Teaching Recall (Come)

Let's start off with a game. It's called chase. Except we're going to set the rules for this game - It's puppy chases me. I never chase the puppy.

So start off in a large fenced area. Let the puppy unwind, sniff and do whatever puppies have to do for a few minutes. When the puppy comes to you and begins to pay attention to you instead of the surroundings, pick up a toy, and a handful of treats, and start walking away from your puppy. As you are doing it, in a high-pitched, happy voice, say "come". Show the puppy the toy. If the puppy doesn't come, then increase your speed mvoing away from them and add some high-pitched happy chatter. It may take some time to get the puppy to understand the game at first, so don't give up. As soon as the puppy begins to move your direction, then stop and wait for the puppy to catch up. Celebrate and throw a puppy party when the puppy gets to you. Give them treats, play with them, use a high-pitched voice to praise them. Then repeat the game again. The next time the puppy should catch on faster and begin to come to you faster. The more you practice this, the better the puppy will understand the command.

If at any time, the puppy runs the other way, or begins to ignor you. Just be quiet and move away from them. You are above playing the game in reverse. Remember, you set the rules to this chase game. The further you move away from the puppy, the more insecure it will get and eventually it will come to you. When you see it starting to look for you or pay attention to you again, start the game up again.

Always make this game postive and fun, and pretty soon whenever you say the word "come", the puppy will come to you. Don't say the word "come" in a harsh tone of voice, or get mad or anxious when the puppy doesn't do it. Remember this should be a fun game.

Down the road, you can formalize the word if you want, but for now the word "come" just means you want the puppy to leave where they are and come close to you. You have plenty of time to train the formal obedience commands later on. But for now you are just trying to get a consistent response to the word "come".