CG's Bichon Frise Puppies - Reno, NV. - Private Breeder

 
When you think about it, these two commands, the 'wait' 
and the 'come' command are probably the two most
important commands aren't they?
 
Are you ready? Is your dog ready?
 
THE COME COMMAND 
COMMTHE COME AND
The "come" is perhaps one of the most important commands 
that you want your dog to know—and one of the most difficult 
for him to learn.  (I will use the term "he" for this article 
if that's OK?). When you need to use the "come" command it 
might be when he has ran out of the house or when he is in a 
dangerous situation. Therefore, in order for the "come" 
command to be effective, you need to stay calm, no matter 
how frightened you may be for his safety. If you run after him 
in a panic, he will only run faster and farther away. 
If you stay calm, your dog will more likely move towards you.
The "come" command should only be given for a very positive 
experience and you should praise him lavishly when he 
responds correctly.
For example, if you say "Rover, come" and then you give 
him a bath, he will associate "come" with a bad experience 
(if he doesn’t like baths.) 
Or, if you say "Rover, come" and point out an accident that
he made  three hours ago and you scold him, he will associate 
the "come" command with a scolding.
Therefore, every time you use the "come" command there 
should be a positive reward and lots of praising words waiting 
for him. He should want to come to you no matter where he
 is or what he is doing.

The best way for your dog to learn the "come" command is
through practice, practice, and yes more practice. Start by 
standing n the other side of a room from your dog. Say 
"Rover, come." soon as he comes all the way up to you praise
him "yes Rover, good boy!" and give him a treat.
Repeat this as often as you can. He will quickly realize that 
you have a hand full of treats and will sit right by you so try 
different things. 
For example, go to another room and say "Rover, come." 
If he comes, praise him and reward him. 
You could also try practicing this exercise down a long 
hallway or from another side of the house. Have another 
family member help you and you can make a fun game out 
of it, sort of like "hide and seek." 
There are many ways that you can practice this command,
but the key is to practice it often and always have a positive 
reward waiting for your dog. It doesn’t have to be a treat; it 
could also be a toy, a walk, a belly rub, etc. 
If you are in a situation, for example you are out in your 
front yard, your dog is loose and he does not respond to
your "come"command, he might not fully understand it yet. 
In that case, you could try a couple of other options. 
First, you could offer him a treat "Rover, do you want a 
treat?"
Be sure to say it enthusiastically and will hopefully come 
running to you in excitement.
Second, you could try to ignore your dog. For example, he 
may want you to chase him. But if you ignore him instead, he 
will wonder what it is you have found that is more interesting
than him, so he may come up to you.
A loose dog can be a frightening situation, so the more you 
can practice this exercise, the more your dog will trust that 
you have a wonderful reward waiting for him!


 
 
THE WAIT COMMAND
This command is particularly important to use at doors—
whether it is your house door, your car door, the door at
the veterinarian's office, etc. It is also useful for the 
driveway or curb as my story in the beginning highlighted. 
For example might say "Rover wait" before walking 
through a door, then when you open the door you say
 "OK!" so he knows he can walk through it.
To practice this training exercise, you will want to attach your 
dog’s leash to his collar. Approach the door slowly and then 
stop before opening it. Give the "sit" command. Once he sits,
praise him and reward him. 
Then, open the door slightly. If he tries to move towards the 
door, close it calmly and try it again. Continue practicing this 
exercise until he stays in position and does not move toward
the door as you open it. 
Once you are confident that you can open the door without 
him moving towards it, try it again and now open the door 
wide. Give the "sit" command and walk in front of your dog 
so you are now facing him. 
Praise him as you do this. You are blocking him from walking 
through the door, so he should not be able to step forward. 
If he tries to get around you, shut the door, or step forward 
to block his path, and then try again.
Now, step to the end of your leash. Continue to praise him 
until you get to the end of the leash. If your dog moves 
forward, again block his path. When you get to the end of your 
leash, you can release him with "OK!"
Once you are confident that your dog can execute the 
command consistently, start using "Rover, wait" with your
 hand signal.
Practice this training exercise at each door and then try it 
outside on a sidewalk, but ONLY after he has convinced you
that you can trust him.
 
I hope you find these tips helpful.