Thursday Training, Come!

Come To Me, Please!

Teaching your terrier to come to you when called is one of the most important behaviors you will ever train.  Dogs, like people, are inclined to make choices that work for them, choices that motivate and benefit them.  So if your dog is frantically chasing a squirrel and you call him to you, you can bet what choice your dog will make in the heat of that moment!

So how can we get a reliable recall – meaning that your dog will come to you willingly and happily?  The very first step in this exercise is that your dog have a VERY strong name response.  That your dog will snap to and immediately look at you whenever you say his name.  As with children, a name can be very overused and abused.  So you will be teaching your dog that a very positive outcome will happen associated with his name.  You can sit in a chair with the dog sitting politely at your feet.  No jumping will be acknowledged.  Say dog's name, deliver treat.  Dog's name, deliver treat.  Dog must be looking at you when you say the name.  You will gradually raise the ante by standing and repeating the same exercise, eventually moving to a short distance from your dog with him being otherwise distracted.  Say his name, and when he immediately looks at you toss a treat.  Name recognition – step number one.

Teaching the word 'come'.  Training this exercise your dog will ALWAYS be on a leash or long line.  If your dog is not tethered, it will give him the opportunity to make two choices:  to come or not to come.  You always want your dog to succeed and to never make the wrong choice.  Therefore, you must always control the outcome.  Toss the treat just far enough that the dog can snatch it on the lead, then immediately call him back to you, delivering a tasty treat and loads of praise.  This ping pong game will quickly catch on with your pooch, and as he grabs the treat he will already have begun turning to rush back to you.  Being encouraged and rewarded in this fun way will strengthen the command in a positive manner and eventually result in your dog running to you when called, either indoors or when out in the yard.  Keep it light, keep it fun, and highly reward with a special treat that you might not use when teaching any other exercise. Be more motivating than the squirrel!

You can use low calorie healthy treats in very small pieces.  Remember, to your dog it is all about quality, not quantity.  He will not be studying the size of the treat that is being ordered, but rather how often it is forthcoming. 

You can adjust your dog's food portions at mealtime, depending on how much training and treats were given on that day.  It is important to keep your sessions short, and to keep it fun.  A Cairn Terrier, or many dogs in general for that matter, will never respond favorably to a drill.

Most importantly, never NEVER call your dog to you when you are aggravated, to scold or punish (“Fido, come, you are in BIG trouble!!”).  Calling your dog to you should always be for praise and love.  Do not call your dog, then put him in a crate and leave for a day's work.  That is an entirely separate exercise.

Use the same verbal cue consistently.  Dog's do not speak English.  Dog's name and come.  Not c'mon, c'mere, get over here, etc.  Same word for behavior you are teaching, each and every time.  Get family members on the same page.  It is important that consistency exist throughout the family.

Cairn Terriers are highly intelligent, and also fun loving.  So be creative in what you want to teach them, and have fun!  Happy training!!

Dog bless, 
Judy Endo        
andtoto2@ptd.net