It is important for me as a pet owner to have an obedient and understanding dog, especially to teach my dog the command "come here"! This is especially true for teaching your dog the command "come here", as it is a key step in building trust and understanding between us. It is today that I want to share with you how to teach a dog to come in a step-by-step manner.
Why teach your dog to come
What is every pet owner's dream is to have an obedient and understanding dog. In order to teach a dog to come to you obediently, the command "come here" is the key skill. Not only is it a simple command, but it is a bridge to ensure your dog's safety and deepen the trust between you.
Training your dog to come when you call can greatly improve his safety
Although developing a connection with your puppy through training is enjoyable on its own, it also promotes the safer and happier development of the dog. However, the lack of proper training methods can set you back quite a bit. It is crucial, in a way, to give your puppy the right training since it supports the dog's well-being. The puppy not only learns to control its behavior but also grows into a pet that is more pleasant to live with. One essential command to teach your dog is how to teach a dog to come. Out of all the commands, the 'come' command is of utmost importance. This command plays a key role in strengthening the relationship between you and your dog, and it also helps prevent potentially dangerous incidents.
Why is it important to have your dog come over when you call?
In fact, you don't need to teach your dog to behave like an acrobat, but a few basic commands, such as “sit”, “don't move” and “come here”, are essential. You think ah, the dog hears you shouting, immediately on the upside down to run over, that you heart how solid ah. For example, the dog wandering in the street, you shouted, it came back, how worrying, and not afraid of it what happened. Or, it is to sneak out of the backyard, you call, it obediently back, and will not run into what dangerous places, or should not go to the place. Additionally, learning how to teach a dog to come is a vital part of its training. Also, teaching your dog the command “come here” can make a big difference in a pinch. If the dog feels that the stranger is not right, want to go over, you quickly call it back, so as to avoid a possible trouble. Or, if he's about to go somewhere he shouldn't, you can call him back before he gets into trouble.
Preparation for how to teach a dog to come
There are some preparations that are essential before you start training.
Choosing the right time and environment
It is really vital for dog training to choose the right time and environment, especially when learning how to teach a dog to come. You have to find a time to train when your dog is in a happy and energetic mood, after all, no one wants to learn something new when they are tired or in a bad mood, and dogs are no exception. So pick a time when he is just waking up from a nap or a full meal and is full of energy and start training, the results will definitely be better.
Moreover, the environment, a quiet, distraction-free place is simply a treasure trove for dog training. Think about it, if you are surrounded by noisy voices and people walking back and forth, the dog's attention will certainly be distracted, where can still concentrate on listening to your instructions? Therefore, find a relatively quiet corner, or in the home, close the doors and windows, to create a dog can focus on the environment, so that the training will be twice as effective.
Prepare reward items
There are a lot of options when it comes to rewarding your dog. First of all, the dog's favorite snacks are definitely the first choice. You have to pick their special favorite, usually not easy to give the kind, such as chicken jerky, beef and so on. Whenever the dog hears you call, whoosh a run to your side, this time you quickly take out these small snacks, praise them, let them know that there are rewards for doing well. This way, when the dog hears the call in the future, it will run over excitedly and wait for the delicious snacks.
All the way from snacks, toys are a great way to reward your dog. Sometimes dogs don't love snacks as much as they should, but when they come across their favorite toys, those eyes instantly sparkle. You can choose a few toys which are their favorite, such as small balls, Frisbees and so on. When your dog is doing well, throw the toys at them and let them play and have fun!
It should also not be forgotten that petting is also a great way to reward. There is something about dogs that they enjoy very much being petted by their owners, it makes them feel at ease and comfortable. Therefore, besides giving your dog small snacks or toys after they have successfully responded to the call, don't forget to crouch down and gently stroke their head, back or chin to let them feel your love and affirmation.
Make sure your dog has mastered basic obedience
You will have to make sure your dog knows some basic skills before you teach him the command “come here”. Therefore, this is very important to train basic commands such as “sit” and “wait”.
Think about it, if a dog can't even “sit”, how can I expect it to run over and sit when it hears “come here”? So I had to take the time to patiently teach him how to sit. Take its favorite snacks, I will shake them in front of it to attract its attention, and then slowly lift it up, it raised its head, and naturally sat down with its butt. At this time, I quickly say “sit”, and give it a little reward, try a few more times, it slowly understand. Once your dog learns how to sit, you can begin learning how to teach a dog to come with more confidence.
This is also important to teach your dog never to move before he has permission to do. I start by telling my dog to sit, then take a few slow steps back with the treat in hand and say “wait” at the same time. If the dog can't resist getting up or wants to come with me, I shake my head and say “no”, then sit him back down and start again. It will not move until it sits still and does not move until I give it the signal.
I will start teaching him “Come” in the future after he is able to learn these basic commands. At this time, with the previous foundation, the dog will be able to understand and accept the new commands more easily.
Steps for basic training on how to teach a dog to come
Now we are going to get down to business and teach your dog to “come over” step by step.
Use energizing sounds and poses
There is something truly super important as to using an energized voice and posture when teaching your dog to come over! How to teach a dog to come successfully involves making sure that you don’t look and sound lethargic. How can a dog be attracted to us if we look and sound lethargic? Therefore, I make it a point to be super energetic whenever I'm calling my dog!
