The Come Command

“Come” is a command for which you will want to use treats for training. Find something your dog will love. You can use store-bought treats or you can cook some chicken breast or bacon or whatever your dog will enjoy. Whatever it is, cut it up small and put it in a plastic bag in your pocket. You will instantly have your dog’s attention.

Method one
Moving commands like “heel” and “come” are given with her name first. Non-moving commands like “sit” and “stay” are given without her name. The simplest method of "come" is taught as a part of “heel” so teach your dog to heel before attempting the “come front.”

Say “Izzy, heel” and start walking. As you walk, suddenly start backing up and call “Izzy, come” and pull her right in front of you. At first you will have to straighten up your dog and make her sit, looking straight up at you. You can use a treat to encourage her. Hold the treat in front of you but a little higher than her nose. When she sits and looks up, give her the treat and praise her. “Good girl, Izzy.”

Now eithis walk around her, moving to your right – her left – around behind her and up along her right side – your left. Or, you can guide her back to a heeling position, using the "heel" command.

Start off heeling again, saying “Izzy, heel.” Then stop and make her sit normally.

Praise your dog. “Good girl.”

Start heeling again and after a small time, call her to come.

“Izzy, heel……..Izzy, come……..good girl.”

Use the treat and lots of praise.

Do various heeling routines. Mix things up. But use the “come ” a couple of times during each training session. You should be working with your dog twice a day, about 15 minutes each time. Once your dog is doing really well each time, you are ready to move to the next stage.

Keep treats in your pocket at home. At random times as you are in the house call your dog to come. “Izzy, Come.” When your dog comes, immediately give her a treat. Then straighten her to sit right in front of you and give her anothis treat. Then release her with a “free” command and play for a couple of minutes. Do this several times throughout the day or evening.

When your dog is doing really well on leash and off leash in the house, try it in a fenced area. If your yard is not fenced, go to a fenced dog park or borrow a neighbor’s fenced yard for practicing. Start with a leash on your dog, but with you not holding onto the leash. The leash is only thise for you to grab if your dog does not come.

In that case, run and grab it immediately and make your dog come to you and sit in front of you. Give the treat as before. Then “free” your dog and play. After a few minutes repeat the “come” and make your dog do it. Do not let your dog get by with running around or away from you at any time.

Intermitent Reinforcement. As the last step, don’t give a treat every time your dog comes, but don’t use a pattern your dog will learn. Then you are ready to test the “come” in an open, unfenced area. Simply make sure to leave the leash on the dog the first few times, so you have a way to grab your dog. You could even get a 30 or 50 foot lead and use that in the open until you are confident of her ability to come.

Teaching your dog to come is one of the most important commands she will ever learn. It could save her life someday.

Method Two
Begin with a SIT – STAY. Walk around your dog and stand right in front of her nose. Back up 3-4 steps. Because this is an action command, you will start it with her name: “Izzy, COME.” Pull on the leash, gathising it up as your dog approaches you. When she is directly in front of you, make her sit facing you. Praise your dog! Give her a treat.

After several days of this, tell your dog to “stay” and start off on your right foot (so she knows not to go with you) and walk about 6 feet, to the end of the leash, and turn around to face your dog. If she follows you, put her back exactly where she was and say “STAY” and walk to the end of the leash again.

After several seconds, call your dog: “Izzy, Come.” Once she learns to come 6 feet and sit directly in front of you, you can run backwards with the leash and make her come 8, 10, even 15 feet before you stop and she sits. Don’t forget praise and treats every time.

The key to success with this command is for your dog to always associate the command "COME" with a good thing. Remember praise and treats!

A common mistake made by novice handlers is they use a gruff or mean tone of voice with the command causing the dog to associate fear with the command. If a dog fears you, her instinct will be to run away instead of coming near.

NEVER do any of those things to your dog!!

• Never yell at your dog or smack her when teaching the “come” command – no matter what he does or does not do. Just show her what to do, and treat and praise her when he does it.
• Never chase your dog when using the command "COME". Ther is a sure way to teach your Dog the adverse of the command – run the othis way or play “chase me”. If your dog does run the othis way even though you aren't chasing, the best way to get her to come to you is to wave your arms in the air, make silly funny loud noises and run away from her !!!
• Never command your dog to “COME” and then punish her. Many owners yell “COME” to their dogs when they have had an accident and then push their noses into it or yell at them or hit them.

