How To Teach Your Dog To Come

How to teach your dog to come when you call her name is one of the main "tricks" or skills you will ever teach your dog. Dogs like their freedom to roam and explore all the places and scents that are so interesting to them. Teaching her to come when called is taking that little freedom away. So you have to make it rewarding to her to come.

When you start teaching your dog to come, be in a confined area. A small fenced yard or even the living room is good. Make yourself more interesting than what is around the yard. Call your dog's name and say the word "come". When your dog finally comes to you use lots of praise and a treat. In time just the praise will work because you will have stopped giving treats every time the dog responds.

The basic technique in how to teach your dog to come is to stay positive and keep the lessons short. If you yourself are becoming impatient or bored, you can be sure the lesson is going on too long. Your dog doesn't have a long attention span. Use lots of praise and hugs to end the lesson.

At first when you start with training, you are likely to use a more stern tone of voice than you usually use with your dog, and your dog may think you are mad at her for something. This will make her anxious and confused. Keep your voice light and happy. Let your dog know she is not in trouble.

If you cannot use a small confined area for the training, keep a long leash on the dog at first. Otherwise she will run from you so far that she cannot hear you or can easily ignore you, and you will have to chase. A long leash will stop her from getting that far away. Sooner or later she will come to you when you call, just because there is nowhere else interesting to go.

It is best not to have other people or other dogs in the area that you are working with your dog in. They are distractions that your dog may pay more attention to than you. Make sure that your dog knows you are the one she is to listen to.

Dogs just want to please their people. Make sure you are showing that you are pleased when she does what you want. Soon you will be able to let your dog play fetch off the leash in the park knowing if you call she will come.

Let your dog have a little freedom at a time, and when she comes use lots of praise and show lots of love. There are lots of tips available on how to teach your dog to come, but the important point is to keep repeating the same basic method.