Come Or Recall Command Training
Come, will teach your puppy/dog to come to you as soon as you command. To truly get this command working well, you need to start teaching this to your puppy/dog as soon as they recognise their name. This command is essential if you want to you protect your puppy/dog from harm, for instance, running into the road, or chasing livestock.
Most puppies/dogs will 'come' to you every time you decide to walk away because they instinctively follow you. However, to make this a reliable recall usually takes months of consistency and positive training. The simplest way to associate your new puppy/dog with the 'come' command is to use it as soon as you bring them home and build the word association up gradually.
When going through these steps you need to be sure you are motivating and exciting so that coming back to you is a good experience for your dog every time. Set your puppy/dog up for success by making it easy for them to respond and be sure to go at your puppy/dog’s pace, and only move onto the next stage if your dog is competent. The recall command is most important for your puppy/dogs safety and should be the very first command that you teach your puppy or new dog. This will build a good foundation which is key to getting a reliable recall.
Training Technique:
You will need to start in a distraction free environment; this is so that your dog can focus only on you. Whenever your puppy/dog is coming back to you on their own, just wait until they are a couple of feet from you and then say their name and the command word 'come.' When your puppy/dog gets to you, then really make a big fuss of them; show them that you are so pleased with what they have done. With this exercise, your puppy/dog will learn that coming to you is a really good thing. After a little while, you will be able to lengthen the distance between you and your puppy/dog, and you can then also start to use “come” word when they are coming to you from a longer distance. Coming back to you should always be rewarded, whatever the circumstance and no matter how long it has taken for your puppy/dog to respond. Patience is key in these situations. Motivate your dog to come to you by being exciting, playing at running away from them, waving a toy, or having delicious food reward for them when they get to you. This will show them that coming back to you is the best thing since sliced bread, and how can they not want to come back to you?
The second phase of recall training is to play the “back and forth” game with another person that your puppy/dog is comfortable with. It’s easy to initiate this game, just by starting the game in a quiet environment so it is easy for your dog to focus on you. If you hold your puppy/dog back while the other person calls them excitedly. Try not to use their name or the command word but instead talk excitedly to them, get them excited to play along with you and your friend. Now don’t release your puppy/dog until the person calls his their followed by the command word “come.” When the command is given, you hen release your puppy/dog and let them go running to the person calling their name. As soon as they reach them they should praise and reward your puppy/dog with a game of tug or a food reward. When your puppy/dog has had their reward, you then need the other person hold your puppy/dog back as you call them yourself and then your friend releases your puppy/dog as you say his name followed by the command. When they come to you reward your puppy/dog with yet another game of tug or food reward. If you repeat this game back and forth, however only do a few repetitions so your dog doesn’t get too bored or tired. Keeping training in short spells means the game is always fun to play.
The third stage is to ensure that your puppy/dog knows what the word “come” means so that you can use the command to call them to you whilst adding a hand signal to the exercise. Hand signals are very useful to help with vocal cues so that even if your puppy/dog can’t hear you they will understand what your hand signal means. This is very helpful if your dog is a distance away from you. So you start of in a quiet environment. Walking away from your puppy/dog and call their name this is followed by immediately with the command and hand signal at the same time. Make sure that you praise and reward your puppy/dog when they come to you. Gradually start to increase the distance you call them from and remember to always praise your puppy/dog when they get it right. If they do not respond, then just simply go back to the previous distance and repeat the exercise.
You should keep training sessions for this command to a few minutes so your puppy/dog doesn’t get bored. The secret to success is to keep it fun, keep it exciting and always keep it fresh. When your dog recognise your hand signal, try then calling your puppy/dogs name and by only using the hand signal and not the vocal command, see if they respond. You will then be able to use a combination of vocal commands only, hand signal only or you can use the two together. Now your dog knows what the command word means you can start to call them from different rooms or even different areas where they cannot see you. This will encourage them to respond even when you are out of sight, just hope you’re not out of mind, or go back a step in this process.
