Mary Allen
The most important command your dog has to learn is also the most difficult. It’s the command here. Everywhere the call for the dog resounds in the parks and on the dog areas – and yet mostly goes unheard! This is not only annoying but also dangerous. Because a dog that is allowed to walk without a leash must be available when there is danger from cars, cyclists, or other dogs. But even passers-by who do not want any contact with your dog must be able to be sure that you can reliably call him to you.
How to Get Rid of the Biggest Stumbling Blocks
5 stumbling blocks make your life difficult
If the Here command does not work as desired, it may be due to one of the following stumbling blocks. Check critically where you are stuck.
1st stumbling block: You don’t know what you want
First of all, be very clear on what being called means to you.
Let’s say you choose the word “Come!”. Then you expect in the future that your dog will come to you at this command and you can leash it. And nothing else. Don’t say “come on” when you just want him to keep going and not loiter like that. Make sure he really comes up to you and doesn’t stop two meters in front of you. And be careful not to mix up your commands: don’t yell “Toby!” when you want him to come to you—you’ll just make it unnecessarily difficult for him. How is he supposed to know that his name suddenly means something completely different than usual?
If you have already practiced summoning unsuccessfully, you now choose a completely new command, such as Command Here. Because the word that you have called out so far is associated with all sorts of things for your dog – but certainly not with coming to you. New word – new luck! From now on you are doing everything right with the new term – and you will see that it will work better.
2nd stumbling block: You are boring
Well, that’s not a good thing to hear, but that’s the way it is. A dog that would rather keep running than come back to its owner simply has better things to do: hunt, sniff, play, eat. And it is usually the case that we always call the dog to us when things are getting exciting. We are then the spoilsports who put him on a leash and move on. To break this pattern, you need to make yourself interesting! Your dog needs to realize that you are at least as exciting.
And this is where you can get the first stumbling block out of the way: Make it your task not only to call the dog to you to put the leash on. Also use the command here to surprise him with small tasks, game ideas, and rewards.
Help your dog learn that this isn’t the end of the game:
For example, call him directly to you as soon as you see a canine pal appearing on the horizon
It is important that the other dog is still far away so that you have a chance that your dog really comes to you
Then you reward him with a treat and consciously send him off to play again
Of course, he could have played directly, but in the long run, he learns that he can come to you despite the command here and that the game is far from over. On the contrary: You even send him out explicitly.
Also, make it a habit to always call your dog over to you on a walk before you start a game, e.g. B. throwing a ball. In this way, your dog will learn that being called is the starting signal for something nice.
3rd stumbling block: You seem threatening
Especially when things get serious, for example, because the dog is in danger, we tend to yell and express our tension through our own posture. Force yourself to keep your voice neutral.
Anyone who finds this difficult is well advised to use a dog whistle because the tone is always the same. However, you must always have them with you.
If your dog is hesitant to approach you, it may be because of your posture.
Then just try the following:
Squat down and make yourself small
Or take a few steps backward, which will make your body less tense and also “pull” your dog towards you
My personal tip
Watch your body language
Even if I know better: Sometimes I’m just mad at my dogs and then I yell an angry command Here at them. Of course, the dogs notice immediately that I’m “loaded” and don’t exactly appear as if they would like to come to me. But my old bitch still comes very humbly to me. She doesn’t feel good about it, but she’s coming. My male, on the other hand, stops a few meters in front of me. Then he just can’t be persuaded to walk the last stretch. I just come across as too menacing to him, even though I’ve calmed down by now.
The solution: I just have to turn my upper body a little to the side and he dares to come to me. And then of course I plan to be a little more confident next time.
4th stumbling block: You are not focused
Summoning is such an important exercise that it requires your full concentration. It won’t work if you talk animatedly to the others in the dog park and casually send your dog a command here.
Establish some sort of “connection” with your dog:
focus on him. Look in his direction, but without staring at him
Stay with him in your mind until he is actually in front of you
Remember that summoning is a command that does not end immediately, but extends over a period of time. Even if you only shout once, your concentration shows that your command is still valid, even if there is still 20 meters to go
5th stumbling block: You ask for the impossible
Sometimes it’s hard to be more interesting than the environment (see point 2). If you know that your hunting dog loves deer, don’t bother trying to retrieve it from a deer in the woods. Leave him on a leash in tricky situations and don’t spoil the successes you’ve already achieved in everyday life by calling him out with the command Here and he simply doesn’t or can’t hear you.
Don’t ask too much too soon either. Retrieving a dog, especially a very young dog, from a game with other dogs is an advanced exercise.
So be sure to adjust your timing:
Only call if your dog hasn’t set his ears to “pull.”
Be proactive when your dog is off-leash, and see the distraction before he sees it
If you know that shouting is pointless in the situation, then don’t. Ignoring your call should only happen as rarely as possible. Otherwise you’ll soon be starting all over again
You have seen: All stumbling blocks start with you! But don’t be shocked, just be happy that you have the power to teach your dog to approach safely.