Unlike cats, you can train your puppy to come when they are called. However, it doesn’t happen overnight. The key is consistent commands and treats. If your Suzie is very young, start inside in a safe place with minimal distractions.
As with other training, have a scrumptious snack handy for rewarding efforts. Sit on the floor facing your puppy. This is really simple, so don’t overthink it.
TAKE IT SLOW
You start by training a recall or come when called. Say ‘Suzie’ and ‘come,’ or come/Suzie. Each time you say this, reward with a treat. Nope, Suzie isn’t doing anything except relating her name, the command ‘come,’ and yummies. Easy peasy!
Next, drop a treat on the floor near you. As soon as your puppy finishes the treat, say ‘Suzie.’ You can give her another snack when she looks up. Repeat this until she masters it.
Each training session should only last around 10 minutes or until Suzie stops responding. Keep track of which step you end with on a given day and do that step plus new ones the next time.
BUILD ON SUCCESS
After Suzie masters, the close to you routine, toss the treat further away and still call her name. Encourage her with praise to turn around and face you when you say, Suzie. If she ignores her name, stop, and even go back to a step where she is successful before moving forward. The goal is to have her immediately respond to her name.
Once your puppy turns, and faces you when her name is called, add movement to inject more fun! You can try to toss a treat, take a few steps, and call her name. It is like a game of chase. Praise and treats or playing with a tug toy is fun. Take care not to chase your dog, but rather let her chase you. You can build on these games to extend the distances and even take them outside. In some cases, a long leash can be helpful at first.
Note: Reaching out and grabbing her can be confusing and frightening for some dogs. Never call her to punish. Always reward her if Suzie responds to her name, even if she has been naughty.
Like young children, dogs often learn best when playing games and having fun. Playing is not only fun for you both, but you can also use games for training and reinforcing essential behaviors, like “Come.” Remember to keep your recall command happy and light, not an authoritative tone.
GAMES
Here are a few games to help strengthen your dog’s recall while bonding and playing with you.
- Go & Come is a great game when you have a happy voice and maintain good eye contact.
- Hide & Seek is another fun one where Suzie is always IT.
- Catch Me If You Can is another form of the chase. When Suzie catches you, make a big deal of it with praise and treats.
- Relay Races between people can be fun. Slowly increasing the distance to make it more fun.
- Recall Retrieve is perfect if your dog loves to fetch. Use the command ‘come’ to encourage her to return with the object to you.
Have fun with training Suzie, or whatever your dog’s name is. You, too, will undoubtedly have years of enjoyment and playtime with your well training puppy.