It would be a good idea for me to crouch down which makes me look less tall and makes the dog feel closer. Then, I would open my arms as if to say, “Hey baby, come over to me, I've got lots of fun and yummy treats waiting for you!” I would also say, in a particularly cheerful tone, “Baby, come here!” Such a voice sounds delightful, and the dog will definitely feel happy to hear it.
Stay away from your puppy
Training a dog in your own yard can be done off leash and let the dog run free if the environment is safe, which is a great way to teach how to teach a dog to come. If you have no confidence in your dog's response, as well as if it is still learning, then keep it on a leash to prevent it from running away.
However, if you go to a park or public place, then you need to have a long leash. In these places where there are many people and miscellaneous, use a long leash to hold the dog, so that we can also pull it in critical moments.
Why is “stay away from puppies” a good idea? Think about it, dogs love to chase things, you always stand in front of it calling it, it may think you are playing with it. So when you call it, you take a few steps back so that it can focus on you and not chase anything else. And by you stepping back, the dog will think you need it and be more willing to come to you. So don't be afraid to stay away from it and give it a chance to show loyalty and intelligence.
Never chase your dog
Dogs love to chase things and stay away from you probably because they are attracted to something or want to play chase chase with you. If you go to chase, it will be more high, think in the joke, do not listen to you.
So when your dog runs away, don't rush to chase it. Shout its name loudly and enthusiastically so it knows you're calling it. Then you take a few steps away, and it will wonder why you're walking away. This is the time to take out its favorite rewards, like snacks and toys, so that when it sees you have something in your hand, it will want to come over.
Remember to walk away with an enthusiastic voice and keep calling it so it knows you are genuinely calling it and not playing. Be patient too, dogs can't understand you all at once. You have to try a few times before it understands what “come here” means.
Increase distance
Instruct your dog to “come here” slowly over a long distance when teaching how to teach a dog to come. At the beginning, get next to the dog and call him, wait for him to respond steadily. Try to increase the distance little by little as you get used to it. It is important not to increase the distance much, keep it slow, or the dog will be confused. Every time your dog gives a response, it will have to find a sense of accomplishment so it will be willing to continue to learn.
Beckon when the dog is responding steadily in close quarters, call him a little further away. For example, a few meters from your feet at first, next time back away to the other end of the room or farther into the yard.
When adding distance, you have to be warm and keep calling it so it knows you mean it. You also have to have rewards ready, as soon as your dog responds, immediately give rewards and praise to make it happy and feel super accomplished.
Adding a sit-down order
When training a dog, we can add the command “sit” after the dog has responded steadily to the command “come here”. This way the dog will be more obedient and will wait quietly and not run around.
Dogs run over to the first do not rush to praise it, gently tell it to say “sit”, and then gently press the hand on its little butt, let it sit on it. At first the dog may not understand or sit down and stand up again, then you have to be patient and repeat a few times until it naturally sits down.
Do not forget the rewards and praise right after each sit. This way the dog knows that responding to the call and sitting will be liked and rewarded by you.
Repeated a few times, the dog will form a conditioned reflex, as soon as he hears “come over” to run over, and then hear “sit” to obediently sit down and so on. This way the dog is more obedient, but also in critical moments to ensure safety, such as in the road when called it, it can immediately come over to sit, etc., to avoid danger.
Adding interference
In the matter of dog training, there is a pretty crucial step, and that is behavioral verification. The commands you teach your dog, such as how to teach a dog to come, have to stand up to all kinds of mischief in daily life before it can really remember them and turn them into good habits. For example, your dog has learned the command “come here,” then we need to give it some behavioral verification.
This verification is to create a little trouble for the dog, to see if it will listen to you in the face of these troubles. For example, it is playing high, you suddenly call it “come here,” see if it will immediately throw away the toy, run over to you. Or, if he meets other dogs or strangers and you call him “come here,” see if he can hold back his curiosity or nervousness and listen to you.
Keep in mind the behavioral verification is not something you can do once and be done with it; it has to be repeated over and over again, and it has to be made a little more difficult. You can begin with simple distractions, such as a guest at home or the phone ringing. These can then be followed by something more exciting, such as firecrackers outside, car horns blaring, or taking the dog to the park so that it is attracted to other dogs or children.
Don't forget to give your dog some feedback after each validation. If he does well, overcomes the distractions and listens to you, then you have to reward him, praise him, and let him know that he's great so that he'll be more willing to keep listening. What if he doesn't do well? Then don't punish him, but be patient and train him a few more times until he is able to listen to you in spite of all the distractions.
Conclusion
Learning how to teach a dog to come is a critical step in ensuring your pet's safety and obedience. It is really super useful to have this command! Well it can help you to build a deeper trust between you and your dog, and it also allows you to keep a steady hand on your dog at all times to avoid those possible dangers.
There are some things you have to do to teach your dog to come over, you have to find a quiet place where your dog can concentrate and encourage him with something tasty or fun. There is also making sure that the dog already knows some simple commands. After that you can try to slowly walk away from the dog when he is listening or distract him a little bit, this will help him to remember the command more firmly. You will surely be able to teach your dog to come over and also build a more affectionate and secure relationship with him if you are patient, keep trying and do it the right way.