Tuesday Dog Training Tip – Come!

Dog Trainer Michele Hatley Emphasizes The Importance Of The “Come” Command.

When we ask our dogs to come to us, we want them to come – and fast! I don’t want my dog to hear me call for them and slowly make their way over to me, I want them to hear that cue and come running! I don’t want my dogs to come to me like my ferrets do when I call them – slowly moving my direction, but also checking everything out in their path to me. So, does your dog come running like a ferret? It can be fixed!

As with training any behavior, keep it positive and fun for the dog, especially this one. You don’t want your dog to ever have to wonder what you’re going to be like or what you’re going to do when they come to you. For example, if your dog doesn’t like its nails trimmed, don’t use the come command and then cut their nails because then they’ll wonder if you’re going to do something they don’t like. Train the behavior so that your dog will want to come over to you as fast as they can because they know they are going to get something good. Always be something that your dog WANTS!

A dog trainer once told me that you have to BE the party. So, get excited and reward your dog for coming to you when called because you just never know how important that come behavior could be one day.

Check out the clip of Buffy at the dog park demonstrating her fast reaction to hearing: “come!”