Recall your dog
“Heel!” Have you ever dreamed that your dog would understand these two little words? Here are a few tips on how to train your dog to come when you call him, as well as the mistakes to avoid.
This command should be the first one you teach your dog. This ensures that if he is on the side of a road or in any danger, he will listen to you. Start training in an area with few distractions, such as your backyard or an enclosed area. Once your dog is listening, move to a larger area such as a dog park with more distractions. If being somewhere else doesn't work, move back to your backyard and repeat the process until your dog is ready to play and listen simultaneously.
There is no need to call your dog 25 times in a row. When he is focused on playing with his dog friends or sniffing a scent, he does not hear you. His activity is much more valuable to him than you. Wait patiently for him to stop running or to raise his head from the ground to give him a command, either "heel!" or "come here!" Be careful to choose only one short expression, so as not to confuse him with several commands to follow. If your dog is far away, he may very well not have heard you, so make yourself heard.
When you are out walking or visiting a dog park, if your companion looks at you, call him. If he comes to see you, give him a reward and let him go. Do this exercise several times, your dog will quickly understand the meaning of "heel!" If he comes back to you without you calling him, reward him too, this makes coming back positive. At first, do not call him for something unpleasant, whether it is to scold him or cut his claws, otherwise the training will become less and less effective.
Even though ending a walk or going home is somewhat unpleasant for a dog, if he comes back when you call him to leave, give him double or even triple the treats you would have given him for just coming. Having all these "candies" at the same time will create a positive feeling in him. You can put his leash back on at this point. As your dog's response improves, try teaching him that at a specific point in the yard he will be off-leashed, and at another specific spot he will be on-leashed to return home. For training, everything is done with treats.
If your dog does not come back instantly when called, but rather much later, do not punish him. The only thing he will remember is that he is being scolded when he comes to see you. There is absolutely no point in getting angry with him. As mentioned above, you are not a priority for him when he is focused on something else. Be patient and do not run after him. He will think it is a game, which will bring you more frustration. A better solution is to buy a leash for the first few times. Or pretend that you have found something on the ground, as dogs are so curious, your companion will come to you.
This command should be the first one you teach your dog. This ensures that if he is on the side of a road or in any danger, he will listen to you. Start training in an area with few distractions, such as your backyard or an enclosed area. Once your dog is listening, move to a larger area such as a dog park with more distractions. If being somewhere else doesn't work, move back to your backyard and repeat the process until your dog is ready to play and listen simultaneously.
There is no need to call your dog 25 times in a row. When he is focused on playing with his dog friends or sniffing a scent, he does not hear you. His activity is much more valuable to him than you. Wait patiently for him to stop running or to raise his head from the ground to give him a command, either "heel!" or "come here!" Be careful to choose only one short expression, so as not to confuse him with several commands to follow. If your dog is far away, he may very well not have heard you, so make yourself heard.
When you are out walking or visiting a dog park, if your companion looks at you, call him. If he comes to see you, give him a reward and let him go. Do this exercise several times, your dog will quickly understand the meaning of "heel!" If he comes back to you without you calling him, reward him too, this makes coming back positive. At first, do not call him for something unpleasant, whether it is to scold him or cut his claws, otherwise the training will become less and less effective.
Even though ending a walk or going home is somewhat unpleasant for a dog, if he comes back when you call him to leave, give him double or even triple the treats you would have given him for just coming. Having all these "candies" at the same time will create a positive feeling in him. You can put his leash back on at this point. As your dog's response improves, try teaching him that at a specific point in the yard he will be off-leashed, and at another specific spot he will be on-leashed to return home. For training, everything is done with treats.
If your dog does not come back instantly when called, but rather much later, do not punish him. The only thing he will remember is that he is being scolded when he comes to see you. There is absolutely no point in getting angry with him. As mentioned above, you are not a priority for him when he is focused on something else. Be patient and do not run after him. He will think it is a game, which will bring you more frustration. A better solution is to buy a leash for the first few times. Or pretend that you have found something on the ground, as dogs are so curious, your companion will come to you.
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