How to Train Your Dog to Come

Training your dog to come is one of the easiest commands for a dog to learn because it is part of their nature. They want to be near you, and lick you, and play, and do anything they can to make you happy. The TRICK is to get them to come when called on command. It is one of the basic dog obedience commands and read any good guide for train a dog and come command will be listed along with the basic commands of sit, stay, and lay down.

Teaching your dog to come should be the last of the basic commands taught, and the trainer should only begin teaching the command after the dog learns the Stay command and after they are accustomed to dog training. If you try training the dog before he was to learn the stay command the dog trainer will spend all of their time just getting the dog back to the starting position, again, the dogs natural behavior is to explore and be close to you. Additionally, if the dog is not accustomed to learning and being trained it will be difficult for both the dog and the trainer. Training your dog to only come when called is a difficult challenge for both the instructor and the animal, give both of you the best chance for success by having your dog accustomed to training.

Once the dog has learned the stay command teaching your dog to come is actually VERY easy. Have them Stay and then walk a few paces away. Turn around and face them. In a strong tone say the command "Come" while at the same time encouraging the dog to come to your. Most of the time that is all there is to it, and your body language and encouragement will be enough. Load on the praise and rewards when the execute the command to come here correctly.

Now, there are two problems that might crop up - one is that your pet will not come to you at all and the other is that he will come too soon - even before you have issued the command. Here are a couple tips if you face these problems:

1. If your dog does not come he is probably confused, stubborn, or in fear of you. Hopefully the later is not the case. You might have rushed his training which led to confusion, start from the top and go back through commands. Exaggerate your body language and change your voice infection...offer a big bribe if you have to. If the dog is just plain stubborn tie a leash to his collar and upon your command Come, pull the lead towards you. Offer lots of praise and rewards.

2. The opposite problem is the dog comes to soon, rather than come when called. Try repeating the process shortening the distance between you and the dog, and gradually increasing it as he exhibits the proper behavior. If the dog still struggles with this command, you might have rushed his training and you might consider going back to the stay command.

It is not recommended you train your puppy the "Come" command because of the difficulty they will have learning the command. Older dogs will be much more capable of processing the information, essentially learning the stay command, while puppies will simply struggle with your expectations of them. Obedience training for puppies should be very basic and you should take care not to burden them with unreasonable expectations.

As with any training, training your dog to come takes patience and persistence but when your dog masters the command to come when called you will have a very well trained animal. There are additional tips and tricks that you can incorporate into the Come command, like using whistles or hand signals in substitute of voice commands, but that will have to be for another day.

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