In day to day basic puppy training, when teaching your puppy to come or to obey any command, only give the command when you are able to enforce it. You must always be in a situation where you get compliance. For that reason, you do not want to use the command without good cause or in any other circumstance where you do not intend to get the desired outcome. When teaching "come," only give the command when you intend the dog to come to you. That means it should stop whatever else it is doing and come to you.
I'd like to recount one example of how my own dogs picked up a phrase and ran with it and what the consequences were. The phrase in question is, "Let's go." My dogs like to ride in the back of my car, and I like to take them out with me. I rather carelessly started saying "Let's go" before putting them into the car with the result that every time they heard me utter, "Let's go," they would leap up and race each other to the door in expectation of a ride. Fortunately, this was not a bit problem--more humorous than anything else--and I was able teach them out of that habit.
When training this command, one essential puppy training technique is to never give your dog a choice. Use the "come" command only when he is either on his way to you, or when he is on the leash. When you give the command, follow it with a gentle tug. You should stick to this rule until your dog has been reliably tested by many different distractions and is about two years old.
I also suggest that you take pains to create in the puppy's mind a positive association with the word, "come." Do not allow your pet, as much as possible, associate "come" with bad or unpleasant experiences. You must be positive, friendly, and civil at all times and never teach this command in a harsh or scolding manner.
Unfortunately, there will be occasions when you discover your pet doing things are completely out of line. Your first impulse may be to get angry and shout. You first inclination may be to tell your dog to "come" in an angry voice. We advise you to take positive, quick action to correct the dog, but do not use the word "come" in any way that could be interpreted as punishment.
How you interact with your dog is very important to your pet. Voice tones, your emotional vibe, and physical touch mean a great deal. Dogs love to be touched and played with; your emotional state really does communicate to your dog and affects its own well being; and your tone of voice will speak volumes to your puppy. Keep this in mind when training and use it to your advantage. Your dog will see you as the leader of its pack and look to you for direction. How you teach the essential command, "come" will set the stage for all future training. Remember, your dog has as its number one priority pleasing you; never fail to give it the opportunity to do so.
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