How should I train my dog to come?

Question

I have had my 1 year old puppy Coco for 6 months and I have trained her to stay, sit, shake, spin, jump, lie down and loads of other stuff, but I have tried for ages and I can't teach her to come. And when I take her for walks she runs infront of cars and follows people around and once she ran into and old persons garden, so I really need to teach her to come back.

Answer 1

You could train her to associate food with a whistle. At meal times make her sit and wait and put down food. Blow whistle 3 times to signal her to eat. If she goes for food before whistle has sounded, pick bowl up and do it again until she gets the idea. This aids recall as if u blow the whistle 3 times in a park, she will return to you. Give her a treat and loads of fuss when she returns to let her know shes done good. Whistles are important as they are a consistent sound, unlike your voice, which can change pitch or tone easily. It prevents confusion

Answer 2

Ive allways started teaching 'come' in the house as it has less distractions than outside. Dont let her off lead when your out and about if she wont come back as she gould get sereously hurt,

So when your inside sit on the floor and call her in a high-pitched happy voice, then she starts to come over say 'come' when she reaches you give her a food treat then either have someone else do the same from the other side of the room or move away from her and repeat.

If she wont come to you in the house get a long house lead and after you have called her gently real her in and say 'come' and give her a food treat when she reaches you.

Once she can do it inside perfectly then move to doing it in the garden, once she can do it in the garden move it doing it out on the walks but keep her on a long lead at first, once she does it perfect on the long lead then try it off lead.

Good Luck.

My nabours dogs reasontly went funny on there recall so im redoing the onlead stuff in the feild.

Answer 3

Start with her on a leash and have small treats. you say her name normally and tell her to come and give the leash a slight pull towards you once she is moving to you tell her good girl and treat her on her arrival. I always make mine sit as well before treating. you work with her daily I usually do 10 minutes at a time after a while you will not need to tug the leash and she will just come. Once that happens you move to the dog park still on lead with lots of people and dogs around you practice the same thing so she learns no matter what is going on when you same come she is to come. Once she is coming to you on leash at the dog park then its time to try off leash the same way. You should work with her first at home then in different places so she learns to listen no matter where you are.

The dog unless trained to heel and come on command should not be off leash when you walk her that is how dogs get hit by cars or attacked by other animals.  

Answer 4

Take a thin rope and place it on her colar and have her sit about 4 feet away from you with the rope in your hand. Have her sit and stay. With your other arm straight above your head throw your arm down and say Come Coco. When she comes toward you it's best to have a 25 cent clicker from Pet Smart and give her a treat. Keep repeating about 20 times a day. She will catch on, after a week or two you can remove the rope and she should do just fine.

Answer 5

Well the way I trained my two English Staffordshire Terriers...

I feel that you have to teach them to "Stay" first. To stay I hold my hand ousignaling(as if your signalling STOP) and saying Stay repetitively in a stern voice. and they pretty much got it after about 5 mins.

Once they havehandfulwn pat, have a handfull of liver treats or something along those lines, I know you can actually pick up training treats. Slowly step by  moving away from them whilst saying STAY, saying "Come" in a more relaxed voice while lowering your hand by your side.

My puppies are very respondent to this method... unless there are other people or animals around... I'm working on that LoL

Answer 6

I've trained all four of my dogs the same way - and it was fun! Our current 16 week old puppy already has it down. ;o) First get some tiny but great treats (cheerios work like  charm). Put some in your pocket. Plan to have cheerios in your pocket for the next few weeks. In the future - if you ever get another dog - start training come between the ages of 12 weeks to 6 months - dogs at that age are not as independent and can't resist coming to you. However, all dogs - adult and young - enjoy learning come with games. Anyway - here are the three different ways I use:

1. First Training: Start off by placing yourself 6 feet or so away from your dog (same room with them) and say "Fido, come" in a normal voice, just once...then kneel down and look very happy and welcoming. Most dogs can't resist a dog owner near the floor and come bounding. As soon as he gets to you - say good boy! good boy! what a smart dog! Aren't you the smartest dog in the world? etc. and give him a cheerio. If the dog doesn't come immediately - start using a reward voice anyway "yay aren't you good" - and normally that will kick start the dog running towards you. Reward and give a cheerio. Move away....play again and again. Try it standing up the whole time. A good 10 to 12 times is a good number - repetititive enough he gets the game down - not enough that he gets bored.