The next stage as hopefully now your dog is consistently coming to you in a distraction free environment you can test your recall command by taking the training session outside. Practice the recall in your garden, and you can then over time build up to the point where you can try out the training in the local park or similar a environment. The ultimate test, which will be to use your recall command when your dog is engaged in a different activity. Wait for a lull in that activity and then call your puppy/dog to you. Praise their decision to obey.
What Not To Do:
If you do want a reliable recall, then do not chase your dog unless it is an emergency. That in your puppy/dog’s eyes is a good old fashioned game of chase. If you call your puppy/dog a number of times and they don’t come back to you, make sure you don’t reprimand them when he eventually returns. It is very understandably annoying when your dog ignores you; however, if you get angry when they finally return they are highly unlikely to respond the next time you call them. Remember that the use of shock collars in Wales is banned, so please don’t use them under any circumstances.
Troubleshooting:
Puppies/dogs are understandably drawn to each other, after all they mostly want to play, but this can make it harder to get their full attention when they are interacting with each other. If this is the case, wait for a lull and then get your puppy/dogs attention and call your dog back to you. If they obey immediately, and give them lots of positive reinforcement for their decision and then let them go and play again, this is another reward. Puppies and dogs are very clever and will soon learn that the only time you call them is when you want to put them back on a lead to take them home, therefore stopping the fun. If you are calling your puppy/dog back to you and then letting him go to allow them to play again, this then changes that picture entirely. Coming back to you does not necessarily mean his fun will end.
Although the Sled Dog Society of Wales fully supports the "no off lead" rule except in a safe environment. I cannot stress enough of the importance of having a reliable recall is. It’s crucial for the safety of your puppy or dogs in all environments and the sooner the training starts with you teaching this command to your puppy/dog then the more reliable it will be in emergency situations. Collars break, leashes slip, gates or doors are inadvertently left open. When an accident happens, having a reliable recall could very well save your dog’s life.
Come, will teach your puppy/dog to come to you as soon as you command. To truly get this command working well, you need to start teaching this to your puppy/dog as soon as they recognise their name. This command is essential if you want to you protect your puppy/dog from harm, for instance, running into the road, or chasing livestock.
Most puppies/dogs will 'come' to you every time you decide to walk away because they instinctively follow you. However, to make this a reliable recall usually takes months of consistency and positive training. The simplest way to associate your new puppy/dog with the 'come' command is to use it as soon as you bring them home and build the word association up gradually.
When going through these steps you need to be sure you are motivating and exciting so that coming back to you is a good experience for your dog every time. Set your puppy/dog up for success by making it easy for them to respond and be sure to go at your puppy/dog’s pace, and only move onto the next stage if your dog is competent. The recall command is most important for your puppy/dogs safety and should be the very first command that you teach your puppy or new dog. This will build a good foundation which is key to getting a reliable recall.
Training Technique:
You will need to start in a distraction free environment; this is so that your dog can focus only on you. Whenever your puppy/dog is coming back to you on their own, just wait until they are a couple of feet from you and then say their name and the command word 'come.' When your puppy/dog gets to you, then really make a big fuss of them; show them that you are so pleased with what they have done. With this exercise, your puppy/dog will learn that coming to you is a really good thing. After a little while, you will be able to lengthen the distance between you and your puppy/dog, and you can then also start to use “come” word when they are coming to you from a longer distance. Coming back to you should always be rewarded, whatever the circumstance and no matter how long it has taken for your puppy/dog to respond. Patience is key in these situations. Motivate your dog to come to you by being exciting, playing at running away from them, waving a toy, or having delicious food reward for them when they get to you. This will show them that coming back to you is the best thing since sliced bread, and how can they not want to come back to you?
