The command ‘Come ‘ is one of the most essential things to teach your dog or young puppy. It can get them away from danger and let you feel confident letting them off lead in plays like ovals and beaches.
In Preparation:
- Choose a verbal command that you intend to use such as ‘Come’
- Prepare some treats or rewards (e.g. food or toys) and place them in a treat pouch to free your hands.
- It would be helpful if you have previously already learnt the ‘stay’ command. However, this is not essential.
Training Method:
There are two main methods to teach your dog ‘Come’. Method 1 involves using the ‘Stay’ command and Method 2 does not.
Method 1
- Get your dog into a sitting position
- Give your ‘Stay’ command and walk backwards, only a few steps away from your dog. They should not be following you because of the stay command but if they do, stop and start again
- Stop walking backwards when you are not too far away and say the ‘Come’ command. If your dog comes to you, reward them and give lots of praise, then continue this command a few more times. If your dog does not come to you straight away, get down at their level, open up your arms in a welcoming gesture and say your command once again.
Method 2:
- Have your dog near you and run away but not too far
- If your dog is running with you whilst you are moving then say ‘come’ when you are running
- If your dog doesn’t follow you immediately then run away (not too far) and then say ‘come’ once you are in the desired spot.
- Repeat this constantly and be patient with your dog
- If your dog doesn’t come when you call them, try getting down at their level, opening up your arms in a welcoming gesture and then saying your command.
Tips:
- In training, never repeat your verbal cue a lot of times in a row, instead, say it once and give some time for your dog to respond. If they don’t respond then you can do it once more. You shouldn’t be going ‘Come, come, come, come’… because if you reward your dog for coming to that they will think the command is ‘Come, come, come, come’… instead of a simple ‘come’
- Always remember to keep training sessions short because dogs don’t have a long attention span.