How do I get my dog to come when I call her?

Question

What are some training methods I could use to get my dog to come to me when I call her? She is a Shih Tzu ... Thanks!

Answer 1

First of all, this is the one command that you absolutely never, ever use unless you can enforce it. You can't let the dog ever get away with not obeying this command because some day, their life could depend on obeying.

So, if you're in the house, be close to the dog, always call them in a friendly voice, never call the dog to you to be punished, and it's ok to give a treat if you want, but lots of praise is a must. If you're working with the dog outside, the dog has to be on a leash or a long, light rope (if you're training seriously) so that when you call, you can gently give her a tug to get her to come if she's hesitating.

Consistence (and lots of patience if this is a young puppy), combined with lots of praise and your dog will learn quickly.

Answer 2

Here is a method that works very well for me.
Try putting a leash on her then going to the other side of the room. Make sure you have some of here favorite treats. Say come like you are very excited (dogs can tell when you are excited) if she doesnt come do it again but pull very lightly on the leash. Keep on doing it and putting a little more tug in it everytime. When she comes praise here and give her, her favorite treat. Do it about once more. Dont over do it because she will get overwhelmed and not find it fun. Good luck to you!

Answer 3

Hi Jessi...Ur lucky day. I am a dog trainer by profession. I own & operate Dunrite K9 Serices in Texas (www.goodog.us). Have been training dogs for obedience, protection, and problem solving for almost 3 decades. Teaching a dog to come when called is a bit of a chore but if done properly it can be achieved. The bottom line to this feat is to make your Shih Tzu know that coming to you is a postive thing. If I were to scream & yell at my dog out of frustration when I am telling them to come to me, then most likely they are not going to listen. Instead, with a pleasant voice (referred to as a praise voice) call your dog. Also, get down to the dogs level, Once your pup comes to you reward her with lots & lots of praise plus a small dog treat. You can pratice this daily inside your home. It will only be a short while b4 your dog hears his/her name that it comes a runnin to receive the praise. On the flip-side, when your dog does something wrong and discipline is in order, don't call her to you then administer the corrections. She will learn that when mom/dad calls me it is a bad result. Teach her to come to you and receive PRAISE not punishment. Hope this helps...Joe

Answer 4

1st train her inside make it fun you can use treats or lots of praise. When she is playing say her name and come keep calling her till she get to you the tell her good girl lots of times repeat until she gets it down, be consistent . Once she get it down in the house get a long training line and do it out side or if you have a fenced in yard until she get it there. which should be quick if she get it in the house. Then do it with people distracting her she has to learn to listen to you when there is others talking to her or if people have food. Repeating everyday she'll remember. and be patient dog will listen better when you are level headed. you get mad al least end it on a good note then try again later.
Good Luck to you. You could also take her to obedience classes.

Answer 5

make it a game,, start inside,,,, have your friend sit across the room holding dog,,, you sit on other side ( with yummy treats) get your dogs attention and then when you have it say "COME" make sure your friend lets her go and when she gets to you praise her and give her a treat.. after you have mastered this,, try it from different rooms..... when you are proficient at this - put your dog on a flexi leash and go outside and start the same thing over..... you will be keeping her on the flexi leash for along time - until you are absolutely sure that she has the hang of this.. and i would recommend not taking her off leash if she can get hit by a car or if it dangerous situation.

Answer 6

I taught my dog to "come" by running and saying her name and "come" They love to run and will want to "come" where you are. If you run and say "come, Rover, come" and give them a handful of dog food or a few treats when they get to you they will learn the meaning of the word. Then cut down the running and just call the word. It is a commard that should always be rewarded (first with treats and praise then after a few weeks praise and random treats)

Answer 7

my bf and i recently adopted a dog with a name we didnt like and we decided to change his name from "george costanza" (yeesh!) to "mojo". the first week, every time i wanted to call him, i would nab a little big of hot dog from the fridge and walk to a different room and call "mojo!" one time only. after the first day, he had sort of figured out that "mojo" meant "hotdog" so he would come pretty consistently. after that foundation (of a week) now whenever we call him (just once) if he doesnt come, we go and get him by the collar and guide him into the room/space we were in.
he has learned that it's no good ignoring us, when we say something he might as well do it because we'll make him if he doesn't.

Answer 8

If you spend a few precious moments with your dog, and play with it for a long hour, and say its name repeatedly out loud when the dog does something good, then after maybe a day, the dog will get used to you calling its name, and will come towards you whenever you call him.

Answer 9

I'd say, When your dog's attention is somewhere else, call your dog by name until she stays looking at you. Have treats ready and give her a small piece. Keep doing this until you can call her and she will come without needing a treat.

Answer 10

Here are some tips

* The dog should know how to sit and stay.
* Move away, turn to face the dog, call him and while motioning with palm inward, say "Come."
* When the dog reaches you, command the dog to sit, and then give him his food reward.

check out some more on this site


http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/training/come.html