The second phase of recall training is to play the “back and forth” game with another person that your puppy/dog is comfortable with. It’s easy to initiate this game, just by starting the game in a quiet environment so it is easy for your dog to focus on you. If you hold your puppy/dog back while the other person calls them excitedly. Try not to use their name or the command word but instead talk excitedly to them, get them excited to play along with you and your friend. Now don’t release your puppy/dog until the person calls his their followed by the command word “come.” When the command is given, you hen release your puppy/dog and let them go running to the person calling their name. As soon as they reach them they should praise and reward your puppy/dog with a game of tug or a food reward. When your puppy/dog has had their reward, you then need the other person hold your puppy/dog back as you call them yourself and then your friend releases your puppy/dog as you say his name followed by the command. When they come to you reward your puppy/dog with yet another game of tug or food reward. If you repeat this game back and forth, however only do a few repetitions so your dog doesn’t get too bored or tired. Keeping training in short spells means the game is always fun to play.
The third stage is to ensure that your puppy/dog knows what the word “come” means so that you can use the command to call them to you whilst adding a hand signal to the exercise. Hand signals are very useful to help with vocal cues so that even if your puppy/dog can’t hear you they will understand what your hand signal means. This is very helpful if your dog is a distance away from you. So you start of in a quiet environment. Walking away from your puppy/dog and call their name this is followed by immediately with the command and hand signal at the same time. Make sure that you praise and reward your puppy/dog when they come to you. Gradually start to increase the distance you call them from and remember to always praise your puppy/dog when they get it right. If they do not respond, then just simply go back to the previous distance and repeat the exercise.
You should keep training sessions for this command to a few minutes so your puppy/dog doesn’t get bored. The secret to success is to keep it fun, keep it exciting and always keep it fresh. When your dog recognise your hand signal, try then calling your puppy/dogs name and by only using the hand signal and not the vocal command, see if they respond. You will then be able to use a combination of vocal commands only, hand signal only or you can use the two together. Now your dog knows what the command word means you can start to call them from different rooms or even different areas where they cannot see you. This will encourage them to respond even when you are out of sight, just hope you’re not out of mind, or go back a step in this process.
The next stage as hopefully now your dog is consistently coming to you in a distraction free environment you can test your recall command by taking the training session outside. Practice the recall in your garden, and you can then over time build up to the point where you can try out the training in the local park or similar a environment. The ultimate test, which will be to use your recall command when your dog is engaged in a different activity. Wait for a lull in that activity and then call your puppy/dog to you. Praise their decision to obey.
What Not To Do:
If you do want a reliable recall, then do not chase your dog unless it is an emergency. That in your puppy/dog’s eyes is a good old fashioned game of chase. If you call your puppy/dog a number of times and they don’t come back to you, make sure you don’t reprimand them when he eventually returns. It is very understandably annoying when your dog ignores you; however, if you get angry when they finally return they are highly unlikely to respond the next time you call them. Remember that the use of shock collars in Wales is banned, so please don’t use them under any circumstances.
Troubleshooting:
Puppies/dogs are understandably drawn to each other, after all they mostly want to play, but this can make it harder to get their full attention when they are interacting with each other. If this is the case, wait for a lull and then get your puppy/dogs attention and call your dog back to you. If they obey immediately, and give them lots of positive reinforcement for their decision and then let them go and play again, this is another reward. Puppies and dogs are very clever and will soon learn that the only time you call them is when you want to put them back on a lead to take them home, therefore stopping the fun. If you are calling your puppy/dog back to you and then letting him go to allow them to play again, this then changes that picture entirely. Coming back to you does not necessarily mean his fun will end.
Although the Sled Dog Society of Wales fully supports the "no off lead" rule except in a safe environment. I cannot stress enough of the importance of having a reliable recall is. It’s crucial for the safety of your puppy or dogs in all environments and the sooner the training starts with you teaching this command to your puppy/dog then the more reliable it will be in emergency situations. Collars break, leashes slip, gates or doors are inadvertently left open. When an accident happens, having a reliable recall could very well save your dog’s life.
