How to Teach Your Dog to Come When You Call
Has this ever happened to you? You call your dog by name over and over… to no avail. Then you open a can of food and voilà! Out of nowhere, you hear the pitter-patter of paws heading toward you at top speed.
As a certified trainer and also a dog mom, I feel very strongly that when it’s “recall” time, ALL dogs (yes, ALL dogs) need to be taught how to respond. There is a right way to teach your dog recall. It’s not just about manners – there are definitely times when getting your dog to come to you is for his safety. And it’s best to teach your dog before you need the behavior – not during. You wouldn’t teach someone a fire drill during a fire, right?
TEACH YOUR DOG A SOLID RECALL
Step 1: INDOORS (with few distractions)
- To teach your dog to come when you call, start by backing away from your dog using your happy voice, clapping and praising as he approaches you. Stop, ask your dog to sit (optional), reach in and grab his collar with one hand, and give him a tasty treat from the other.
- Repeat this several times, until your dog is almost chasing you around and not allowing you to start over again.
- Now try this at the same distance in a different location, still with few distractions.
- Repeat the first step, but from 8-10 feet away, even if your dog is doing something else. Reward with the process outlined in the first point (happy voice, clapping/praise, etc.) If your dog doesn’t come to you right away, go to him, lure him back to where you called to him from, then reward using the above steps.
Once your dog has become skilled in these steps, repeat the same exercise in different rooms of the house, especially when he isn’t expecting it, and reward in the same manner. This way, he continues to associate coming to you with wonderful things! After he has mastered this, you can move outside.
Step 2: OUTDOORS
- Practice the routine as described above in the same way in a fenced yard or secure outdoor area, keeping your dog on leash for safety reasons if necessary.
- Begin just a few feet away, progressing to a farther but safe distance.
- Practice the backing-away recall while out walking your dog on leash. Give the cue when your dog is facing forward, not looking up at you.
- If you want, you can get a longer leash (long-line*) and practice the same exercises from a farther distance.
*For safety reasons only. Be cautious not to get your dog tangled up in the leash. Do not use this leash for pulling or dragging your dog away from something.
RECAP: THE RULES OF RECALL
- Only call your dog for something pleasant.
- Only call your dog if you know he’s going to listen and follow though with your request.
- If you misjudged on rule two, save the recall by going and getting your dog yourself, and bringing him back to where you called from, then reward.
- Use the cue word once and only once, but be a cheerleader, using additional methods of communication to help get the message across: body language, whistling, clapping, happy talk.
- ALWAYS give your dog a huge payoff whenever he comes to you: praise, petting, play and/ treats! (Use higher-value treats during initial training steps, and periodically once the behavior is established.)
Is your inquisitive canine already for an advanced level of recall? Try practicing the Round-Robin exercise: Send your dog back and forth between two or more people in a room or outdoors (in a safe environment). Each person takes a turn calling the dog, performing the reach-for-collar/treat-with-other-hand game. If at any time your dog chooses not to come, the person who called him/her should go over, lure him/her to where they called from, then reward.
Once you’ve achieved total recall with your inquisitive canine, you’ll be the star of the dog park with the most obedient pup around. Now if he could just learn how to change the oil and perhaps run a vacuum cleaner every once in a while…!
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