Training Your Dog to Come When It's
Called
Training a dog to come when it is called is a vital, and
potentially life saving, part of any successful dog training
program. All properly trained dogs must learn to respond
instantly to the owner’s voice, and the sooner this lesson is
learned the better.
The advantages of teaching a dog to come
when called are obvious. For starters, coming when called will
help you regain control of the dog in case of collar break,
snapped leash or other similar equipment failure. This is
particularly important when you are out with your dog,
especially in an area with lots of traffic. It is vital that
the dog respond to your voice and return to your side, even in
the absence of collar and leash, and even if there are lots of
other things competing for its attention.
Coming when called is also a vital skill for every
working dog. Whether the dog’s job is herding sheep, guarding
livestock, or sniffing out bombs and drugs at the airport, the
working dog must be under total control at all times, whether
on leash or off.
Even if your dog’s only job is being a loyal companion,
it is still vital that he learn this important basic obedience
exercise. After the first obedience lessons, such as heeling,
stopping on command, sitting on command, etc. have been
learned, it is time to start incorporating the come when called
lessons into the daily training sessions.
One note about dog training – it is all too easy for
training sessions to become dull and routine for both handler
and dog. A bored dog will not be receptive to learning, just as
a bored handler will not be a good teacher. It is important,
therefore, to always incorporate fun things and play into every
training session. Incorporating a few minutes of play time
before the lesson begins can do wonders for the attitude of dog
and human alike. Likewise, ending each training session with a
few minutes of free play time is a great way to end on a
positive note and to help the dog associate obedience training
with fun and not drudgery.
The command to stay and the command to come when called
are often combined in obedience training lessons, and they do
go naturally together. Start with the dog on a loose leash, ask
the dog to sit and then slowly back away. If the dog begins to
get up and follow you, return to the dog and ask him to sit
again. Continue this process until you can reach the end of the
leash without the dog getting up.
After you can successfully reach the end of the leash on
a consistent basis, try dropping the leash altogether. Of
course you will want to do this in a controlled environment
like a fenced in yard. After the dog has mastered the stay
command, it is time to add the come when called command.
Take up the leash again, and with the dog on the end of
the leash, say “come” or “come here”. It is often helpful to
use a lure when teaching this behavior. The lure provides a
visible item for the dog to focus on. Teaching the dog to come
to the lure is a good first step in training the dog to come
when called.
Repeat this procedure many times until the dog will
consistently stay and then come when called. After the dog has
mastered coming when called while attached to the leash, slowly
start introducing the concept when the leash is removed. As
before, these training sessions should only take place in a
controlled, safe environment, such as a fenced in front or back
yard.
A well trained, obedient dog should respond to the call
to return to its owner no matter where it is and no matter what
distractions may occur. It is therefore necessary to test the
dog with distractions of your own.
If you have a neighbor, preferably one with a dog of his
own, try having him come over with the dog. Have him, and the
dog, stand just outside the fenced in area and repeat the come
when called exercise with your dog off leash. If he becomes
distracted by the other dog, put the leash back on and repeat
the process. The goal is to have your dog consistently pay
attention to your commands, no matter what distractions may
present themselves.
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