One of the most common things that I hear in class is “I have to go to work in the morning and I can never get my dog to come back into the house when I say ‘come.’”. Dogs that start this have learned a few things about ‘come’.  First of all the dog has learned that when he hears the word come something that he does not want to do is going to happen to him. So when you call ‘come’ in the morning, his fun ends and he gets left in the house all day. He has also learned that when you say ‘come’ you can’t really make him come so the word has become meaningless to your dog.

My suggestion is that you let your dog out in the morning and let him drag a long line about 15 to 25 feet long. Make sure that the dog is only wearing a flat collar that he can’t back out of and keep an eye on him while he is out there doing his business. Allow yourself a few extra minutes and when you call him use a different word such as ‘here’. Pick up the long line and call his name and say ‘here’ and then turn and walk back a few steps carefully so you don’t trip. When he gets to you turn around so that he is now in front of you and give him a little treat. It should be a really wonderful treat such as a bit of meat or wiener. Then take him off for a little walk. Even a five minute walk will make the act of coming to you seem like a more worthwhile effort to the dog. When you do end up leaving for work, leave the dogs a stuffed Kong to keep it busy while you leave.

Training a dog can be a lifelong endeavor depending on what you want your dog to do. A dog under the age of two should not be left outside without a line. That way you can enforce what you really want your dog to do.

If you call your dog to come, make sure that there is something in it for the dog. Don’t call the dog to come when you want to clip the dog’s nails or give it a bath or lock it in a crate. Doing so is just encouraging the dog not to come when called.