Educating the dog to come when called requires always doing it by name, starting training at home, earning its trust, and using games and frankfurters.
Teaching a dog to come when called is the best way to protect them, to ensure that it does not get lost, and to avoid accidents. In this learning, the look is the first tool available to educate them. We must earn our pet’s trust and make them look us in the eye when we speak to them. It is also important not to despair, because these animals – like people – are not born learned. More fool proof tricks to teach your furry companion to come when called? Use very attractive edible treats, start training at home, and be consistent . All of them, and others, are detailed below.
1. Practice at home
Dogs – like people – need to learn: no one is born knowing. And to start training, it is better to be at home. The reason? This space is less stimulating for the dog, it has much fewer distractions and noises than the outside and, therefore, it is a more relaxed environment to learn to come when called. For the dog to learn to come when we call, it is necessary to work first in small spaces and with few stimuli and introduce, little by little, distractions in larger spaces.
Some tricks to remember? First, teach them to turn around and look at you when its name is called, do not call them if you know it will not come (it does not have to learn to ignore the order) and start the job with a long leash to correct them if it does not come.
2. Using frankfurters
The grocery awards are very important to teach the dog to come when called. But not just any kind of encouragement is worth it. The prizes to come when called must be very tasty, always more attractive than what can move the dog to run away or leave our side.
How to get it right? The wieners cut into pieces that can be ingested without chewing are a great prize to begin training. A delicious snack that will make it harder for you not to show up when called! But they can also serve some delicious homemade dog biscuits.
Ah! And toys for dogs are also worth it. And, although all these reinforcements should decrease little by little, using them sporadically for life is a way to refresh the motivation of the animal to come when called.
3. You are its best gift
It is not worth despairing. An essential step for the dog to come when called is to have earned their trust first. You have to create a close relationship with the dog. Its best reward is our attention, that’s why you have to congratulate them with caresses and play with them when it comes .
It is of little use to offer a prize today and not do it tomorrow. Consistency is essential to ensure that the dog heeds the call of its owner and thus avoid getting lost during the walk. One of the most frequent mistakes is not to give the dog a gift, not even with a caress, when we call him and he goes.
4. Game of glances
And how to strengthen the bond with the dog? The gaze is the switch that turns on the communication with the dog. “We have to get them to look us in the eye when we communicate with him.
How do you do it? You have to remember to always look the dog in the eye when talking to him and even work on eye contact through play. We can leave its favourite toy in front of them, without allowing them to take it. At first it will only look at the toy, but it will end up raising its head and looking into our eyes. This game can be repeated daily and rewarded with caresses and games when, at last, the dog fixes its gaze on the eyes.
5. Use your name
Who doesn’t like to be called by name? Well, the dogs are no less. If you want to teach the dog to come, you have to pronounce its name clearly, although never with yelling . The request will be more effective if it is accompanied by gestures that allow the furry companion to identify what is expected. One possibility is to point your finger at the feet or the position to go to.
6. Don’t get angry
Getting angry when the dog does not come is unhealthy and also not productive. Even if the dog is late, after having been disappointed to call them, the animal must always obtain a show of affection : even though it is late, in the end it has shown up, and that is what it must associate in a positive way.
In addition, you do not have to go home immediately after getting the dog to come when you hear your name. It is convenient to stay a little longer in the park, play with them for a while and offer them caresses and signs of affection.
