We've just started teaching "come" with treats as well... it seems to be starting to work, anyways. I point at the ground with a treat in my hand, and usually he comes. I started this by playing a game that includes all of our training so far as well as his dinner and some exercise (since he hasn't had all his shots yet, we can't take him outside except for pottying).
I hold his dish of kibble and throw a piece of it across the kitchen for him to chase. He dashes over to get it, I act excited, and he runs back to me to proudly eat it. I started saying "come" with the hand signal when he was running back toward me, then treating with another kibble piece out of my "come" hand when he was close enough to get it. Most of the kibble pieces are used up this way, but several others are used mixed randomly in to get him to sit, stay, and "high-five."
Another tip I picked up from someone here on YT is that whenever either of us picks him up, we always say, "Ready!?!" first - so he knows when it's coming, and knows if he doesn't hear us say "ready" he's not going to be picked up.
Lauren & Nikko |