Log In


Reset Password
Columnists View from the Center Bear Smart The Travel Troubleshooter Dear Abby Student Aide Of Sound Mind Others Say Powerful solutions You are What You Eat Out Standing in the Fields What's up in Durango Skies Watch Yore Topknot Local First RE-4 Education Update MECC Cares for kids

Eight steps to teaching your dog to come

The “come” command is one of the most challenging things your dog will ever learn. Not surprisingly, it can be the most difficult command for a dog owner to learn, too.

Does this scenario seem familiar to you? “Molly, come.” (Molly sniffs the ground.) “Molly, come!” (Molly looks up but goes back to sniffing.) “MOLLY, COME!!!” (Molly takes off for the neighbor’s yard.)

Molly is just a bad dog that knows the command but refuses to obey, right? Wrong! Molly’s owner has made the mistake of confusing repetition with real learning.

Puppies respond well to the come command because they feel the need to stay near the pack for safety. They also respond well because we use our “puppy voices” and act excited to attract them.

At some point in their early development, though, we stop trying to attract them and just expect them to come when called. This usually is the same time the dog starts feeling more confident and independent. Because the come command was not fully habitualized, the result is a dog that doesn’t feel a compelling reason to come. The environment is just so exciting, and your yelling is a good reason to stay away.

With repetition, you learn to be very bad at the come command and your dog learns that “come” means to go anywhere but to you. Your dog doesn’t understand English; he only understands that the word “come” is confusing and causes you to get angry.

So how do you keep from making critical mistakes? By following these eight steps:

Never let your dog make a negative connection with the come command. Never call him for baths, to scold him or to end a play session. Just go get him.

Never reprimand for not coming. You just can’t get the timing right so that your dog learns. Because your dog must be with you to get the reprimand, that means the last thing he did was come.

Be more exciting than the environment. Squat down, clap your hands, whistle, squeek a toy, dig a hole – do something that makes your dog want to come to you.

Use his inborn chase reflex. When he looks to you, jog backward or turn and run in the opposite direction. It’s natural for a dog to want to chase. If you can, walking calmly to within 10 feet before running is most effective.

Use a special treat that you use only for this command. Choose wonderful, smelly treats that your dog can’t resist and use plenty of them. If he gets this bonus every time he comes, his motivation will skyrocket.

Reward a successful “come” with lots of attention. Use play and petting as a high-level reward. Fifteen seconds of your attention and a treat will teach your dog that returning to you is the best choice.

When things aren’t working, try something new. Repeating unsuccessful patterns won’t result in progress.

Don’t jump the gun. Just because your dog has responded well to the come command for a couple of weeks, don’t make the mistake of giving him total freedom too soon. You can undermine weeks of steady progress by taking shortcuts. As a rule of thumb, it takes a minimum of four to six weeks working on leash to make enough progress to proceed to off-leash work.

Next month’s article will be the three phases of training the “come” command.

Julie Winkelman is a certified pet dog trainer and a certified dog trainer. Reach her at www.retinc@frontier.net.



Reader Comments