Photography © A.Chernyavskaya | Bigstock
We’ve all seen it a thousand times — people telling their dog to “Come,” and then saying it louder and louder and with more vehemence and exasperation as the dog continues to disobey. Then, when the dog finally catches up, the owner continues to yell and let their pet know what a bad girl she was. Nothing could be less effective.
Dogs are very literal. If they are being yelled at to come, they are going to internalize that as, “Why should I comply? They’re just mad at me. Nothing good can come of that.”
That’s why you should never tell your dog to “Come” in anger or frustration, no matter how angry or frustrated you may feel. Even if she has gotten herself all muddied up and then jumps on a woman in a light pink dress on a Sunday morning, you have to say “Come” happily, like nothing in the world could be better than the two of you together at that moment. And make sure you have a wonderful treat for her and lots of praise when she reaches your side. The idea is to get her back on the leash as soon as possible, not to try to reason with her or show her how disappointed you are.
The woman in the sullied dress may not like it. She may not understand why you’re being nice to your “bad” dog. Don’t worry about being judged at that moment. Do what you need to do to get your dog to comply, and write an apology note later.
