Come! COME! NOW!!!!!!
Foolproof stategies for teaching a reliable recall
By Amy Ammen and Kitty Foth-Regner
Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs,
Written by Amy Ammen and Kitty Foth-Regner.
Copyright 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Think a reliable response to come is beyond your reach? Have you been told your dog can’t be trusted because of his breed or demeanor? Huskies, hounds and many certain personality types (energetic, curious, or aloof dogs) are frequently labeled as impossible to control when off leash. As an owner and trainer who’s taught reliability to hundreds of dogs who fall under those categories, I recommend we stop pondering excuses and implement some simple strategies.
Command Essentials For the best results teaching your dog the come, and just about any obedience command, keep these tips in mind:
- To ensure reliable obedience, work around distractions even in the beginning stages of training.
- Never repeat commands, and issue them only when you can enforce them.
- Praise your dog both during and after the fact.
- Following this praise, release your dog from the command with the “chin-touch okay”—that is, inviting him to move forward by gently touching under his jaw while cheerfully saying “okay.
- If he’s resistant or inattentive, be especially firm when directing him and extra quick to release him.
“Come” Step-by-Step
Lay the foundation for proper understand of the come command by following these steps.
- Leash your dog and wait for him to be distracted.
- Call him by name, adding the “come” command (for example, “Seymour, come!”) and use the leash to reel him in as you back away, saying “good, good, goooooood!”.
- Squat down to celebrate his arrival, but don’t block his approach by reaching out to pet him.
- Release him with the “chin-touch okay.”
After you’ve practiced 10 leashed recalls daily for a week, stop reeling in the leash. Instead, just call the dog and wait a second to see if he responds. If he does, back up and praise him as usual. If he ignores you, jerk the leash toward you as you back up and praise him.
While the proper mechanics are important, the following finer points make a huge difference in the final outcome but, sadly, are often overlooked.
How to Guarantee Eager Response
1. Never Use Your Dog
Reward your dog each time you ask him to come. Otherwise, you may find your dog gets his entertainment by leading you in a chase around the house when you ask him to come in the house, car, or over to the tub. Although you probably had an ulterior motive in mind when you called him, celebrate his response to the come as a separate and distinct event. Additionally, frequently call him to come for no reason, other than to praise and play, and practice telling him to go in and out of the house, car or crate when you aren’t intent on riding, confining, or departing.
2. Treat Distractions as Friends, Not Foes
Unless you are looking for an ego stroke, practice the come command in distracting (rather than sterile) environments. Seek out settings where your dog is oblivious to you and proceed to call, enforce, and praise. This is the only way your dog will learn to stop what he’s doing and respond to you, this ensuring your dog’s safety AND an ego stroke.
3. Don’t Be Stingy
Genuine, enthusiastic praise must be delivered the instant your dog acknowledges your command. Offering recognition after he arrives at your feet is anticlimactic, not to mention a show of bad manners on the part of the trainer.
4. Keep Your Hands to Yourself
Don’t extend your arms to pet or hug when your dog comes. Instead, keep your arms to yourself so he’ll learn that “come” means getting close enough to snuggle. If you engage your dog briefly with silly sounding praise and kissing noises and keep your hands close to your body, he’ll quickly learn “come” means to race to your feet and cozy up.
5. For Serious Improvement Use Wacky Recalls Regularly
Whenever the spirit moves you, grab your dog’s attention with a sharp clap or by calling “Hey!” or “Come!” Then take off down the hall, up the stairs, and duck into a dark corner to hide. You’ll fail and she’ll be delirious with joy. Do this about every fourth time you call her, and you’ll be fine-tuning her recall skills so well that she should soon be racing to your side every time she hears you call “come!”
As valuable as this information is, I realize a majority of readers will ignore it and zero in on off leash control. Fair enough. As a dog owner who's devoted much effort and reaped great rewards in my pursuit of off-leash control, I have it down to a science.
Off-Leash Control
Off-leash training is complex enough to fill an entire volume; and indeed, many books have been written on this subject. But since so many people move on to this stage without doing any specific off-leash training—thereby courting disaster—we’ll cover some basics here.
First, understand that “off-leash training” is a misnomer; the training is done on-leash. You’ll want to make sure your dog’s responses and understanding are perfect on-leash before removing the leash, because doing so will only magnify any problems he may be having with the leash attached.
Is your dog ready for off-leash work? Test him by setting up the most distracting environment possible: a houseful of guests, or a pet-supply store full of canine customers, for instance. Drop his leash, stepping on the handle to maintain invisible control, and give him the “sit,” “down,” or “come” command in a non-threatening tone of voice. If he obeys, praise him and read on; if he doesn’t, pick up the leash and set aside your off-leash plans for the time being.
After repeating this exercise in various challenging environments, you find your dog is promptly and automatically listening, rather than waiting for you to enforce, I commend you. But you’re far from home free; off-leash control takes time and effort. Until you’ve achieved it, if you really must go off-leash—for instance, to play Frisbee—and you don’t have an enclosed area such as a fenced-in yard or tennis court, at least let your dog drag a 50-foot light line so you have some recourse if he tries to take off. Wear gloves to protect your hands from rope burns if you have to grab the line.
