The future looks bright

Corner

By Matthew Margolis

When it comes to getting our dogs to come to us, some of us have some pretty funny ideas. Over the years, I’ve worked with a multitude of dog owners who are bewildered that their rendition of “come” -- ranging from harsh to downright terrifying -- has the opposite effect of actually driving their dogs away.

Listening to these folks try to get their dogs to come to them reminds me of the rhyme from “101 Dalmatians”:

Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil. If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will...

But what often happens next borders on the absurd.

Frustrated by their failed efforts to get their own dog to come anywhere near them, they go after him. That’s right -- the chase is on! Through the house, over the couch, ‘round and ‘round the coffee table and then the mad dash under the bed where the now-exhausted dog collapses just out of reach.

There are a couple of things going on here that you might not realize and you probably don’t want.

1) Your dog is afraid to come to you because of the tone of voice you’re using.

2) Your dog then learns that if he doesn’t come to you, you’ll chase him, and what dog doesn’t love a good game of chase?

There are a few easy changes you can make to get out of this cycle, should this scene sound a little too familiar.

First, pay attention to the tone you use whenever you say your dog’s name. Use a happy, positive, loving tone of voice every time you utter his blessed name.

Second, it’s time to issue the “come” command in the manner most likely to yield results. Some trainers use the word “come.” Some prefer the word “here.” Still others prefer the German words “Hier” or “Komm,” which sound pretty much the same as their English equivalents. What matters isn’t so much the word, but the tone. For the most part, you’ll want to use a bright tone of

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