Teaching a Dog the Come Command

As a responsible dog owner, you want your canine companion to be a part of society and the community. To make that happen, you’ll want to be sure to teach your pet some basic obedience commands. One of the most important of these commands is “Come.”

Once you understand the benefits of teaching a dog the come command, you can move onto the different steps required to teach your dog this command and some fun ways to build on the command later.

Benefits of the Come Command

In most communities, the leash laws require your dog to always be tethered to a leash when he is in public. But we all know that doesn’t guarantee your dog will always be under your command. An open door at home or a gate that wasn’t properly latched can be a golden opportunity for your dog to break loose and run madly around your neighborhood. A broken leash or collar can set your dog free in public areas and a cunning puppy who likes to dig or jump might even be able to find their own way to escape from you.

When a dog is running loose, he faces many dangers. Cars are the most obvious. Drivers cannot always stop if they see your dog running across the street and a massive metal object coming at high speeds is not going to do well when it impacts with your puppy.

But cars are not the only problem. A loose dog can terrorize the neighborhood and other people. Children who are already fearful of dogs can be further terrified by a canine on the loose, especially one who has not been sufficiently socialized or who has not been trained not to jump up on people. Some dogs could also be taken by other people. Medical researchers, people who train dogs for fighting, and even jealous people who want your dog can take him and you might never know where he has gone. Imagine how frightened and worried you would be if that happened.

Dogs running free can be picked up by the pound, can be attacked by other dogs, and can cause damage or injuries that you would be held responsible for.

All of these problems can be prevented quite easily as long your dog knows the come command and will abide by it reliably.

Teaching the Command

Before teaching a dog the come command, the dog needs to have some other commands down pat. These include “Sit” and “Stay.” Make sure to teach these beforehand. Additionally, you will need to have some tasty treats that your dog enjoys. These are a reward for doing what you want. If your dog doesn’t respond well to food, use a toy or affection. Ideally, use whatever reward has worked well in the past while you were teaching the other commands.

The basic way to teach this command is to put your dog in a “Sit” and “Stay.” Then you stand away from your dog and call him to you. You can use the word “Come” or other similar one-word phrases, such as “Here.” You need to have a specific word – don’t just use the dog’s name, otherwise he might be confused because you will use his name in other ways besides as the command.

You should begin teaching the command indoors in an area without distractions. Begin by moving a very short distance away from your dog then use the command word you’ve chosen. Sometimes it helps if you clap your hands or something similar to excite your dog into coming forward. Although the command is “Come,” you don’t just want him to move near you. End the command by making the dog return to a “Sit” position, preferably in front of you or beside you. You want this to be part of the command because that way you can easily regain control of your dog if necessary.

Once your dog reliably comes to you when called from a short distance, you can begin expanding that distance. Move further away and practice some more.

The next step is to move to a place where you can actually practice over longer distances and with distractions. To do this, you’ll want to find an outdoor area. You’ll also need to invest in a longer leash. A 20 foot long training leash works very well. These are available for under $20 and will be invaluable for your needs.

Always keep contact with the leash so you can reign in your dog if he doesn’t obey or gets distracted. You can start off being about six feet from your dog then gradually increase the distance. Keep practicing until your dog is reliable. However, you should refrain from letting your dog off-leash in public unless you are in a fenced in location and you are legally able to do so.

One thing you need to watch for when working on this command with your dog is that he does not run past you. Some dogs become so excited that when they are coming towards you they don’t want to be stopped. If your dog does this, grab his collar as he goes by you and pull him into place in front of you or return him to the previous position. Don’t scold him but also don’t reward or praise him.

Advanced Steps

When you are teaching a dog the come command, you can later find ways to make the learning more enjoyable for your dog. For example, if you have a fenced in yard or you have easy access to a dog park then you can use the command to practice fetch. Throw the tennis ball or Frisbee for your dog then when he grabs the target in his mouth you can use the command to bring him back to you. Remember to make your dog sit and stay before throwing the ball again. You can combine this with other commands, such as “Release” and “Sit.”

By making the learning and reinforcing more fun you and your dog will enjoy the experience much more.