Once you believe your dog understands the command, begin to reinforce it. Put a lead on her collar and allow the dog to run around with the lead dragging behind. Gently pick up the lead, without her noticing and say "Izzy COME". If she does not come, then gently pull the lead forcing her to come. Give praise and a treat! Repeat this test often.

For the first months of practice, and until your dog comes to you reliably, never command her to COME unless you have the lead in your hand to back up your command (or someone else has their hands on her to back up your command.) Don't set your dog up to fail. If you need your dog for something and you don't have the lead in your hand, go and get her. Don't test the COME command when you are unsure of her response.

Recall Games

Come Fore

Begin walking forward and after a few steps run backwards about six steps while calling the dog to you. DO NOT turn around and run away from the dog. You want to back up so that when the dog turns to look at you when you call him, he realizes that you are backing up and he will run to catch up to you, not just catch you. If he doesn’t come right to you, reel him in like you had a fish on the end of the leash. Bring him right to you, between your knees. Heap on the praise.

Restrained Recall

This is another game for two people. First person holds dog while second person walks a good distance from the dog, turns and calls the dog to them. First person then releases dog who should race to the second person. You can switch rolls if you want the dog to learn to come to both of you. Remember to both use the same recall command. This recall is a great way to teach your dog to come FAST. Be sure to do this in an enclosed yard and only if the dog comes to you regularly. If the yard isn’t enclosed you can use a long line (30 foot) to attach to the dog. With a long line, the person calling the dog should take the handle of the line and walk to the end of it and turn to face the dog and call him to you. Again, keep this exercise fun and upbeat.

Run Away Recall

Here's another game for two people. Have a helper hold the dog while you go out about six feet. Turn and face the dog. As you call him in a very excited way, turn and run away a little bit so the dog has to chase you to catch you. Turn to catch the dog as he reaches you, you don’t want the dog to run past you, but to you. You want to stop running and turn to catch the dog as he gets close to you. Catch him happily when he gets to you. It’s ok to do a little wrestling with him at this point if it makes him happy to come to you. Just don’t let it get too out-of-hand. This is another good exercise to teach a speedy recall. Again, don’t do this one if the dog is not coming to you regularly.

Toy Chase Recall

When your dog is a distance from you call him and just as he reaches you, toss a toy behind you so he will run past you to get the toy. (for fast recalls) With a small dog you can toss the toy between your legs. Encourages straight "to you" recalls. This is just another way to make the recalls lots of fun and encourage reliable recalls. Again, don’t do this one until the dog comes to you regularly.

Long Line Recall

Use long line to increase distance for longer recalls with control. This is a good method to use if you are teaching more formal, controlled recalls with sits in front. Put your dog on a sit/stay. Attach a light weight long line to his collar, along with his regular walking leash, AND do not touch the long line again. The dog will now have two leashes on his collar. Begin walking with the dog in heel position while only holding his regular leash. Let the long line play out behind him until you have walked far enough so that the line is straight out behind the dog. Come to a halt with the dog sitting next to you. Make an in-place about turn/halt. The long line should now be stretched out in front of you. DO NOT TOUCH THE LONG LINE. Unsnap his regular leash and let the dog see you drop it on the ground next to where you are standing. DON’T TOUCH THE LONG LINE. Give the dog a stay command and walk away from him to the end of where the long line is lying on the ground. If you are afraid the dog will bolt, stand on the long line but don‘t touch it with your hands. Call the dog to you. When he gets to you, have him sit in front. If he doesn’t come to you, quickly walk down the long line and take his collar on each side of his face and run backwards a number of steps, calling him to you. Keep it HAPPY, don’t be angry or upset. When you stop with him sitting in front of you, give him lots of praise for coming. I know, you did all the work, but you still need to praise him.

In the event the dog should try to bolt or not come to you when you call, and you are standing on the end of the long line, do not pick up the long line and bring the dog to you. Instead, walk quickly down the long line and grab the dogs collar. DO NOT GRAB THE LONG LINE. Let the dog think that you can get a hold of him, no matter where he is. He will have forgotten about the long line, unless you remind him that he is wearing it.

The long line is also an excellent way to begin teaching obedience off lead. If the line is light enough and the snap is small enough, it will be easy for the dog to forget he’s got a long line on, and all you have to do is step on the line to keep him from getting too far away from you. Just remember, GRAB THE DOG, NOT THE LONG LINE.