RECENT POSTS

Come Fluffy, PLEASE Come!

July 29th, 2009

Having the confidence that your dog will come immediately each and every time you call him can be one of the greatest gifts your dog can give you. It’s remarkably easy to train a dependable Come When Called if you adhere to these training practices: reward the desired behavior and be consistent with your training.

Before you begin training, decide what verbal cue you will use. It’s very important that you not use a cue that your dog has already learned to ignore. I recommend that you use your dog’s name and a cue such as “here”. Now that you have decided on a verbal cue, let’s get started. Grab 10 very small dog treats and go to a quiet area with your dog. With Fluffy right in front of you, give your cue, “Fluffy, here!” immediately followed by a treat. Repeat until your treats are gone. What does Fluffy have to do to earn these treats? Nothing. Just by being with you, Fluffy gets her treats. Repeat this exercise several times each day for a week.

Your next training step will be to repeat the exercise with Fluffy loose in a room in your home. When Fluffy is distracted, give your cue, “Fluffy, here!” Don’t repeat your cue. Fluffy should turn and come to you. Immediately give Fluffy 10 very small treats, one at a time, before sending Fluffy to go off and play again. Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times each day. Remember, Fluffy gets 10 very small treats each time!

Once Fluffy understands this game, begin practicing in different rooms of your home. Add distractions such as toys, bones, or playing with the children to the game. Vary the treats that you use. For more distractions that are more difficult to leave, use the very best treats.

When you are comfortable that Fluffy will come every time you call, take your training outside. Make sure that Fluffy is on lead when you take her outside. She’s not ready for off lead training yet. Begin working in a quiet area as free of distractions as possible. Remember this is a new location with many new distractions. Begin with the simple exercises and build on the difficulty each week.

Continue to practice with Fluffy in different locations. Add distance slowly. It’s not fair to expect her to leave her friends and come running to you from across the dog park after just a few weeks of training. If you are consistent with your training and you reward Fluffy lavishly when she comes to you, you will have a dependable Come When Called before you know it.

Beth Willingham, CPDT is the canine behavior specialist member of the Agile K9 Path team. She began training and competing in performance dog sports in 1982. She currently competes with her Golden Retriever, Frost. Beth offers a holistic approach to solving behavior or performance issues based on the individual needs of each dog. Contact Visit the Agile K9 website at www.agilek9path.com or contact Beth directly at beth@agilek9path.com.

Tags: behavior, come command, come when called, dog, dog behavior, dog training, dogs, training
Posted in K9 Training | No Comments »