To Come Or Not To Come...That's Your Dog's Question!

We are coming up on week 3 of puppy class and already I am seeing puppies who don't show much interest in coming when they are called.  I know this is frustrating for their owners, but coming when called isn't as much of a "no brainer" as many people might think.  Teaching your dog to come reliably when called is a skill and one that must be worked on from the start.

Young puppies want to please you, so bending down, patting your legs or clapping your hands, and making kissy sounds will likely have a puppy running in your direction.  Add in some love and a couple of treats and you are off to a good start.  Make it fun to come when called by hiding from your puppy and letting them find you.  Or you can toss treats their way and as they scamper off to get the treat, wait for their head to come up.  Then say their name and as they come back your way, toss another treat out for them to get. Be sure to use their name and the word "come!" in an upbeat, positive tone and ONLY WHEN YOU INTEND TO CALL YOUR PUPPY OR DOG FOR SOMETHING THEY WILL CONSIDER POSITIVE.  Thus, don't use the word "come" when you intend to bring your dog indoors when they've been enjoying the outside; when you need to give them a bath or clip their nails; when it's time to go to the vet; or when you are gathering them up to leave the park. Using the command "come" when the outcome for your dog is negative, only serves to make your dog NOT want to come when called!  Instead, just go collect your dog.  Don't waste the value of that "come" command.

And for those of you who take your dogs to off leash parks and areas, please don't let them off those leashes until their recall is foolproof.  If your dog still has a tendency to ignore you in favor of other dogs, other people, or other things, then keep them on leash until they learn the value of coming when called. You can use a long, lunge line (basically an extra long leash) to let them explore safely as you know you can always reel your dog back in if you have to.

Finally, if your dog has made negative associations with the word "come," then change the command you plan to use and teach them the behavior all over again, but this time as a positive. Never get frustrated or angry with a dog who is slow to come to you. Rather, get excited when they do and offer them payment for a job (sort of) well done. They will be much more likely to come the next time you call. And if you are still having trouble, let me know. I can teach you some games and give you some other tools to help get your dog back on track and happily coming when you call.

Ozzie and Desi like to play the "Pied Piper" game, one of many that improves recall!