How to teach a puppy the command “Come”: 12 rules

The “Come” command is the most important command in the life of any dog, the key to its safety and your peace of mind. That is why the “Come to me” command must be executed instantly and always. How to teach a puppy the command “Come”?

Photo: pxhere

12 Rules for Teaching Your Puppy the “Come” Command

One of the most famous trainers, Victoria Stilwell, offers 12 rules for teaching a puppy the “Come” command:

1. Start training your puppy or adult dog the moment they enter your home.. Don’t wait for the puppy to grow up. The earlier you start learning, the easier and more efficient the process.
2. Use a variety of incentiveswhen the puppy runs up to you: praise, treat, toy, game. Every time you say the puppy’s name and the command “Come to me” and he runs up to you, turn it into a fun and joyful event. Let the team “Come to me!” will become an exciting and valuable game for a puppy. In this case, the puppy will love when you call him.
3. At the beginning of training get down to puppy level. Do not hang over him – crawl on all fours, squat or kneel, tilt your head to the ground.
4. Avoid the huge mistake that many owners make – don’t be boring or scary for a puppy. The more you motivate your dog, the more willing it will be to run towards you. Puppies love to follow people, and only the wrong training can discourage them from doing so.
5. When the puppy runs up to you, be sure to grab him by the collar or harness.. Sometimes dogs learn to run up to the owner, but not close enough to reach them. This happens when the owner calls the puppy only to take him on a leash and take him home. Dogs are smart and quickly learn that in this case it is better not to get too close to the owner. Teach your puppy to run close to you, take him by the collar or harness, reward him and let him go again. Then your dog will not know why you are calling him: to take him on a leash or to reward him like a king.
6. Call the puppy cheerfully and never scold dog if it runs up to you. Even if the dog ignored you a hundred times, but came up to you a hundred and first, praise him vigorously. If your dog learns that when he finally comes you are angry, you will teach him to run away from you.
7. Use an assistant. Call the puppy in turn, so that he runs from one person to another, and everyone vigorously praises the baby for running to the call.
8. Remember that puppies get tired quickly and lose interest, so classes should be short and end at the moment when the baby is still ready and eager to learn.
9. Use a signal (gesture or word) that the dog can clearly see or hear. Make sure the puppy can see or hear you. at the time of the call.
10. Gradually increase the difficulty level. For example, start with a small distance and increase it gradually after you are convinced that the dog is excellent at the command “Come!” at the previous level.
11. As the difficulty increases, so does the value of the reward.. The more stimuli, the higher the dog’s motivation should be. Use what your dog loves the most to reward him for obedience, especially in the presence of irritants.
12. Say the command “Come to me!” just one time. If you repeat the command because the puppy is not listening, you are teaching him to ignore you. At the training stage, do not give a command if you are not sure that the puppy is able to fulfill it, and if given, then do everything to attract the attention of the pet and encourage him to run to you.

Photo: pixabay

You can learn more about raising and training dogs in a humane way and learn how to train your dog yourself by becoming a member of our video course on dog training using positive reinforcement.