Team Ko me
The team “To me!” From childhood should be associated with the dog only with pleasant sensations. Often, animals avoid performing this command, having even a single negative experience of approaching the owner. The little walking dogs who know that the approach to the owner on the “Ko Me!” Command is the same is a guarantee of the loss of freedom. Those animals that have little contact with the owner and who are much less interested in them than the world around perform poorly or not at all. The chapter “Primary Puppy Education” has already told about the methods of puppy training to come to your call. However, if your pet has already reached adolescence, but has obedience gaps, pay close attention to working out the “Ko me!” Command.
Skill approach to the trainer on the command “Ko me!” – an essential element of the course of obedience. The “pure” execution of this command is rather difficult for dogs and requires a step-by-step training. Exercise work out by combining the individual elements in a certain sequence.
At first, get your pet to simply come to you willingly. It’s the most important. While walking the dog on a long leash, holding the leash in one hand, call it with affectionate intonation, saying “Come to me!” And at the same time showing delicacy in the other hand. Usually the treat attracts the dog and it runs to you. Instead of delicacy, you can use a small toy with a squeaker. To attract the attention of the dog, you can “squeak” a toy after the command “Go to me!” Sounded.
Try to quickly reel the leash so that the dog is not confused in it. While the dog is approaching, take a few steps back, without turning, for the greater interest of your pet in the exercise. As soon as the dog has approached, grab the collar with the hand in which you hold the leash, and feed the dog a treat with your other hand. The collar is held in order to exclude the possible quick runaway of the dog from the trainer immediately after it receives a treat. It is important to sincerely praise the dog that came to you at the command “Come to me!”
In the event that the delicacy does not seduce the dog too much and does not want to approach it, repeat the call “Come to me!”, But with a more strict intonation. And at the same time it is easy, without causing pain, to make a series of “small” jerks with a leash, forcing the dog to approach. When this finally happens, do not forget to praise the animal, continuing to work out the exercise in this way, until one voice command is enough for the call.
Gradually, the conditions of training complicate. A call is made from the positions of the dog while sitting and lying at the same time as training to work for restraint. Next, go to the next element – training the dog to walk around the trainer from behind and sits down at his left leg. To do this, stock up on a tasty piece and hold it in your right hand. When the dog approaches, take this hand behind your back, then quickly shift the treat to the other hand and push it forward to the left of yourself, prompting the dog moving behind the treat to bypass you from behind and stop at your left foot. Put the piece in your right hand again and give the dog the command “Sit!”, Holding the treat over its head, with your left hand fix the animal, gently taking the collar.
Team To me Further work this element at a faster pace, and then try to combine both parts of the exercise. At the same time keep a treat or a toy not in your hand, in your pocket or behind a belt. When the dog comes and sits right, reward it. If, being carried away, your pet after running around the trainer runs ahead or does not reach the left leg, correct his posture by taking the collar and forcing him to end up in the correct position.
In the final period of practicing the skill, they gradually increase the distance from which the dog is called, conduct classes on the ground with a large number of distracting stimuli, as well as at different times of the day. For example, try to call a dog when it sniffs something with enthusiasm, communicates with another dog, notices a cat not far away, etc.
Always wait until the “ritual” of the “Ko Me!” Team is complete. The trainer makes a big mistake if, by saying “Come to me!”, It continues moving, and when the dog runs up, it does not pay attention to it (for example, it speaks by other people or just smokes a cigarette). Do not praise the dog if it has sat down halfway away from you – this will be perceived as reinforcement of wrong actions. Never chase a dog, repeatedly shouting: “To me! To me!”. Your pet perceives such energetic “catching up” as a game, increasingly evading the real work.
If your dog has run away far away, being carried away by the pursuit of a cat, a petty congener, a flowing bitch, to call him almost to no avail. In this case, you will have to follow your disobedient pet and forcibly take him away from the subject of temptation.
