Teaching come

How to Teach Your Dog to "Come" Distance and Distraction are the elements that you will need to train. Always start with short distances and very low distraction. 

1. Every day set up coming when called rehearsals. Be prepared  and take out 5 or 6 treats and have them ready!  Check the environment for "over his pay grade" distractions so you can avoid them. Repeat the rehearsal until your treats are gone and you're done! Short and Sweet!

2. Coming When Called is a "relationship" based response. Spend time with your dog/puppy playing, training with rewards and having fun. They need to trust you and think you are the center of their world.

3. Set Your Dog Up To Succeed
Until your dog will reliably come when called 95% of the time, they should be on a leash or a long line when in an unenclosed area. 

Don't allow your dog to rehearse ignoring you. If you allow them off leash in public before they are trained to come, you will be giving them one more opportunity to make the wrong choice.

On that same subject, when you are about to call your dog to you, look around. Ask yourself "What's my competition here?" If you think there's a pretty good chance your dog will not respond, simply walk up to your dog quietly and clip the leash on and walk away. Or, approach them and stand right next to the dog. In a very exciting voice, say their name and "come" start rewarding the dog immediately and then every few steps until you have them "hooked"!

Every time you call your dog to you, you have the opportunity to condition your dog to WANT to come to you. For the first 8 weeks of training, (whenever it starts) there should be a very valuable treat for your dog when they get to you. 

You're always training. Each day do several "drive-bys" where you call the dog to you when they are not focused on you. When they come, reward and then walk away. The dog will wonder why they don't get to do it again, and that's the best kind of training relationship. 

5. Play games with your dog that reinforce coming when called. Play "pass the puppy" calling him back and forth between two or more people. Each person has a wonderful food treat for the dog. They love this game. Gradually increase the distance. If the dog fails, you're too far away...for now. 

Play Hide and Seek. Have someone hold the dog while you hide. Call the dog in a happy tone...when they find you, Party!!!!! Roll on the ground with the dog and rejoice. They love this!

6. Never call your dog to you to yell at them, bathe them, or anything else that has a negative association to coming when called. 

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