There is one thing you can teach your puppy that, above all others, is the one most paramount to puppy’s safety. That is to come when called. Not only does it keep you from having to chase the playful little bugger around to get him back into the house, but it could save his life. There are a couple of ways to teach puppy this important command and we’ll go over them here.
Before we get started, it’s important to understand how your puppy thinks so that you can use your puppy’s instinctual behavior to help in the training process. Dogs are happy when they are given clear instructions and are rewarded for their performance. Also remember that puppies have very short attention spans, so keep training sessions short, but be consistent about your training. Use the same command every time and train regularly.
The easiest way to teach puppy to come to you is to use a leash. This is usually how most trainers begin training puppies the concept of “come.” Remember to use your puppy’s name before each command, as this is a “trigger” to tell him to pay attention. Here’s how leash training the word “come” works:
Wait for puppy to be off in his own world, not paying particular attention to you. With a small treat in your hand, hold it at your knee and say, “Puppy, come!” If he doesn’t respond, don’t repeat it, but instead take the treat away and wait for another opportunity to repeat it. When puppy does respond and comes for the treat, give it to him and praise him. Repeat a few times each session. Usually by the time your puppy’s seen this three or four times, he’ll get the gist of it.
Use a longer leash or leader to increase the distance as time progresses until you’re actually several feet away towards the end. Now it’s time to take it to the next level.
Now you’re going to start using this one to get puppy to respond to the command from farther distances. A fenced yard, large room, or enclosed but very large area is what you’ll need for this. If your house has an open floor plan that allows you to be yards away while still in sight, that’s perfect also. The structure of the training is the same, it just involves more space and no leash.
Using a treat, as before, have someone hold your puppy fifteen or twenty feet away from you. Hold the treat close to the ground, when puppy isn’t necessarily paying a lot of attention to you, and give the command. Again, if he doesn’t respond, don’t repeat it, but wait for his attention to wander again. This usually doesn’t require more than a couple of repetitions to begin to sink in. Increase the distance to the maximum available over time until puppy is finally able to do it from within shouting distance (or the furthest available stretch you can utilize safely).
Now you come to some fun games. You can start to teach puppy to find you when you’re not within sight and there’s no guarantee of a treat. Play “hide and seek” by having someone hold puppy in one area and going around a corner or somewhere nearby but out of direct sight. Now call “Puppy, come!” and at the same time have your helper release the puppy. The first few tries will probably require you to make noise or call puppy’s name a few times (use “come” only initially) so he can orient to your location.
Soon enough, puppy will scent track or focus on the first and only call and find you every time. This is a fun game that can keep puppy interested for quite a while if you’re willing to play.
Above all, though, make sure to be excited, full of praise, and happy for your puppy when he succeeds and do not punish incorrect actions when teaching “come.” Keep the entire thing positive and puppy will learn this much quicker. Negativity will breed doubtfulness and that may mean that puppy won’t respond every time, which could mean trouble later on.
Remember, a happy dog is a well-trained dog!
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