Dog Training - Train Your Dog to Come

By Andrew Strachan

Just as you would teach your children good manners and etiquettes as kids, you need to train your dogs as well so that they behave themselves. To do this, you must teach your dog to come. Dealing with a dog who has no training can be quite a nightmare so train your dog as pets using these simple techniques.

Dogs are not as stubborn as they seem to be, but they are often confused about what's expected from them. To begin with, you need to establish the alpha (dominant leader) status so that they know who's in command here. You will require loads of patience to get the desired behavior and of course you will also have to exercise force when it's necessary. With thousands of things to distract them, training a "come" can be particularly challenging. Dogs are basically fun loving by nature and like to explore their surroundings. They can spend hours sniffing things, turning things over, playing with tiny objects, or digging into the ground and you need to therefore ensure that the training session has no room for such distractions. You must also make it a point to conduct training sessions at a place far from people, or sounds that can hinder their concentration. A large room with just a few tiny objects or a big backyard may serve as an ideal location to train your dog.

Closely observe your dog's actions to see when it's heading towards you so that you can make the most of its spontaneous behavior. You may give a voice-command/hand gesture pair that can be typically used to invoke this behavior, however, you must ensure that the gesture or word you select should preferably not be used other than for training purpose. To see if the dog has understood your command, first give the "sit" followed by the "stay" command and then finally the hand-gesture and voice command to see if you get the desired action. If you do, then go ahead and praise and pamper it lavishly but don't do the mistake of rewarding for incorrect or partially correct actions. Repeat the same procedure by stepping further away and see how it responds to your commands. If it comes too soon, then you need to give the sit/stay command again first and make a second attempt. Don't give up if the dog does not budge from its place at all, as it's sure to respond to your commands if you lure it with a favorite toy.

Leash and collar training is usually used as a supplement for slow learners or dogs who just wouldn't respond to your commands. You may gently tug the leash when you give the command so that the dog is compelled to move and respond favorably. For a dog with a totally opposite temperament who comes readily, you need to train it with a long leash or rope, tie it to a post or tree and give the "stay" command first with a tug. People have tried training their dogs with the help of a partner instead of tying it to a tree, however, this may confuse the dog who will may have a tough time figuring out whom to obey.

Training will be successful provided you give it sufficient time to learn these new human-induced behaviors. No matter how long it takes, you must be patient and avoid using harsh techniques at all costs.

Article By Andrew Strachan. Find lots more information about training your dog and different types of dogs at types-of-dogs.com Lots of help and advice too.