How exciting, you have a new puppy! I love counting the days until I pick up a new puppy, I even do a countdown of the sleeps! We are looking forward to helping our puppy become a settled member of our household and one of the things we need to investigate is ‘How to train a puppy to come to you calling their name’.
What would you do first? Do you think that the priority is to help your puppy get used to his or her name? I hope you do, as this helps to get your puppy’s attention when he or she responds to their name being called.
Would You Like to Learn Some Training Tips for Your Dog?
For Your Three FREE Training Videos Use This Link.
First, it may be an idea, to sit on the ground with your puppy, as puppies like you to be at the same level as they are. This is more comfortable for you and comfortable for your puppy. You can start by showing your puppy a toy that you have ready as part of their playbox. If your puppy shows great interest in this toy, and making sure you have some yummy treats ready at hand, throw the toy a short distance away from you, and as your puppy eagerly darts after the toy, once they have the toy in their mouth, happily call your puppy’s name, so that by your joyful tone your puppy is eager to get back to you, with or without the toy.
As soon as your puppy returns to you, offer your puppy a very tasty treat from your hand, so that they know there is a tasty reward for coming back to you.
This is the start of training for how to train a puppy to come to you calling their name. If your puppy has brought back the thrown toy, that is even better. Once your puppy smells and sees the tasty treat in your hand, they usually drop the toy. As you are delivering the treat to their mouth tell them how clever they are, still using your happy voice of course.
Throw the toy again, or, if the toy has not been brought back, have ready another similar toy to throw, so that your puppy can happily go after the toy, and as before, as soon as your puppy has picked up the toy again, happily call their name, remembering to have a tasty treat ready again for when your puppy returns to you. Always remember to tell them how clever they are with a ‘good’, ‘good girl’, or whatever words you choose.
Another aspect may be that your puppy chooses to play with the toy and is not responding to you when calling their name by coming back to you. This is an easy fix, simply place a collar and leash on your puppy, so that your puppy is only able to go as far as the leash allows. Once they have picked up the toy, happily call their name, you may even need to raise your voice a notch to a more excited level, and gently tug at the leash to persuade your puppy to return. When they do, throw a party, lots of praise and don’t be stingy with the treats, give your puppy more than one treat.
Your puppy will love to get this bonus, after all, you love to get a surprise bonus for work well done, don’t you?
Your puppy is just the same!
This game you are playing to help your puppy know his or her name by returning to you, is also a precursor for teaching your puppy the recall command.
‘How to Train a Puppy to Come to You Calling Their Name’ makes the recall cue so much easier for your puppy to learn when you are both ready to train the ever so important Recall exercise.
Would You Like to Learn Some Training Tips for Your Dog?
For Your Three FREE Training Videos Use This Link.
Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration
Robin Oliver
www.robinoliveronline.com/blog
