Come Back Here You Dog
September 2, 2010
Have you ever been somewhere with your dog, who was off leash, and suddenly a squirrel (or rabbit/kid/car…fill in YOUR distraction) runs by, and you find yourself yelling at your dog to, “come back!!!” Well, one of the greatest and most important commands to train your dog on is the “HIER!” (pronounced: ‘Hee-aaw’; German for “come here!”. You can read more on German dog training commands on this page here.)
I know plenty of dog owners who have a really good recall trained on their dogs, but the key in any command is the ability of the dog to obey under heavy distractions. Calling your dog to come to you in your house is one thing, but how well does he listen to you outside? Or how about outside with allot of distractions, like running kids, cars passing by, and that pesky squirrel that bolts right in front of your dog?
What I do to train an outside recall is to use a long-line, about 25 feet, attached to my dogs collar. Once the recall is solid (like it is INSIDE the house), then I add small distractions. Once the dog I’m training is good with that, I gradually increase the level of distraction, until it is seemingly overwhelming to the dog. And once obedience is solid – 100%, then and only then, I will allow my dogs off leash in public. Why? Well, for one thing, many people are terrified at a 100 lbs German Shepherd running full bore around them, and will call the police to report a “crazed, mad dog running loose in their neighborhood”. And secondly, I would hate to loose my best friend (yes, my dog is my best friend, isn’t your dog your best friend?) to a passing car as he runs into the street, ignoring my call. So please, please, please – follow the steps above before you allow your dogs off leash. Your dog will be a better citizen for it!