when called. Who knows, some day your dog’s life could depend on getting him to come to you - let’s say he slips his collar in the middle of a busy intersection, or he bolts away from you in the woods. If he thinks that coming to you when called is the most fun he’s had since the invention of tennis balls, you have a great chance of getting him back.
Here are the training rules for teaching recalls:
- Never call your dog to come if you are upset with him or to punish him.
- Don’t call your dog only when you’re going to put him on the leash and put him back in a crate or an empty apartment for ten hours.
- Call him often for no other reason than to praise him for coming and to give him a yummy treat or a nice pet. That way he won’t be able to predict when it’s time to go home.
- Dog trainer extraordinaire Pat Miller suggests bouncing a ball or using a squeaky toy to get the dog’s attention if you need him to leave the dog park with you. If that doesn’t get his attention, simply walk up to him and grab him gently by the collar with a cheerful "Let’s Go."
- Don’t "waste" the word Come if you just want him to come to you from across the room at home. (In that case, just call his name, slap your thighs, or make a kissy sound.) Come means: Come right up to me and sit in front of me so I can grab your collar!
Directions:
Start with your puppy on the leash no more than a few feet away from you. Say the puppy’s name and the word COME in a bright, happy voice, then quickly move a few steps back and invite the puppy to follow you. You can encourage him by slapping your knees or making kissy sounds. When he reaches you (make sure he comes all the way up to you), mark it with a YES! and give the puppy a yummy treat.
See if you can lure the puppy into sitting in front of you when he reaches you. You can easily do that by pulling your hand a little upwards once he reaches you. After a few repetitions, your puppy might offer the sit by himself. Remember, you’ll want your dog to come close enough for you to grab his collar.
Tips: Begin working on this - and on every other cue - in a non-distracting environment. Once your pup understands the fun Come Game, you can increase the distance and the level of distractions. You can also do a Round Robin version of this game by adding family members and having the puppy run from person to person. Begin with everyone in the same room but as puppy gets good at this, you can hide in different rooms and have your puppy find you. Remember to reward the puppy generously when he reaches each person.
If you make Come a fun game for your puppy and practice it often, you will have a much better shot at having your puppy turn around at the sound of the cue Come - even if he’s in the middle of playing with another dog.
