Teaching Your Dog To Come When Called

One of the greatest joys of owning a dog is to be able to go for a walk in the park and let him run, knowing he will come when you call. Dogs that do not come when called are prisoners of the leash and, if loose, a danger to themselves and others. If your dog does not come when called, you don't have a trustworthy dog. Below are five tips to help you teach this command to your pet:

1. Exercise. Many dogs do not come when called because they are not exercised often enough and aren't ready to end their fun. Japanese Chins are not a very active breed but they do enjoy a daily walk. And remember, a walk is just as good for them as it is for you!

2. Do not punish your dog when he comes to you. Your dog does not want to come to you if it means being punished or something they don't like. Most dogs do not enjoy being given a bath. Go get him when you want to give him a bath, rather than calling him. Another example of unwittingly teaching your dog not to come is to go for a walk in the park and call him to you when it's time to go home. Do this several times and he'll soon decide that when you say "come" the fun is over!  You can prevent this kind of unintentional training by calling him to you several times during the outing, sometimes giving him a treat, sometimes just a pat on the head, and then letting him play again.

3. Start teaching your Japanese chin to come when he is still young. Ideally, you acquired your pet as a puppy, which is the best time to teach him to come when called. Start right away. But remember, sometime between the fourth and eighth months of age, your puppy will begin to realize that there is a big world out there.  While going through this stage, it is best to keep him on leash so that he does not get in the habit of ignoring you when you call.

4. When in doubt, don't. Learn to anticipate when he is likely not to come and keep him on a leash. Trying to call once he has spotted a cat, another dog or a jogger just doesn't work. Of course, there will be times when you make a mistake and let him go just as another dog appears out of nowhere. Resist the urge to say call him over and over again. The more often you holler "Come," the quicker he learns to ignore you when off leash. Instead, patiently go and put him on leash. Do not get angry once you have caught him or he will become afraid of you. He will then run away when you try to catch him the next time.

5. Make sure that your dog always comes to you and lets you touch the collar before you reward with a praise or a treat. Touching the collar prevents the dog from developing the annoying habit of playing "Catch" which means coming toward you and then dancing around you, just out of reach.