Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called

Teaching your dog to come when called is one of the most valuable lessons in this training course.

It can literally save your dog's life.

A dog that comes when called can be kept away from traffic or other dangers. You can let him run at the dog park, in the woods or along the beach knowing that when you call him back, he'll come. This training therefore gives you both more freedom.

But teaching your dog to come when called is also one of the most difficult lessons"for you, not your dog. You'll need to control your normal human tendencies and pay close attention to your body language. What you'll be learning to do is counter-intuitive to humans, but very effective. The end result"a dog that comes when you call him, every single time"will be well worth the effort.

Before we begin, you need to decide what command you'll use. Give this some thought, because you'll need to use it each and every time, without change. Consistency is key with verbal commands. You can't expect your dog to learn that "Come," "Come here," "Get over here," "Hey, come on," and "Max, get your butt over here right now!" all mean the same thing. The simplest, of course, is "Come".
Three things during this training are going to be different from other lessons.

First, your tone of voice. It should be upbeat and enthusiastic. Think of yourself as an excited coach yelling encouragements to a player running down the field, versus calmly telling the player what to do.

Second, repetition of the verbal command is good for this particular training, because a series of short, enthusiastic sounds works best when getting your dog to move quickly. Imagine a coach yelling "Go! Go! Go!" Also, clapping while giving the command is extremely effective.

Third, you'll need to use your entire body (not just your voice) to get your dog to do what you want. Most people tend to stand facing their dog, or even step towards him, when they want him to come. That's the opposite of what you should do. To get your dog to come, you'll need to turn and move away from him as you call him. This will be the hardest trick for you to learn, but you'll be amazed at how well it works!

Think of yourself as "pulling" your dog toward you. When pulling something heavy on the end of a rope, you can stand facing it and pull it towards you with just your arms" or you can do it the easy and much more effective way"by turning, putting the rope over your shoulder, and walking away from the object, pulling it behind you.

Here's another tip: most dogs want to go where their owners go. They figure out where we're about to go by looking at our feet. That's why you'll be turning and moving away from your dog to get him to come to you.

One more thing before we begin. It is very important during this initial training that your dog learns to love coming to you. As mentioned earlier in this course, your primary reinforcer (such as the treat) must be something your dog loves"not just accepts, but really loves.

Your tone of voice when giving praise must be encouraging and happy, too. Have you ever seen someone yelling at their dog that got loose" Typically they lose patience quickly and switch from a cajoling voice to a stern, angry yell if the dog doesn't come immediately. Think about that. Would you want to run towards anger" Of course not! Remember, your goal is to make your dog very happy to run to you when you call. So be very careful to not patience during this lesson, keep your voice happy and enthusiastic, and give tons of praise when your dog does the right thing.

Now (finally), let's get on with the lesson!

Teaching Your Dog to Come when Called

Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1. Load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats. You'll need more than usual for this lesson.

2. Take your dog to an area where there won't be a lot of distractions.

3. Move about 10 feet away from your dog as he's not paying attention to you.

4. Enthusiastically call out your dog's name, followed by the come command: "Come! Come! Come!" Do this while turning sideways (don't turn your back, you need to watch him closely), and start clapping as you begin to run away from your dog.

4. As soon as he moves in your direction, call out your praise ("Good!") and keep going.

5. Slow down and let your dog catch up to you; then stop and immediately give him a handful of treats and lots of enthusiastic praise"like coming to you was the best thing in the world!

Important: This method reinforces your dog's actions twice"first for diverting his attention from whatever he's doing (Step 4), and second when he reaches you (Step 5). Step 4 is just as important as Step 5. Be very good and consistent about praising your dog the instant he turns his attention to you. Considering how many smelly distractions there are in your dog's world, getting him to stop whatever he's doing and look at you really is quite amazing, and you need to show your appreciation. Give your praise ("Good!") immediately when he looks at you and starts to move in your direction. And be sure that with Step 5, you give the treat immediately when he reaches you. Do NOT wait because he may sit down. If you give him the treat after he sits, he'll think sitting was the action that's being rewarded, not coming to you.

6. Walk about ten steps away from your dog and wait for him to look away from you.

7. Repeat Steps 3, 4 and 5.

8. Repeat this process three times.

If your dog doesn't do what you want

If your dog doesn't come, he's probably too distracted. That's OK. Remember, he hasn't yet learned that coming to you will make him happier than anything else he's doing.

So here's what you do: go to him. (This is difficult for some people to do as they feel it is "giving in" to their dog. But please trust us" this is the right thing to do at this point of training your dog.) Let your dog know you have a treat in your hand, and use it to lure him as you walk away, giving your come ("Come! Come! Come!") command. Stop after a few steps and give him the treat.

If the treat lure doesn't work, put a leash on him and gently pull him along as you give your come command. Stop after a few steps and give him the treat.

Remember to keep your tone of voice upbeat, enthusiastic and happy.