Helping a Dog Learn How to "Come" when Called
The command "Come" is one of the most important
because it could one day save a dog's life. Here are
some tips for helping a dog learn to come when called:
* Realize that your dog won't know what "Come" or any
other command word means until you teach him.
* Whenever you see your dog coming toward you, say
the word "Come." That will help him link the action
with the word.
* Don't tell your dog to come unless you're in a
position to enforce the command. Otherwise, the dog
will learn that it is OK to ignore you...and will not
learn what the word "Come" means. One approach is to
start by having the dog on a long leash or line, which
you can lightly tug to help remind him to come to you.
(Note: when off-leash, make sure that you and the
dog are in a fully fenced, secure area if not
indoors.)
* Arrange things so that when you say "Come," there's
a high likelihood that your dog will come to you. For
example, say "Come" when your dog is looking at you
and appears to be ready to return to you anyway. Or
have really desirable treats to increase his
motivation when you say Come. If your dog is
motivated by play, hold his favorite play toy when you
say come, and use a firm, positive, upbeat voice.
* If your dog previously learned to ignore the
command-word Come, then use a fesh new word to
represent the command, such as "Here!" or "Cookie!" or
"Biscuit!" Then teach the dog that coming when called
results in great things.
* When the dog comes when called, reward him, and
also try not to end the fun at that time. Avoid
having the dog associate the Come command with
playtime ending, being pulled inside, etc. Keep it
positive.
* Practice the Come command three times a day for at
least two weeks.
Following is a detailed program for teaching a dog to
Come when called, courtesy of trainer/author Sarah
Wilson. This comes from Sarah's excellent
e-newsletter, "Good Owners, Great Pets"
(www.greatpets.com):
* If you don't have verbal control, you must have
physical control. Keep him on lead or in a fenced
area. Sadly, every time he runs off, he is practicing
running off and he gets better at it with practice.
* The next part of the plan is to really work on
teaching him Come. Come is an easy command to NOT
teach. Since the pup is underfoot in the house, we
don't use "Come". The only time he hears it is when he
is running around free having a blast and that is NOT
the time to train.
First you have to teach it. Then you have to practice
it. THEN you can start to use it. Here's an article I
have on the subject that incorporates a nice method I
learned from a "Good Owners, Great Pets" reader:
* For the next few days, anytime your dog is near
you, tell him "Come" happily and give him a treat. Or
Come and hand him a favorite toy.
Now, you think, "Hey, that is stupid! He didn't
come!" Ah, but you are teaching him that when he
hears the words come, something good happens right
next to you.
* Once he is looking happy and wagging his tail when
he hears "Come," start saying it when he is not
looking at you or is a step or two away. Be sure to
say it happily and try taking a couple of steps
backward and praising him right after you say
it. It would sound like "Jet, Come! Good BOY!!!"
* When Jet arrives, give him a treat or a toy or a
romp. Basically, we want Jet to think that "Come"
means "hustle over to my person because something
delightful is about to happen."
* HINT: When you give him a treat for coming, hold
your hand against your leg and make him reach in to
take it. This will ensure that he comes all the way to
you on "Come" and that he does not start standing 3
feet away and staring at you. That
can happen if you hand him the treat instead of
holding it next to your leg.
* Once he is responding eagerly to this, start adding
in a "Sit" before you dole out the goodies. When that
goes well, start working her on lead. As you're
walking along, say "Come," then walk backward. As you
walk backward, praise him merrily. As he approaches,
slide your hand down the lead so that when he arrives,
your hand is near his collar. Have him sit, then
reward with praise, play, food and petting. Vary the
rewards so he never knows what is going to happen; he
just knows it will be something good.
* Once he is convinced that the command "Come" means
good things, don't ever confuse him by saying "Come"
then scolding him when he arrives. The rule is that he
is ALWAYS safe and ALWAYS
forgiven if he comes to you. Also, don't call him to
do something he hates, like trim his nails or bathe
him. Instead, in those situations, go get him. From
now on, "Come" only means positive things.
----
Insurance -- Your Input Needed
An upcoming Dog Tip will focus on getting homeowner
insurance when you have dogs. Do you know of
insurance companies that will cover homes owned by dog
owners? What about companies that don't discriminate
by breed? Please email your thoughts to
Tierneydog@yahoo.com.
More dog transporting tips:
In response to the Transporting Dog Tip from two weeks
ago, Jeanne Dollinger emailed about her biggest worry,
air bags. Pets can be injured by air bags, which is a
reason why Jeanne does not allow her little dog to sit
in the front seat (on her lap or otherwise). The back
seat is a safer place.
For those not using a dog crate for travel and who
lack a partition between front and back seats, Patti
Thorne-Smaridge submitted the following tip that
requires a short leash with a loop on the end. Secure
the back seat middle seatbelt as tight as it will go
(the adjustable strap type one, not one that is
triggered by inertia). Slip the leash through the
seatbelt and resecure it. If the leash is short
enough to limit the dog to sitting up, lying down and
turning around, it will probably be short enough to
keep the dog from being thrown to the floor in the
event of a sudden stop.
-----
For more Dog Tips about pet
care, adoption and the work PAW does, visit our
website at:
Partnership for Animal Welfare, Inc.
This week's Dog Tip addresses teaching a dog recall,
two more transportation tips, and a question about
insurance.
www.paw-rescue.org
P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD 20768