Puppy - Training - Come, Wait and Follow

How can I get my puppy to "come" when called?

Teaching your puppy to "come" reliably on command can take a little time but it is an essential task, since a dog that comes when it is called is much safer and poses far fewer problems for its owner and for society.

Most young puppies do not like to stray too far from their owners, so you can capitalise on this by regularly encouraging your puppy to approach you while rewarding him for doing so. If you kneel down and give a happy "come" command your puppy should willingly approach. If you make sure that he receives attention, a treat or a game when he gets to you, he is likely to repeat the action next time you call. Similarly most young puppies will automatically follow as you walk away, and if you call your puppy’s name as he starts to follow you it will help to associate being called with being in close proximity to you.

By 3 to 4 months of age, puppies often become a little more independent and exploratory, and at this stage you may need to work harder to ensure that they want to come to you. This is especially true if there are alternative activities on offer which your puppy sees as being rewarding, such as playing with other dogs. More appealing rewards may be needed to convince your puppy that being with you is the most rewarding thing in these situations.

The most important rules about teaching your puppy to come to you are:

• Set up your puppy for success (do not begin to call your puppy when it is clearly engrossed in another activity and is unlikely to respond since this will teach him that the "come" command is something that can be ignored).
• Ensure that each training session is simple, fun and pleasurable.
• NEVER CALL YOUR PUPPY TO YOU IN ORDER TO PUNISH HIM!

Puppies do not understand the word "come" (or any other word that you think appropriate for recall) until it is repeatedly heard in association with the action of coming back to you. The aim is for the return to you to occur quickly and to be reliable. Therefore we need to make sure that the return is a really positive experience so that your puppy will want to repeat it next time he hears the same word. The following method is usually successful in teaching puppies to come when called:

• Start by backing away from your puppy (1-3 feet) and wiggle a food treat or a favoured toy (prompt) in front of his nose.
• At the same time say your puppy’s name and as he begins to move toward you say the word "come". Use a happy inviting tone of voice.
• When he arrives beside you, praise him calmly and give the treat.
• Repeat the process.
• Start by only moving short distances away from your puppy and then gradually have your puppy come further to reach you.
• Reinforce this task by calling your puppy over several times a day, giving a pat, a food treat, his dinner, a game or anything else that he likes and then allowing him to go on his way.
• It is important to avoid only calling your puppy to you when you want to stop him from doing something, when you need to bring him inside, put him in his indoor pen or otherwise end his fun.
• Be sure to spend time calling your puppy over and then releasing it as this will help him to learn that by coming to you when called, good things happen.
• Remember it is critical to succeed with every training session so that your puppy does not learn that he can ignore you. Stay close, make certain that there are no distractions and proceed slowly.

Over time, your puppy should be very slowly taught to come to you from progressively further distances and in environments with a greater number of distractions.

• If there is any chance that your puppy might escape or run off, it can be helpful to use a long training lead (which can be left trailing as your puppy wanders and investigates the environment. However such a line should only be used when you are present to supervise so that it cannot become tangled and hurt him).
• If your puppy does not immediately obey the "come" command, a gentle pull of the lead can be used to get his attention, and the command repeated in an upbeat, happy voice (along with a food or toy prompt). This should help to ensure that the "come" command is both successful and rewarding for your puppy.

How can I teach my new puppy to follow?

Teaching your puppy to follow is also an important task.

• To teach your puppy to follow at your side (heel), use a food treat, placed by your side at puppy nose height and entice your puppy both vocally and with the food to walk next to you. As your puppy follows his nose should stay near the treat, he will be learning to heel. When your puppy is in the required position you should repeat the word "heel" so that he becomes associated with that position. Feed him a treat every few paces at first to keep his motivation high.

For puppies that constantly walk ahead or who have already learnt to pull on the lead, teaching them to follow should begin in locations where there are few distractions, such as in your back garden. For some dogs, using a harness or head collar rather than lead and collar may also be useful.

• Begin by attracting your puppy’s attention and luring him into place beside you using a treat.
• Then start to walk forward and encourage him to follow, as above, using a food reward held by your side.
• Be certain to allow only a few inches of slack on the lead so that if he tries to run past you, he can’t get too far and you can stop walking and again lure him into position at your side.
• Once back in the required position, provide a little slack in the lead and begin to walk forward again.
• Continue walking with verbal reinforcement and food rewards given as he follows.
• Once he becomes more confident, slowly fade out the food lure by moving your hand higher up so that the treat is no longer in front of his nose.
• Remember to still reward him frequently, or he will lose interest and start to move ahead of you again.

Once you have your puppy successfully walking next to you in the garden with no distractions, you can proceed to the front garden and then the street, the park and everywhere else you take him for walks. Gradually move to areas where there are greater distractions until he can confidently walk next to you on a loose leash no matter where you are.

How can I teach my puppy to wait?

A "wait" command is important for any dog but essential for the dog that might otherwise bound out of the front door, lunge forward to greet people and other dogs, or run across a busy street. Begin with "sit-stay" training, until your puppy responds well, in situations where there are few distractions such as indoors or in your backyard. The next step is to find a situation where he might try to pull ahead, such as at the front door, and proceed as follows:

• Training sessions should begin when there are no stimuli outside the door (other dogs, people) that might increase your puppy’s tendency to run out.
• Use a lead or lead and head collar to ensure safety and control.
• Begin with a "sit-stay" by the front door.
• While standing between your puppy and the door, and with only a few inches of slack on the lead, open the door slightly.
• If he stays sitting use the "wait" command and praise your puppy with a food treat or toy while closing the door.
• Repeat this process until you can open the door wide and your puppy will stay sitting inside.
• Then leave him sitting and step through the door yourself – taking care not to pull on the lead which could inadvertently signal to your puppy to follow you. Again return to him to reward the waiting.
• Once you can walk in and out of the door and he does not try to follow you, then on some repetitions, you should call your puppy through the door with you.
• If at any time he tries to bolt through the door without permission, simply use the lead to stop him, close the door and start again with an easier level of distraction.
• Once your puppy will successfully wait for a few seconds and follow you out of the door only when invited, gradually increase the waiting time, and then try with distractions (dogs or people on the pavement).

Training with the "wait" command should also be practiced in other situations where it may be valuable, such as at the kerb before crossing the street, before your dog is allowed to greet new people or dogs, or before climbing out of the car, it can also be a useful command when placing food down to encourage good manners..