These techniques are easy to implement. If you want a personal lesson to ensure you are doing them correctly, book directly with Amy Ammen. In a single session we can cover all you need to know to radically improve your dog's recall. Go to the Amiable Dog Training website at www.dogclass.com, call 414-289-7785 or email ammen@dogclass.com
Overcoming Canine Cabin Fever
By Amy Ammen and Kitty Foth-Regner
The following is adapted from Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs,
Written by Amy Ammen and Kitty Foth-Regner.
Copyright 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
If your dog is suffering from cabin fever (and what dog isn’t?), here are some fun and easy exercise options for just about anyone – including those who are eager to embrace the elements head-on, as well as those who prefer to go into hibernation mode at this time of year.
Snow Sports
Want to take advantage of the snow? Grab your dog and the right equipment and you’ll be all set. Just be sure to bring along some water for your dog if you’ll be out for an hour or more; dehydration can be a problem in winter, too, and running through the snow can be very taxing.
Snowshoeing: Anyone who can walk can snowshoe, and the shoes themselves can be had fairly inexpensively online or via classified ads. All your dog needs is some basic obedience training. And it’s great exercise for both of you.
Cross-country skiing: There’s no better way to give yourself, and your dog, a good cardiovascular workout. If you’re skilled, and you have good off-leash control over your dog, take him or her along next time you hit the trails – a good time will be had by all.
Skijoring: For a little more excitement with a hyper dog weighing 30 pounds or more, you might want to give skijoring a try. It’s an adaptation of cross-country skiing that allows your dog to do the heavy pulling – and it sometimes means exhilarating speeds. All you’ll need beyond your cross-country gear is a skijoring belt, sled-dog racing harness and tow line (all available online or at local sports-supply stores). Assuming that you’re a good skier and your dog has decent obedience skills, you’ll be all set.
Indoor Fun
You can give your dog a good workout and a good time indoors, too. Here are some idea-starters.
Retrieving: Does your dog love to play ball? Satisfy her retrieving instinct by launching a ball or another toy up or down the stairs and letting her do what comes naturally. You don’t even have to worry about overexerting her; she’ll quit when she gets tired. A word of caution: if the steps are slippery, install a runner or non-skid pads before the first toss. And don’t do this if your dog is arthritic – but you knew that already.
Tug-of-war: This is a game dogs naturally delight in, so if yours can play it responsibly, go for it. Just be sure to inject a little discipline into the game every now and then, giving him a sit, down, or heel command in the midst of a good tug, and enforcing it. If you find that it’s teaching him some bad habits – like unwillingness to relinquish items on command – skip this game entirely.
Rapid-fire commands: Here’s a great way to calm your dog down while increasing his responsiveness and exercising his mind. It’s also a perfect technique precluding over-exuberance when someone comes to the door. Here’s what to do: Snap a leash on his collar. Then deliver, and enforce, a series of commands as quickly as he can carry them out. Use any combination of commands such as sit, down, stay, come, heel, and sit up, mixing them up and imparting a sense of great urgency with each one. Expect that you’ll have to use a few corrections to ensure a lively cadence. Once you’ve captured his full attention, praise him and release him. If he loses emotional control, repeat the exercise.
Stalking, chasing, pouncing and playing: Ever feel like acting as goofy as your dogs does? Go right ahead! Attach a leash so you can regain decorum if necessary, and join her on the floor to get silly: Pretend you’re a cat and stalk her. Pounce on her. Play tag or tug-of-war. Tease her with a toy and then toss it out and race her for it. Or challenge her to a race over an improvised indoor race course. Throw in some obedience commands to maintain control over the situation; when she returns to obedience mode, let the games begin again. It’s like developing an on/off switch for hyper-excitability and obedience.
Play during training: To further refine that on/off switch, and have a lot of fun in the process, turn your indoor obedience sessions into “controlled play.” Practice old commands and teach new ones, frequently inserting bursts of whatever he likes to do best – chasing, hiding, pouncing, and light scratching, for instance. The moment she begins to lose control, go back to your commands.
Hide and seek: If this was one of your favorite childhood games, why not play it again? Simply tell your dog to stay, leave the room, hide, and issue the “come” command. Or if you have an accomplice handy, such as a young daughter, let her do the hiding while you ask your dog, “Where’s Susie?” Or try hiding a favorite toy or treats – even a non-sporting dog will enjoy that sort of hunt! This gives you the added pleasure of watching his excitement as he searches out the hider.
Wacky recalls: Whenever the spirit moves you, grab your dog’s attention with a sharp clap or by calling “Hey!” or “Come!” Then take off down the hall, up the stairs, and duck into a dark corner to hide. You’ll fail and she’ll be delirious with joy. Do this about every fourth time you call her, and you’ll be fine-tuning her recall skills so well that she should soon be racing to your side every time she hears you call “come!”
Want more great ideas for entertaining, exercising and training your dog? Consult Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs (Wiley, 2007) -- and get ready to enjoy new levels of communication and closeness with even the most hyperactive canine!
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