Dog Training - More On Teaching Your Dog To Come

Teaching your dog to "come" is one of the most important dog training commands that absolutely needs to be learned. It is also relatively simple to teach, if you do it right and avoid a few common and seemingly innocent mistakes.

There's no question that one of the greatest joys of owning a dog is being able to go for a walk in the park and letting him run free. You can do this if you know he will come when you call. A dog that is not trained to come becomes a prisoner of the leash, and a danger to themselves and others when loose. We all want a reliable pet, so here are 5 tips to help you teach this important dog training command.

1. Exercise. Many dogs will not come when called because they do not get enough exercise. When they get the chance to run and play, they will make the most of it. You dog wakes up every morning with lots of energy and a need to exercise. If he can't use up that energy, it will transform into other less desireable behaviors like barking, chewing, digging, and not coming when called. You need to participate in his daily exercise if possible. Keep in mind that taking him for a daily walk or jog is just as good for you as it is for him.

2. As with any dog training, praise your dog whenever he comes to you and more importantly, be nice to him. This is a common mistake many people will unknowingly make. One of the fastest ways to teach your dog not to come when called is to punish him or do something he thinks is unpleasant. Let me give you an example. While many dogs like baths, some clearly do not. When it is bath time, go get him rather than calling him. Another example - when you are at the park and your dog is running free, don't just call him when it is time to go home. If you do this several times you are essentially teaching him that when he is called the fun is over. He'll be reluctant to return to you because he's not ready to end the fun.

Yes you want to be able to call your dog to come when it's time for a bath or time to leave. What you need to do is call him several times during the outing. When he comes give him a treat or a big hug or praise. In this way he won't simply associate the term "come" with something unpleasant. Unintentional dog training as outlined in the previous paragraph is one of the biggest mistakes people make.

3. Start teaching your dog to come was soon as you bring him home, no matter what his age. Ideally you acquired your pet as a puppy which is the best time to teach him to come when called. But remember, sometime between the 4th and 8th month your pup realizes that there is a big world out there and thus he can become somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes it seems as if all dog training up to this point has been wiped out. It hasn't. See our article on Surviving The Puppy Stage for more on this. At this point it is best to keep him on a leash so he does not learn to ignore you when you call.

4. When in doubt, always keep your dog on a leash. You need to anticipate when he is likely not to come. Don't tempt fate by trying to call once he has spotted a cat, another dog, or a jogger. Naturally there will be times when you let him go just as another dog appears out of nowhere. Resist the urge to say "come" repeatedly. The more often you hollar "come" the quicker he learns to ignore you when off a leash. Instead, patiently go get him and put him on a leash. Don't get angry once you catch him or he will become afraid of you and run away the next time you try to catch him.

5. Make sure that your dog always comes to you and lets you touch his collar before you reward him with praise or a treat. Touching the collar prevents the dog from developing the annoying habit of playing catch. That's when he comes toward you and then dances around, just out of your reach.

Some final dog training tips. When just starting to teach this command, we recommend always saying his name first to get his attention. Your dog should first be trained to focus on you when you call his name. Give him praise or a treat just for looking at you when you say his name.

When dog training your pet to "come", crouch down by bending at the knees. This is a much more inviting posture then bending over at the waist which can be more threatening.

Keep your formal training sessions brief. See our article on Dog Training - How Much And How Often for more.

Finally, for the best dog training advice all in one place, we suggest you check out the SitStayFetch program. While some of their methods are slightly different than ours, those methods are also very effective. We believe it is the top dog training program on the market and it comes with a full money back guarantee. Also, since it's available by instant download you can have it on your computer in seconds.