Teaching Your Chihuahua to Come When Called

Teaching your Chihuahua to come when called will not only save a lot of frustration, it could also save your Chihuahua’s life someday. Countless pet owners retell stories of narrow misses when a dog or puppy got loose and only avoided a car accident or encounter with an aggressive dog because she actually came when called.

As important as this command is, novice handlers frequently botch training the recall because they forget the basic rules. Here are the most important things to remember:

• “Come” is to be treated as an emergency command only.
• Always practice this command when your Chihuahua is on leash so that your Chihuahua always comes in response.
• When your Chihuahua is off leash (whether in the backyard or in the house) and thus out of your direct control, use her name as a signal for her to see what’s up.
• For every time you utter the command “Come” and your Chihuahua doesn’t respond, it will take a minimum of twenty repetitions at an equivalent level of difficulty to overcome the fact that now your Chi thinks she doesn’t have to come.
• Never call your Chihuahua with an angry voice. Who wants to come to be punished?
• Consider using a whistle or other loud sound in place of the verbal command. That way, your Chi will never hear the anxiety in your voice when you’re frantic for her to come to you.
• Make “big” over every brisk, fast recall. It’s gotta be a great reward.
• Say “Come!” only once; if you repeat a command two or three times your Chi quickly learns that only after you’ve said “Come!” two or three times does she have to respond.
• Make sure all other family members understand the rules of “Come!”. Any inconsistencies in training a command will confuse your Chihuahua and will lengthen the time required to train the skill.

To train the “Come” command, snap a leash on your Chihuahua and start walking. Suddenly, start jogging backwards, saying your Chi’s name, and acting as silly as possible to encourage your Chi to run after you. The moment your Chi whips around and starts running to you, say “Come!”. Immediately click and reward. Repeat eleven out of twelve reps.

Next, do the same exercise except give the “Come” command as you begin to step backwards. When your Chi spins around and is running toward you, click and reward. Repeat eleven out of twelve reps.

Now you’ll want to begin recalling your Chihuahua when she’s in a sit-stay or down-stay. Place your Chi in a stay of your choice, step out on your right foot, and walk to the end of the leash. Turn to face your Chi and say, “Come” as you begin running backwards. Click and reward. Repeat eleven out of twelve reps. Use a longer line to work the stay at longer distances. Only progress to an off-leash recall if you are considering competing in performance events.

To get your Chihuahua really wound up for the recall, once she’s running toward you, you turn around and really start running. Chihuahuas love to chase their owners, and this unexpected twist is great fun for them. As always, stop, click and reward. Once you’ve got your Chihuahua running in from a long line, toss a favorite toy through your legs for your Chi to grab. This unexpected surprise will get your Chi really running to you!