HOW TO BEGIN TEACHING YOUR DOG A RELIABLE RECALL

Training your dog to “Come” to you is probably one of the most important behaviours you can teach your dog and there have been many situations where a dog’s life has been saved due to the fact that when he heard the word “Come” he responded and avoided danger.   We have all known or heard of many instances where a dog has gone out of his property running blindly across the road only to be tragically knocked down by a car.   It is so sad as this is a preventable scenario for any owner who is willing to give some time and effort to train their dog to do a reliable recall thereby avoiding such a fatal accident which can end their dog’s life.

What tends to happen in most households is that dog owners spend time reprimanding their dogs and trying to call them to “come” back to them when they have run off chasing birds or are rolling in the flowerbeds or are busy chewing compost etc. Then when they do eventually come back to the owner after he has called and called the dog and got more and more angry, the dog either gets put back in his yard for the rest of the day or closed off in the kitchen. Needless to say the reprimands can be far more severe and end up with some type of hurtful physical punishment.   So immediately the word “Come”, in the dog’s mind, is now associated with something extremely unpleasant. So the next time he is outside and having “fun “ and hears this word “Come” he actually turns a deaf ear and continues with whatever he is doing. He knows in his own way he is in trouble so just like a “naughty” child probably decides that if he is going to be “punished” when he gets back he may as well stay away for as long as he can.

So the best thing we, as responsible dog owners should do, is to change the whole meaning of the word and teach the dog that if he responds to the “Come” command that means “wonderful things are going to happen” and he is going to have fun and games and lots of yummy treats. Best of all he is going to benefit and the quicker he gets back to his owner the longer the great play times will continue.  

This is a good way to start.

• Find a quiet area of your garden so that your dog can focus only on you.
• Whenever your dog starts coming towards you for any reason, even if it looks like he is just checking in with you or coming for a quick pat as he is approaching you wait until he is a short distance away from you and then say his name and the word ‘come.’
• As he starts to get the idea of this game when he looks at you, run backwards say the word “Come” in a very happy voice and reward with yummy treats as soon as he catches you. Running away from your dog triggers his chase instincts and increases your attraction potential rather than just standing boringly still.
• When he gets to you, make a huge fuss. Have a handful of over the top tasty treats like liver bread or cheese spread and give immediately. You will see his eyes light up and his whole body will be waiting excitedly for the next thing to happen.
• Repeat this going around your property calling him to you and running back and rewarding the minute he reaches you.
• Very quickly you will see he will be coming as fast as he can and waiting almost quivering for the next game to begin.
• After a while, you can lengthen the distance between you and start using the word when he is coming to you from a greater distance.
• Coming to you should always be rewarded, whatever the circumstance and no matter how long it takes your dog to respond.
• Never under any circumstances get cross if he takes longer than you want.   You are the one who must encourage his desire to come to you.
• Be exciting. Jump up and down, wave your arms, be totally animated and the minute he gets to you give him a tasty treat.   Now he will want to be with you all the time even if he can see a huge pile of compost at the bottom of the garden that he would previously have wanted to roll in.   He has decided that he wants to be with you playing your games.
• If you feel he is getting bored at any time call his name in a really happy voice, turn around and run fast in the opposite direction and suddenly drop down and lie flat on the ground.       Immediately you will see he will turn and run as fast as he can to see what on earth you are doing as this is totally different from your normal behaviour.   The minute he comes to you give lots of treats, cuddle him, pat him and tell him he is the best dog in the world!!!
• This will be a good way to end a session as well when he is feeling that you are very proud of him and what he has done.
• When you feel comfortable and have practiced this quite a few times in your secure garden now is the time to find a park and go and test just how reliable his recall has become.
• DO NOT SET YOUR DOG UP TO FAIL
• If you feel he is not ready do not go outside until you are totally sure he is ready.
• If you do this too soon he will fail and there may be a tragic end and you will also undo all the training that you have done at home in your secure area.
• Patience and practice are imperative and with this particular training patience is essential.
• When you eventually do venture out to a park call your dog back to you regularly and keep the distances short initially.   If you are unsure of the park or are worried about nearby roads then put your dog on a long line when you arrive and refresh him with short distance recalls until you feel confident to let him run off.   This way he will enjoy the treats and coming back to you and still feel that you are more fun so that when it is time to go he will be ready to come back and go home with you.   So even though the park is a great place and has lots of amazing smells to sniff out you are still more important to him and he will willingly come back home with you.

Here are a few ideas of different games you can also play with your dog reinforcing his recall.

1) Catch me if you can

This is a great one-person game to play. Drop a piece of food on the ground, make sure your dog sees it and is eating it, and then run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. When your dog catches up to you, drop another treat on the ground and sprint off in the other direction… fairly soon your dog won’t want you out of his sight.

2) Piggy in the middle

If you have several people in your family, playing this game with your dog can be loads of fun. Have everyone loaded with your dog’s favourite treats and spread out. The one by one, each person should call the dog and when he reaches a person he is rewarded with a treat. This game is a great way to mentally and physically stimulate your dog and is most effective if the people calling the dog avoid using distractions such as making noises and squeaking toys.

3) Hide and seek

If you have two people – have someone hold your dog while you find a place to hide (remember to keep it easy for beginners). When you are ready, call your dog and wait until he finds you. When he does, make sure that you praise him and reward with a favourite treat.

There are many variations of these games and you can improvise as much as you like and as long as you keep up the excitement and yummy rewards you will have a dog that wants to be with you whenever he can.

As you and your dog progress you will find that you will be able to go out to lots of parks and open spaces and interact with different people and dogs without fear of your dog charging off and not returning.

By Joanna, Trainer