Come: From Selective Hearing to Super Recall

One of the most common concerns people have is wanting their dog to come when called.  It makes sense that this is the case because our dogs have their own interests, and often the world has many fun interests to compete with our call.  To compete with that, we need a plan to first teach our dogs that coming to us when we call is an a great thing to do, and to then challenge them with achievable challenges to improve their ability to respond even when distracted.  

Foundation

The biggest tip I can give you is to make coming to you amazing.  Make it fun and enjoyable for your dog, and do so repeatedly so that your dog develops a strong history of responding to you being a great deal for them.  This foundation creates an almost automatic response because your dog doesn't need to think about what comes next, they know it will great.  And that is what causes them to return even when there is something else they are interested in.  There are a variety of games that you can play with your dog to establish this foundation, and in private lessons I can help you choose and tailor games to your dog's specific preferences, but here are some common ones you can try.

Read More