Most happy, healthy and well cared for puppies will run to greet you each
time they see you even without being called. Teaching your puppy to always
come to you on command in any given situation is important for his safety and
the safety of others. Dogs are often injured and/or killed while the owner is
screaming at his pet to come back, and watches in horror as the dog runs out
into traffic on a busy street or attacks another dog. Spending the time to
teach your puppy and gain his trust, that coming to you every time you call him
is a good and positive experience, will help prevent a scenario of this kind
from happening later.
I live out in the country where there are no leash laws. I keep my dogs
inside a fence or in kennel runs at all times. Other people, however, do not
keep their dogs up, and choose to let them run loose.
One afternoon my son was
outside with some people that were picking up a female dog they had brought
over for breeding with his male Pit Bull. They loaded the female dog in the
car, and was talking there for a few minutes. My son's two young daughters
were outside in the yard also, along with Soldier, the male Pit Bull. We have a
long driveway, and about that time, a couple of kids were riding past on
bicycles down at the main road. Their dog, a big male Labrador Retriever (not on a leash) was with
them and he started down our driveway. Soldier saw the
other male dog before anyone else did. The gate was opened for the people with
the female dog to leave, and Soldier started to run down the driveway toward
the other dog. My son yelled one time, "Soldier, come back here." Soldier
stopped, turned around and came to him. He had time to get a hold of
Soldier's collar and get the gate closed, as the kids on bicycles were still
calling their dog that was steadily running up to our fence. The people with the
female dog were very pleased and impressed with Soldier's obedience. Even with a
female-in-season present and the two human children, that he instinctively
wanted to protect, Soldier trusted my son's voice and command to come to him
right then. Without the time spent with Soldier, on gaining trust and proper
training, this could have ended with injury to one or both dogs, someone getting
bitten, and the people who had just bred their female being concerned about
their choice in stud dogs.
A common mistake that many people make is calling your puppy to you to
reprimand him when you catch him doing something he isn't supposed to. This is
usually coupled with a harsh tone of voice and angry body language, which in
turn, makes coming to you not very attractive to your puppy. When he doesn't come
to you, you get madder, then your puppy chooses to run the other way, or
finally does come to you and receives scolding. Either way, this is not a good
approach. When you see your puppy doing something bad, always try to go to
where he is and scold him there. He needs to learn that coming to you when you
call him will be a positive experience.
Start training your puppy in a safe area like inside the house or a small
yard. Using some treats for this exercise is good, so have a few ready in your
pocket. Have someone hold the puppy a little ways from you, still within
sight, and call to the puppy in a gentle and happy voice. Have the person
holding the puppy release him at your first call. As soon as the puppy gets to you,
praise and pet him and give him a treat. Do this over and over again for
about ten or fifteen minutes each day, using the same command words each
time.... always saying the puppy's name first and then a simple word like "come"
or "here". Keep your voice tone friendly, and continue with great praise and
a treat immediately when the puppy comes to you.
After a couple of days, go to a larger area and repeat the process. This time,
start increasing the distance, between you and the person holding the puppy, a
few feet at a time, and even around a corner where he can't see you but can
still hear you calling him clearly. If your puppy is doing well, coming
straight to you each time he is released, while still inside a fenced area, try
letting the puppy go free for a few minutes. When the puppy starts sniffing
around or looking at something else, try calling him to you. If he comes to
you, give him praise and a treat. If he doesn't come on the first call, try
calling him again, a little louder to get his attention, and let him know you are
calling to him. If he still doesn't come to you, go and get him, but do not
scold him. Just start over with a shorter distance, and someone holding him
while you call, and work from there again.
As your puppy improves and is learning to trust you each time you call him,
and you are comfortable with his behavior, start increasing the challenges.
While always keeping in mind the safety of your puppy and others, try taking
him to places where there are more distractions like other people and other
dogs. The new sights, smells and noises may take him a few minutes to get used
to. Start again, with having someone hold him a few yards away from you,
and call him. Give him great praise and a treat each time he comes to you.
Work on your puppy's training slowly out from here until he will come to you
when called regardless of any distractions.
If you do not have a second person to help you with the training of your
puppy, you can improvise by calling to him from a few feet away at first, and
giving him praise and a treat when he comes to you. You can also call him in
from outside or from another room in the house and have his food bowl ready and
waiting for him when he gets to you.
While inside a fence or other safe
places that don't require a leash, let your puppy wander around for a little bit of
sniffing and exploring. Call to him. If he doesn't come on the second call, go
and get him. Do not scold him for not coming, just start over in a smaller
area again. Then, if you still have problems getting the puppy to come to
you, or when moving to a larger area, keep a long leash attached to his collar.
Let him go out to the end of the leash and call him. If he doesn't come,
pull him gently towards you and give him praise and a treat. Just be patient,
repeat the process, keep your voice calm and pleasant, and always reward with
praise and treats.
All training lessons can be much more successful if you spend time playing
with your puppy, and forming a good bond of trust, but it is most important
for this lesson. If your puppy doesn't know you very well, or doesn't trust
you, he is not going to want to come to you when you call him.
Many people get
a new puppy, and are too busy to play with him much or train him. Then they
are disappointed and frustrated when the puppy grows up to be an unruly,
destructive dog.
I have helped in the rehabilitation and the finding of new
homes for quite a few of these dogs. Animal shelters and Humane Societies are
full of dogs that someone didn't want anymore, so please, spend some time with
your dog today. He is waiting there for you, and hoping you will come and go
for a walk or play a game of tug of war with him. He is calling you
right now, and has the praise of his big adoring eyes, and a treat of loyal and
unconditional love just waiting to give to you.
Thank you for your interest in this class, and stopping by at Take Care of
Your Dog.com. Jeanette, our web site host, has some really neat doggie
products for you to check out, and some very good information and stories for dog
lovers.
Give me some feedback on your dog training progress at
_easttxnurse320@aol.com_ (mailto:easttxnurse320@aol.com) .
Thanks again.
Rhonda Erickson
Lessons #1
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