Teaching how to teach a dog to come to you, can be fun if you know what you’re doing. Dogs learn best by repetition and getting used to things around them. There are some basic dog training tricks that can help make this task much easier.
When approaching a dog that’s not coming, call and lead it to you. When your dog nears, call him towards you and reward him with a treat. Stop any other training methods at once until he arrives at you. Start with the outside in, and let him explore the new world around him.
It helps to have some idea of where he’s going to go when you begin your dog training. If you have a yard or spare yard, it’s nice to be able to follow him from here on out. He can just follow your scent and get off your back yard. A good place to start is to find a spot where you want to work. If he gets lost, you can follow him or you can call out and let him get back on your scent.
Here are some dog training tricks to help your dog become more comfortable around you. First is to always keep your dog on a leash. Even if you’re walking the dog to the park, never let it go for free. Make sure he has something in his hand that he can hold onto for balance. If he’s unsure, just give him a treat and he’ll learn to trust you as his handler.
Use the same dog training tricks every time you take him out. When you’re walking on him, do the same things you’d do if you were with a new dog. Walk slowly and use short phrases. For example, “On your mark. Come.”
If he’s on a leash, you’ll want to say “On your mark” before you get close to him. Then he’ll be more comfortable around you, and he’ll want to follow you. As soon as he’s about two steps ahead of you, turn around and do the opposite. You’ll confuse him and he’ll think you’re moving on without him noticing.
Once he’s walking by himself and he doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere, you should start to repeat the process. Let him gain confidence and he’ll begin to follow you again. When he gets to within ten feet of you, change directions. He’ll think you’ve gone for the hills now and won’t bother following you. He’ll either come to heel or come right by, depending on what he’s smelling.
If you can, take him out frequently. That way he’ll have a natural urge to go along with you, regardless of the time of day. You can also use treats, but try not to make them too hard or he may get scared. Some dog treats are quite tasty, so be sure to keep the dog’s attention focused on the dog treat and not on the dog’s nose or paws. Finally, make it fun for your dog. Dogs enjoy learning new things if they like doing them, so you’ll be teaching a dog to behave well with lots of positive reinforcement.
You can also use the same techniques with other people in the dog’s presence. For example, how to teach a dog to go to the bathroom when you’re not home, and how to teach a dog to sit when another dog is around. You may even find that the dog will figure out that if there’s only one dog in the home, then he’s going to have his own bathroom because that’s what he learned from watching you do it. If there are many dogs in your home, however, it would probably be a good idea for you to train the dog to wait until there’s only one dog left at home.
Another good idea for those who are teaching a dog to behave well is to establish where he or she needs to go throughout the day. Set up a “bathroom” area where your dog needs to go to the bathroom and make sure that the area is well lit and organized. That way, he or she will know where they need to go to avoid accidents. As an added bonus, if you set up the area where your dog needs to be after playtime, it will also be more likely to want to hang out there when playtime is over.
A dog training book like How to Teach a Dog to Go to the Bathroom by Lisa Nichols will give you all the information you need to start training your dog the right way. You’ll learn tricks like the “stopping-dog”, “go-to-potty” and other helpful techniques. When you’re done, you’ll be amazed at how much more comfortable for your dog is around you and other people in the house. The dog will actually come to enjoy going to the bathroom and you won’t have to worry about accidentally splashing water all over him or her. Good luck and happy training!