2. Play Training: Play hide and seek. Have someone keep the dog in one room of the house with them - holding him. Then you show yourself to the dog - give him a good pet - give him a cheerio - make him interested in you and then take off (run - dogs will want to chase) and go hide somewhere in the house - aka go to another room . Then say "Fido - come!" and the person that is restraining the dog shoudl release the dog. Dog will come running and searching for you - when he finds you give him a cheerio and tell him how smart he is. If the dog can't find you - say "Fido - come!" again. Play several times - dogs love this game and it helps teach the command. Another fun way to do this is both people in the house have cheerios and take turns calling "come" to the dog. Dog will run back and forth to whomever calls "come" to him. If you put someone upstairs, and someone downstairs - it is good exercise too!

3. Once Fido has graduated to coming in the house like a champ - move it outside with a long lead. Tie a long light weight rope to the dogs collar - then take him outside (talking like 20 feet here). You want him to forget he has the lead on him - so let him wander a bit - get interested in the grass, etc. Once he gets about 8 feet away from you - not too far yet - say "Fido - come!" wait a second, and give Fido a big old pet and cheerio if he comes - if he doesn't - wheel him in immediately with the leash and reward him. It does not matter that you had to wheel him in - reward him after you wheel him in. He came - even if by force.  :o)  Release him - then play again. Keep playing - letting him wander a little further and further away from you before calling him to you. The key to this exercise is that you can always enforce the command - aka with having the leash on him. DO NOT LET YOUR DOG OFF HIS LEAD. Once your dog thinks he has the option to listen or not to listen - you have to really retrain the come command all over again. It has to be completly reflex for him to come - totally without thinking - when you say the command, before letting him off a lead is appropriate.

Play these games frequently, daily, for the next few months. When your dog comes without fail on all games - take him to an enclosed fenced in area, and try letting him off and practice come in that situation. If he does not listen even once - do not punish - do not call "Come" ten times...simply go get him, put the long lead back on him - and practice #1,2 and 3 again. He's not ready yet.

Never call your dog to you to make him do something he will not enjoy (aka bath, crate, grooming, leave the dog park, etc.). Just go get him. Never tell your dog to come and then punish him (aka for doing something in the house, for not listening the first time you told him to come, for running down the street and out of the house, etc). All you will do is train your dog NOT TO COME when you call him. Using the word come must always have a positive outcome. ALWAYS!

The come command is also one that can not be taught and then never re-enforced. Practice this command the whole life of your dog.

Good luck!

Answer 7

On a normal lead have your dog sit beside you..tell her stay and step in front of her facing her and step back until the lead is fully extended. Tell her come and gently pull the lead so she comes into you then immediately tell her to sit...praise and reward. Once she is doing this with no problems get an expendable lead and gradually go further and further away from her but always turn and face her before you tell her to come. You can introduce a hand signal at this stage also. Once you are confident that she knows this you can then remove the lead altogether and do the exercise "off lead". Remember it is all praise and reward when she comes to you. Never take her for walks "off lead", find a park where she can run and play but only after she has learnt to come on command. If you have the time find an Obedience club near you, not only will you learn the correct way to train you furkid but you will enjoy the social experience also.

Answer 8

Make sure you don't sound angry, that'll make her want to run off, try using a treat to tempt her back the first couple of times

Answer 9

When your calling her try not to shout at her. Use a high-pitched "excited" kinda voice,also try crounching down to her level as you do this.   Try this with a treat in your hand also, and when she comes give her the treat and give her lots and lots of praise.. Repeat this over and over and she will soon make the connection between doing what you tell her and getting praise.. good luck!