Last month, you learned the do’s and don’ts of the “come” command. This month, we will concentrate on the three phases of training this important command.
1) Round robins
Begin in a quiet area of your house. Have your special treats ready, then give the “come” command enthusiastically. Be ready to praise as soon as your dog takes one step in the right direction.
If your dog runs to you, great! Give him the special treat and celebrate like you have the smartest dog in town. If he doesn’t, squat down, whistle, jog backwards – do something to attract your dog. Once you have gotten him to come, celebrate as above.
This training is about success after success until your dog’s response has been habitualized. Your dog no longer is thinking about coming; he is simply responding appropriately.
Now enlist a helper to practice “round robins.” Have the helper stand across the room and call your dog (be sure she praises after the first step in the right direction). After your dog responds to the helper’s come and gets his reward, call him to come to you. You can get in a lot of repetitions in a short period of time this way.
Gradually increase the distance. Make a game out of it. Hide in a closet or run up the stairs as you call come.
2) The long lead
Once your dog has conquered Phase 1, it’s time to raise the bar. Use a long lead (15 to 20 feet works well) to practice in situations away from the familiarity of home. The outside world is exciting, so don’t expect your dog to respond as well as he did at home.
Let him wander off, then give the come command. He has a fundamental understanding of the command now, so if he doesn’t respond, it’s appropriate to snap the lead to get his attention. As soon as he looks up, repeat “come” and use your toolbox of treats, excitement and attention to attract him to you.
In a nutshell, long lead practice goes like this – COME! / Wait 2 seconds for a response, but if your dog does not respond / SNAP the lead / Repeat COME!
After the first snap, most dogs will look up as if to say, “Oh, you’re still there? Sure, I’ll come!” Don’t forget the special treats! Never drag your dog in to you; he must decide on his own to respond, or no learning takes place. This is the longest phase of learning.
3) Off-leash experience
After three to five weeks of consistent Phase 2 practice, it’s usually time to begin off-leash training. But don’t go cold turkey. Start each session by practicing the come command on the long lead. When you feel your dog is warmed up, unclip the leash, let your dog wander off a bit, then call him to you.
If he fails miserably, it’s back to Phase 2 for a while longer. If he responds well, practice the command a few more times before clipping him back up. The idea is to give him a taste of off-leash life. You can increase the amount of time off leash with each success.
Once he has a truly reliable come, don’t rest on your laurels. As with any skill, practice keeps both you and your dog sharp. By following these principles, you can train your dog to be the most reliable off-leash dog on the block.
Julie Winkelman is a certified pet dog trainer and a certified dog trainer. Reach her at retinc@frontier.net.
