"Teach Your Cocker Spaniel Puppy To Come To You Each Time You Call Him"
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When training a puppy, it's very important that you begin training as early as possible if your Cocker Spaniel puppy is to grow into a well-behaved adult dog.
Training a puppy to come to you on command is probably one of the most important (and perhaps difficult) commands you'll teach your Cocker Spaniel.
At some point, this command may be used to remove your puppy from potential harm - it could even help to save his life!
Your objective is to get your puppy to come to you each time you call him, no matter what he's doing, or where he is - as long as he can hear or see you.
Training a puppy to come to you when you call him may not always be as straightforward as it sounds, particularly with Cocker Spaniels or other scent driven dogs, but don't let that stop you.
Regular puppy obedience training will help you achieve your goals.
Training A Puppy To 'Come' To You On Command
Begin this exercise indoors, and without too many distractions.
Let your puppy see that you have a treat in your hand, but don't give it to him; just let him sniff it.
Have a friend hold your puppy's collar to stop him from following you.
Walk away from your puppy - a few paces should be far enough to begin with - and turn around to face him.
Call your puppy by his name, and give the command - for example, 'Max, come'. Try to sound exciting to your puppy, clap your hands, slap your thighs, or knees. Any of these movements may be used as your visual command, or you could choose another; but whatever you decide, don't forget to use it consistently.
If your puppy looks unsure, try taking a few quick steps backwards as you call his name; this may entice your puppy to come bounding towards you.
When your puppy reaches you, give him the treat immediately and praise him with the words, 'Come, good come', and make a fuss of him.
When training a puppy, it's important that you reward your Cocker Spaniel the instant he reaches you - that's why you hold the treat ready in your hand. If you have to search for a treat in your pocket or treat bag, it's too late to reward him; he won't associate the reward with his action, and it will undermine the training.
Ask your friend to call the puppy. If your puppy obeys, your friend can also reward him with a treat and the relevant praise. Repeat calling your puppy back and forth, between you and your friend, and your puppy will soon respect the 'Come' command from someone other than yourself.
Practice puppy obedience training several times during the day. Call your puppy to you just to give him a cuddle, or to play, and gradually increase the distance you move away from your puppy before calling him.
Vary the puppy obedience training exercises to make them more interesting for him. Try playing 'Hide and Seek' with your puppy; go into another room, out of sight, and call him. Wait until he tracks you down before rewarding him either with a treat, or his favourite toy, and lavish praise.
When your Cocker Spaniel has mastered the 'Come' command indoors, try practicing outdoors, in a well-fenced garden, and perhaps introduce some distractions.
If your garden is not puppy-proof, or you're not too comfortable about letting your puppy off the lead, you could use a long training lead which can be left trailing as your puppy explores.
If your puppy doesn't respond to your 'Come' command, give a gentle tug on his lead to get his attention and try the command again.
When you're comfortable with taking your dog off the lead outdoors, you can move on to the next exercise.
Take your puppy out for a walk - somewhere safe enough to take him off the lead. Practice calling him to you and putting him back on his lead.
Walk him for a couple of minutes, and then let him off the lead again.
The point of this exercise is to avoid your puppy associating the 'Come' command with being put back on a lead and taken home. If this happens, your puppy may be reluctant to come back to you when he sees his lead in your hand.
Training A Puppy - Troubleshooting
Puppies are usually happy to come to you when called but, as they get older, they become a little more inquisitive and independent, and will try to test you.
If your puppy won't come back to you when called, try waiting a little while for him; he may eventually come to you in his own time. When he does, make a fuss of him but don't reward him with a treat.
Training a puppy in this way, ie., rewarding good behaviour and ignoring mis-behaviour, will be much more effective and your puppy will learn more quickly.
Whether you're training a puppy, or simply out in the park with your dog, if your Cocker Spaniel won't come to you when you call him, don't be tempted to chase him.
All dogs love chasing games and, if you go running after him, he'll think it's fun and will carry on running away from you.
Instead, turn around and begin to run in the opposite direction; he'll soon turn around and begin running after you.
We understand that while watching your puppy running away from you, turning and running in the opposite direction may seem the wrong thing to do and could be a very difficult decision to take, but it really works. Try this in your garden, or other safe enclosed area, and you'll see.
When your puppy finally reaches you, praise him with the words 'Come, good come', and make a fuss of him, but don't give him a treat because he didn't automatically respond to your command. Only give treats when your puppy responds immediately.
If you find yourself in a situation where you know your dog is not going to come to you, don't call him. You'll be setting him (and yourself) up to fail and, in time, your puppy may learn that he doesn't need to respond to your command because you allow him not to do so.
When training a puppy, don't shout or sound angry when calling him. He's unlikely to respond and will associate your anger with the command.
Keep your voice light and, even though you may not feel like it, always make your voice sound exciting and encouraging to your puppy - he needs to learn that by coming to you, good things happen to him.
Puppy obedience training isn't only for puppies; it also works for an adult dog who hasn't been trained. However, you may need to be more patient, and it may take you a little longer.
Training a puppy to respond to your commands is a very important part of your puppy's development; a well-trained puppy is a well-behaved puppy.
Once your puppy has learned the come command, and readily responds to it, you'll feel more relaxed about letting him off the lead.
If you've followed the advice given here in our training a puppy article, he should now come to you on command, and without too much (if any) hesitation.
Your puppy should now be ready for the next step in puppy obedience training - the 'Wait' and 'Stay' commands.
