Welcome to Lincoln Animal Ambassador’s pet video training library! Each month, we’ll post a video that teaches you to train your cat to perform a particular skill. Although cats and dogs do learn differently, most of the time these lessons can also be used to train a dog. After watching this video, if you need more help, please email us at: allisontalkspetsATgmailDOTcom. (Replace the “AT” with “@”, and replace the “DOT” with a period.)
“Come” is the one command that could save your pet’s life. Here’s how to teach it.
PART ONE
- Sit near your pet.
- Show her a treat.
- When she focuses on the treat, praise her.
- Wait for her to touch the treat. As soon as this happens, reward her with the treat.
PART TWO
- Step back a foot and present the treat again.
- Put the target under your pet’s nose.
- While saying her name, and issuing the command “come,” draw her closer by drawing the treat closer.
- When your pet comes to you, reward her.
PART THREE
- Each time you repeat this exercise, increase the distance by a foot.
- If at any point your pet stops coming to you, close the gap until she comes successfully before you widen the gap again.
- Keep training sessions short, and spend no more than a few minutes on each command.
Thanks to Andy Frederick for his assistance in shooting and editing this video.