Next, let’s continue teaching your dog these seven basic commands with the “come” command
Teaching your dog the come command
Come is the fourth command you should teach your dog. The come command can be difficult and take a lot of practice and patience. When you are asking your dog to “come” you are asking them to ignore the exciting smells and visuals around them and follow your command.
Just like with sit, down and stay, come can be taught through lure training using treats or toys to “lure” your dog into following your directions. While lure training works great, it’s important that you pay attention to when your dog is ready to follow your commands without the incentive so they begin to follow your commands without reward.
To teach your dog the come command:
- Start in a relatively distraction free environment. The fewer smells and objects that may distract your dog the better. Walk a few steps away from your dog, and say their name and “come” or whatever word you will use for the command while holding your treat or lure. You can also use a hand gesture as a cue for your dog.
- With your dog in the sitting position repeat step one from a distance using the lure to entice your dog to follow the command
- Keep repeating step two wile gradually increasing the distance between you and your dog. This step should be repeated over multiple days in varying environments.
- Bring your dog out of the house and continue using your lure or treat
- After your dog has displayed a willingness to come when called gradually decrease use of the lure or treat until it is no longer needed.
It’s important to reward good behavior, but never punish your dog for a delayed response to the come command. Positive reinforcement for obeying and coming when called will make the training easier. Avoid chasing your dog when training the come command, they will assume you are playing and will want to run faster.