Teach My Dog to Come

Teaching your dog to come when called is the most important thing you can do. It makes your dog easier to live with and provides a safety net in case your dog accidentally becomes unconfined.

The most important thing to remember when teaching your dog to come is to avoid using your “recall word� when you are not able to ensure that your dog will come. Standing in your front yard and yelling, “Sparky COME!� while Sparky races around the neighborhood teaches your dog that the word “come� means “race around the neighborhood.� We want your dog to believe that being called means that he should drop everything and come running to you.

If you already have weakened the word “come� by spending a lot of time saying it without your dog responding, you might want to choose a different word, like “here,� to mean “come here now� for your dog. You may choose any word you like, but make it short and distinct. Using “come,� “come here,� and “get over here,� interchangeably will only confuse your dog.

Start training in a quiet place with your dog on leash and your pockets full of tasty, soft treats that your dog can consume in just a few bites. When your dog is not looking at you, hold a treat directly in front of his nose and pull it back toward you slightly. As he turns his head to follow the treat, say “come� (or whatever word you choose) in an upbeat, happy manner. Give him the treat as soon as his head is turned toward you. After a few repetitions of this, use your treat like a magnet and have the dog turn his body toward you before giving the reward. Your dog may turn as soon as he hears your excited tone of voice. If that happens, great! That means your dog may learn your cue word faster because he is listening to the word and not focusing on the treat.

If you are using a clicker (a device that makes a clicking noise that you may use to help your dog understand the exact moment he is doing the right thing) or a marker word, click or mark as soon as your dog’s head turns toward your treat. In this way you can indicate the “decision� to follow the cookie. Your dog should be clicker or marker savvy before using the device in a training session. For more information on this topic, watch for an upcoming blog article on the use of clickers. If you are not using a clicker, praise your dog in happy tones.

Over the course of the training session, increase the distance your dog is coming to you by backing up a few steps. Soon he will enjoy this easy game. As soon as possible, move your “magnet� away from your dog faster, so that he is hurrying toward you without having his nose attached to the treat. Continue to mark his decision to turn and come toward you.

Keep your dog on leash at all times so that he may not run off and reward himself in some other way after you’ve given the come command. If your dog fails to come, back up a few steps in your training progression to make it easier for the dog to succeed. Don’t let him fail more than twice without making the job easier.

After your dog seems to be getting the hang of this game, say his name, your cue word (“come�) and wait a moment before showing him the cookie. If he begins to come, reward him with a jackpot, which is several treats given in quick succession. Be sure to praise your dog in a happy, high-pitched voice, and pet him as well. As soon as your dog indicates that he understands that the word come means to turn toward you, you can proceed in your training. Until that happens, continue to lure your dog toward you with your “magnet treat.� However, start “tricking� your dog by pretending to have the treat in your hand and then produce it from the other hand. Soon your dog will understand that even without seeing the treat, it will still come. Say the come cue only once. Otherwise your dog may learn to wait for repeated cues before coming.

Once your dog actually turns toward you and begins coming when called, you may be tempted to assume that he actually knows how to come under all circumstances. He does not! He knows how to come toward you in a quiet environment with few distractions.

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