One of the most important things you will ever teach your Border Collie is to come when it is called. Once puppy knows its name, you can start teaching it to come.

The trick to getting puppy to come when called is to make coming to you a great experience....

Tips for Training your Puppy to Come

The best place to start training your Border Collie to come is at home. It is safe and if puppy runs off it cannot get into too much trouble.

All you need are some training treats like shredded chicken or cheese, and a couple of toys as rewards. Get into the habit of using yourself as the reward as well. If you are more fun than anything else in your dog’s world, it will come every time.

1. Start around the house. Stop what you are doing and call puppy to you by crouching down to your puppy’s level. Using a happy voice, say its name and use the word ‘come’ in conjunction with a hand signal. Your open right hand, palm up, your fingers using a beckoning gesture, for example. When puppy comes make a big fuss, give a reward, and release your pup.
2. Practise this until your puppy comes bounding up as soon as you call. When you are happy with puppy’s progress move your training out into the backyard where there are more distractions.
3. It will be a lot harder outside and it is best to wait until your Border Collie has mastered the stay command. But you can practice calling your puppy whenever you are outside and rewarding when it comes. This will teach it to come to you wherever you are.
4. Once puppy has mastered the stay command, go down to the local park and put puppy on a long line. A horse lunging lead is perfect. Put your puppy into the sit position and tell your dog to stay and walk a few paces away. Ask your puppy to come. If it comes reward it. If it does not come give the lunge rope a gentle tug to encourage it.

The important thing is just practice calling puppy to you whenever and wherever and reward every time puppy comes. And, remember, make your training fun.

Never Punish your Dog for Coming

Have you ever been in a situation where no matter what you did your dog would not come? Think about this. What do you do when your dog finally does come? Do you reward it for coming to you or are you angry and reprimand it?

Never, ever, ever, punish a dog that comes to you. Why? You are teaching it not to come to you. Yes, it is frustrating when a dog finds the rest of the world more interesting than you. But, it is not your dog’s fault.

The best thing to do if your dog will not come is to just call your dog’s name in a bright happy voice. When you get its attention turn round and run in the opposite direction. If you do this correctly it will not be long before your dog is back at your side, and when it is make a huge fuss over it and have a game with a ball or a favourite toy.