- Come is a life saving skill so it deserves the best rewards. When your dog comes to you, have a party. When first teaching this use your dog’s highest value food reward.
- Mix it up. Party prizes don’t always have to be food. It only takes a few seconds to give him a butt scratch or an ear skritch and tell him he’s wonderful. Take a few minutes to play a fun game with him. Be the person your dog wants to Come to.
- Incorporate Come in the games you play. Play doggie ping pong using Come to call him back and forth between family members. Play Hide & Seek. When your dog is not paying attention to you, hide somewhere. Use Come as the signal to find you.
- Avoid setting up a behavior chain of Stay-Come. In real life the times you need to call your dog are when he is not looking at you, either because he is distracted or headed in another direction. So practice that way. Start with low distractions in the house, short distances in the yard. Make it worth his while every time he succeeds.
- Do establish a behavior chain of Come-Sit. This ensures that when your dog comes, he is there with you and you have his attention. It also strengthens the habit of automatically sitting when he approaches you. Or anyone else.
- When you start practicing Come outside – even if it’s in a fenced yard – use a long line so your dog can’t fail. Then practice with the long line outside of the yard. Set your dog up to be successful every time.
- Never hold the food or reward out toward your dog as you call. Keep it close to your leg to prevent those grab-a-treat drive-bys. Instead, if he has to come close to you, you can then get hold of his collar or attach a leash.
- Be consistent with the word you use. It should be the same word and always mean the same thing. Don’t say Come when you really mean go-in-the-house or get-in-your-crate. Train those as separate skills, such as “Inside” or “Kennel”.
- Never call your dog with an angry voice. Who wants to come back to Oscar the Grouch? Even if your dog is running straight towards the street, use all your effort to keep your voice excited and happy. That’s why a high pitch often works. It’s hard to sound mean when you’re talking like a smurf.
- Never call your dog to scold him. See Rules #8 and #9. If it means bad news in the dog’s mind, then just go get him.
And a few more tips:
- You don’t have to save the praise until your dog gets all the way back to you. Start praising as soon as he looks at you or as he takes that first step towards you. He will love the cheering squad.
- You don’t have to stop at one treat. It’s hardly a party if we don’t over-indulge! Occasionally surprise him with a jackpot by giving him five little treats in a row.
- Have a backup plan like Touch or smoochie.
- If you must call your dog some name when you’re unhappy, make up a bad dog nickname and use that.
Puppy Basics by Rox 