How to Teach a Dog to Come to You
Learning how to teach a dog to come to you is critical. It will help you allow you to prevent them from getting in trouble or getting hurt. The sooner that you teach this to your dog, the better. A lot of people don't spend a lot of time teaching the actual, "Come" command. Instead, they just rely on the dog learning what his or her name is and recognizing that. And while that does work sometimes when you want your dog to come to you, it won't help you if they are running towards something or about to get into trouble.
When you teach your dog to come to you when you call, you can really feel like you have control over them. You can take them on a walk in the mountains or you can let them run around at a park. As long as they are able to hear you when you call them, you won't have to worry.
Can you see why it's such a big deal to teach your dog to come?
Keep in mind that you really want your dog to be at the point where they instantly respond to your command. They shouldn't simply finish up what they are doing or stop and look at you. When you say "Come" they should do exactly that.
You're not going to get them to this point overnight. That is why you want to teach your dog basic obedience and how to sit before you attempt this. Also, you might find that certain breeds have a harder time learning this completely. For example, if you have a Beagle, their natural instinct is to follow their nose, no matter where it takes them. You'll just have to show them that when you call them to you, it's because you are the leader and they need to follow that.
Remember, it is easiest if you teach your little puppy the "Come" command!
These are some useful tips to keep in the back of your mind as your are training your dog to come:
- Never use the come command to get your dog to walk over to you so you can punish them for something they did. You also shouldn't punish them for taking too long to obey your come command, because they will think coming to you is the unnacceptable behavior. Dogs rely on instant consequences.
- Always make coming to you a great treat. You want your dog to associate "Come" with getting a treat, getting praised, or getting rewarded in some way. Then, each time you want them to stop what they're doing and go straight to you, they'll associate getting affection and rewards from you with obeying quickly.
- Be careful when you use the "Come" command. If your dog is physically not able to obey you and you tell them to come, they will see that nothing happens if they don't respond. It will slowly erode at the clarity you have made in their minds. Only use your command when your dog can easily get to you.
- Be consistent, patient, and try to practice as many times as you can throughout the day. The more you expose your dog to the "come" command, the quicker they will get used to it.
If you are starting out with a puppy, you shouldn't have a very hard time getting them to wantere that you to be near you. It's natural for them to try to go anywhere that you go. You should try to reinforce this by praising your puppy for following you and giving them treats occasionally.
Make it seem like being at your side is the best place to be!
The next thing you need to do is make the puppy (or dog) understand what "Come" means. Try to do this training in a smaller area with minimal distractions. Say your dog's name and tell them to come. If they don't immediately respond, try to lure them over with a treat. As soon as they finally obey and run over to you, you can give them a treat and praise. You'll have to repeat this several times each day before your dog makes the association between the command and what they are expected to do.
Once you are pretty confident in your dog's ability to respond to the "Come" command, you should test out their skill in an area with more distractions. This will help you to really see whether or not they are obedient and how much more work you need. Each time they do it right, you have to praise them and give them a treat!
Don't ever take the leash off your dog unless you know for a fact that they have fully mastered the "Come" command. Many times, dogs will be good at something when you practic at home with only a few distractions, but when you take them out you'll see that there is just too much going on to focus. You don't want to be caught off guard, so only take their leash off if you are sure they will come the minute you call them.
Problems with Teaching Your Dog to Come
If your dog isn't quite getting the "Come" command, here are some possible reasons why:
- You might have accidentally punished your dog using the come command. You might have even done something like given them a bath (which many don't like), and so they now associate "come" with baths.
- You aren't making the act of coming to you attractive enough. You have to really praise your dog when they do it right and give them a treat until they make that positive association in their mind.
- You might not be being consistent enough. When you tell your dog to come, you have to mean it. They should never be allowed to get away with ignoring you, because then they will think it is ok to do so.
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