The Cоmе dоg соmmаnd – the most vital of all !

Whаt іt mеаnѕ, hоw tо train the dog to use іt, whаt bеnеfіtѕ уоu wіll gеt:

This is the most basic of dog commands.  After you get a puppy or a rescue dog the number one thing you want your dog to constantly do is return to you when you call them.  this is a major issue for  avoiding accidents when out (if a dog breaks off a lead) and for good owner work at off lead dog parks.

The caveat is that while it is vital to have as good as you can at a dog returning, a dog being social is probably more important. Don’t go to a dog park and release them when you have not trained them to return with the COME command.  However it is vital that a dog is walked regularly off lead at dog parks, and learns to be a social dog with other dogs, for its own mental state of mind and being balanced.

If you can get an 80% recall (ie it might take a little time for them to return when they have found a very exciting dogs or prey) then that is probably ok for a park.  You can work on it until you get 100%, buty not all owners can afford trainers or the time.

Dog Training COME command BASICS

You can go to many dog schools and they will all have their take on this, but here are the basics dot pointed.

• Only practice in a familiar, safe small fenced in area like your own back yard.
• Take the for a major on lead walk somewhere to tire them out.
• Don’t feed them on return, so they will be wanting treats as a reward for learning to come to you.
• Call them by name, when they return praise and pat them and get them to sit (another command) then feed them a treat. Make sure they dont snatch the treat (withhold it until they are calm and feed with a closed fist if you need to.
• Only train them for 10 – 15 minutes twice a day to begin with.
• When you get better at it, you can extend to three sessions per day.
• Keep walking them on lead in dog parks (once vaccinated) so they learn to be social (but have a very secure harness and collar on them so they dont break free.
• Go to an open area park,where there are no dogs (avoid all distractions) and have a 20 foot lead.  recall them, give them praise and treat and do this a few times.
• Extend the lead further until they reliably run to you.

you can practice the STAY command when they are far away from you too, but maybe concentrate just on coming to you.

When you feel confident enough and you are in a big fenced in park, let them loose for the first time.  Let them loose with lead trailing so you have something to catch the with.

A happy dog is a dog that is secure and you feel will come back to you.  Keep them social and walk them daily, and the come command will become second nature.