Teaching a Dog to Come When Called While They’re Swimming

By: David Codr

Published Date: July 7, 2020

teaching a dog to come when called

In this Waterloo dog training session, we shared tips on teaching a dog to come when called. We helped 15-month-old Great Pyrenees-Newfoundland mix Pearl to respond while swimming.

Teaching a Dog to Come When Called

Before we got to Pearl’s habit of refusing to come when called while swimming, we addressed a number of other dog behavior tips. People often forget that when a dog doesn’t listen, it’s important to remember their respect for your authority. I’m not talking about controlling a dog, I mean are your actions and interactions conveying the message you want to send.

There are several reasons why your dog might not listen to you. One reason could be their emotional state. If your dog is too emotional or worried about something in their environment, they might be distracted by fear or pain.

Communication issues can also play a role. If your body language or verbal commands are unclear, or if you’re giving mixed signals, your dog might not understand what you want. Using too many words in commands can also confuse them.

Additionally, your dog might not be fully trained or might not be getting enough practice and positive reinforcement. They might have learned that ignoring you leads to better rewards, especially if they’ve been rewarded for not listening in the past. Too much excitement or using the wrong training techniques, such as bribing, can make it difficult for your dog to listen.

For the most part, Pearl’s family does, but we found a few areas they can improve. Pearl is a great dog who is lucky to have a dedicated owner. Her owner takes her on many walks, listens to her, and provides her with a loving home and life.

To teach the dog to come when swimming, I got out a long 20 foot line and then headed to the backyard so she could get into the water. Watch the free video below to learn how to train your dog to come when called, even around distractions like water or ducks.

As you saw in the video above, the easiest way to start teaching a dog to come when called is to reward them for doing it on their own. Whenever your dog comes up to you, take a second to reward them with some pets or treats and say the word you’ll want to use when you call them. The most common ones are “come” or “here.”

By getting your dog used to this recall cue on their own terms will create a positive association. Most dogs view their owner calling them as the end of fun, so they don’t want to listen. But this way when your dog hears “come” or “here,” they know there’s some treats and rewards waiting for them.

Now at first it’s going to be easier to get the dog to come when called when there are not any distractions around. If there are ducks around, the recall is going to be more challenging until enough practice has been made.

How to Train Your Dog to Come

If you reward your dog when they come to you without being called, they will be more likely to come to you when ducks are around. Teaching a Great Pyreneese mix to come is all about building success on top of success.

Practice calling your dog back when ducks are around but far away, while keeping them on a leash. This will help improve their response and give you the tools to use when they ignore your command to come. They should avoid pulling unless absolutely necessary.

If Pearl doesn’t come when her family calls, they should practice calling her from a distance to improve her response. Start with simple behaviors and gradually progress to more difficult situations. It takes practice, but Pearl did so well it shouldn’t be hard.

We made a video to help Pearl’s family remember what we talked about during today’s dog training session at their home. Check out Pearl’s roadmap to success video below.

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This post was written by: David Codr