Dog Training: Come

 

The Come command, also known as Recall, is a little more time-consuming to teach, but is important when you need your dog to come back to you. For example, if you are out hiking and your dog is off-leash, but you notice another hiker farther along the trail, you can tell your dog to Come, and expect her to do so.

An important note on teaching this command: there are many ways that we can sabotage the effectiveness of this command, and not even realize it. Avoid recalling your dog for things that she may not find enjoyable, such as nail trims and baths. And never call your dog, and then punish her for something else that she has done. Both of these examples will teach your dog that if she does come, something unpleasant will happen. Pretty soon, when you call her to Come, she will run the other way.

Treats will be helpful when you first start to teach this command. To begin, ask your dog to Stay, and then back up a few feet, show her the food, and ask her to Come. When she comes to you, give her the treat and lots of praise. Each time you ask her to sit and then back away, try to make the distance farther. You can mix this exercise up by hiding from her before you call her. Or, ask a friend to help, and you can take turns calling her. Make a game out of it! As with other commands, remove the food reward as she improves.

Keep your training sessions short and have fun, and remember that consistency and patience are key!

Cats may be key to HIV vaccine

There have been many studies that show how dogs can benefit human health, but few on the benefit of cats. Researchers from the University of Florida and the University of California, San Francisco have found that blood from patients infected from HIV shows an immune response against feline AIDS. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is distantly related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and their sequences are similar, which allows researchers the opportunity for further study and analysis towards a possible vaccine against AIDS, in the future.

The article is an interesting perspective on how cats can be beneficial to the health of humans in more ways than just companionship. To read more, click here.

Dog Training: Lie Down

The method to teach the Lie Down command is similar to teaching the Sit command. This is a useful command to help your dog calm down, or if you need your dog to stay in one spot for an extended amount of time.

To teach this command, small treats will be useful. During training sessions, especially with young dogs, limit your time to 5-10 minutes. Dogs tend to have short attention spans, and the longer you work at something the worse their performance will seem.

To begin, stand in front of your dog with a small treat in your hand. Place your hand in front of your dog’s nose, close enough that she is not tempted to jump for it. Then, slowly move your hand, with the treat, towards the ground. As you are moving your hand, say “lie down.” As soon as your dog has her elbows and hocks on the ground, shower her with praise! As you progress with this command, work away from using treats, so that she knows to Lie Down, whether she is rewarded or not. To release her from Lie Down, use a simple command, such as “release” or “OK.”

Remember, the most important part of any training exercise with your dog is consistency and patience. And have fun!