In the training classes that Tatum and I went to, we started out by walking on the leash where she had to stay close to me and stop when I stopped. The whole way you kept giving little tiny treats. Then after a while, she had us walk the dog and suddenly stop and when the dog looked back you called "come" while backing up a little. Each time a treat was given. After quite a long time of doing this over and over, it was amazing how well Tatum did with this. Teaching this command while they are on leash where you can gently tug while calling (at first) was recommended by our trainer. I had tried teaching "come" on my own and was having no success but this worked great for us. That's been nearly a year since we had those classes and although I don't use the command all that much now, she still responds to it very well. I don't normally have a treat in my hand when I call her but when she comes to me, I lay on the praise thick and promise her a treat as we run inside. "Come" is a tough one for a lot of people.... working very diligently on it should pay off though. And it's SO very important in dangerous situations. It has paid off in a potentially dangerous situation a couple times with us.
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~ Angie |