BY FRAN JEWELL
“Come” is probably the most difficult of all commands to teach a dog. Many of us expect a dog to understand the command with little or no training. Some of us use the word “come” for almost anything – get in the car, get out of the car, eat dinner, walk with me, to leave something, and so on. We understand the ambiguousness of the word, but dogs don’t. So for them, it becomes this convoluted word.
Dogs must have a specific behavior attached to one command. When I teach my clients about the command “come,” it has ONE meaning only; that meaning is “wherever you are at, turn around and come sit in front of me.” It doesn’t mean drive-by, or come to the general vicinity. It doesn’t mean get in the car. It doesn’t mean leave it. It means SIT IN FRONT OF ME.
When dogs are first learning the command, “come” must be used as a description. Whenever the dog is in the process of coming toward you, saying “come” helps the dog to understand. If we use the command BEFORE the dog is coming, he will associate it with whatever behavior he is doing, even if it is playing with another dog. Of course, when the dog comes, he must be rewarded with something meaningful to him. That is another long discussion.
Once the dog will do the behavior frequently, we can begin using it as a command in low-distraction areas, like in your house. Gradually, increase the distractions by then going to the backyard and practicing. Once your dog is reliable in low-distraction environments, gradually go to higher-distraction environments like on a long line walking down a little used road or trail.
One of the hardest things is to not let the dog fail at performing his command. If he fails because he was distracted by another dog or a bunny running, then the distraction now becomes the reward for NOT coming when he is called.
So, once you begin using the word “come” as a command, you must set the dog up for success and be able to control the environment, or control the dog with a long leash (30 feet or longer), so he always succeeds.
“Come” should never be the end of a good time for the dog. Always practice “come” while on walks or hikes. You should aim for 20 times during a hike. Call your dog, reward him, and then let him go play again. If you wait until the end of your walk to call the dog to get in the car, soon the dog knows that “come” means the end of a good time. If you do the same thing while he is in play with another dog and end the play, soon he also learns “come” means the end of a good time. Instead, let him play. Call him, then let him go back to play. Do this multiple times each time he sees another dog.
The hardest thing for humans to understand is that dogs are controlled by “drive.” If a dog’s prey drive is higher than his food drive, you could hang a steak around your neck and the dog won’t come if he is chasing a bunny. Understanding who your dog is and what his “drives” are (there are at least five) will help you to understand how to best train your dog to “come.”
Teaching “come” is a life-saving tool. Each dog learns differently and is motivated by his drives. Understanding your particular dog and being intently clear about what your definition of “come” is is critical to teaching this life-saving command.
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit www.positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.