Teaching Your Puppy to Come When Called |
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| Teaching your puppy dog to respond to her name and to come when called is not only
good manners training; it has the potential to save your dog’s life. Coming when called can be visualized
as two separate behaviors in your puppy: turning in response to her name, and returning to you close enough
to be touched (i.e. touching the collar). Here are a few tips for getting started:
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- Turn to your Name: Begin this training in a quiet room in your home. Stand close to
your puppy and quietly say her name. If she turns her head to look, touch her collar with one hand and
then give her a yummy treat with your other hand. Repeat this sequence, always following the “collar
touch” with “good dog!” and a highly desirable treat. After a few repetitions, your pup should turn her
attention to you and readily allow her collar to be touched in response to her name.
- Practice: Teach the “turn to your name” behavior in other parts of your home, when
out on walks and in the yard, and when your puppy is mildly distracted. Continue to pair “collar touch”
with a desirable treat and praise.
- Set up for Success: Add the “come” command by initially calling your puppy to you
only in circumstances that she is highly motivated to approach you. Examples include calling her to you
at mealtime as her food is being prepared, when you arrive home, or when your puppy is approaching you
voluntarily for attention and affection. The command should be puppy’s name, followed by the command to
come (“Muffin, Come!”). This training ensures that early uses of the command “come” are successful.
- Come when Called Games: Have one family member hold your puppy while another calls
her from another room of the house. This “back-and-forth” training is a fun game for your puppy and
provides opportunities for practice and repetition. Similarly, hide-and-seek games can be used to
reinforce come when called.
- Prevent Mistakes: A long-line or flexible lead can be used to prevent mistakes
and to keep your puppy safe when outdoors. When the come command is given, the lead can be picked up
and your puppy can be guided to you if she does not respond immediately.
- Keep it Safe: Rabbits and squirrels, another dog, or frightening sounds all
have the potential to cause even well-trained dogs to not respond to the command to come. So, when
in an outdoor area that could be dangerous for your puppy, play it safe and keep her on lead.
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| Helpful Tip! |
| It is not uncommon for some owners to develop a habit of only
calling their dog to them in circumstances that the dog is doing something undesirable
or when they are about to administer something unpleasant. For example, a dog who
comes when called and is punished for digging or barking in the yard will rapidly learn
not to respond! You can prevent these problems by making sure that you repeatedly call your
dog to you for positive rewards (treats, petting, a game of fetch) and avoid using the "come"
command for punishment. | |
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