Total Recall – Making Your Dog Come To You When Called

By Dr Katrina Warren on March 6, 2012 in Other

One of the biggest complaints I hear from dog owners is that their dog refuses to return to them in the park. This can be extremely frustrating and often results in much yelling and the poor dog being dragged reluctantly by the collar towards the nearest exit.

The ‘recall’, as it is known, is important for your peace of mind and also for your dog’s safety as it teaches it to come to you whenever you call, no matter where you are.

If you have a puppy or young dog, investing the time to get the recall right will make your entire experience as a dog owner more pleasurable. You can start teaching it from the moment you bring your puppy home.

The key to this command is teaching your puppy or dog that coming to you will be a pleasant experience. There are so many exciting things in the park to distract your pooch, so you must give your dog a reason to return to you, such as its favourite toy, some food or a fun game.

Start training at home, when there are no distractions. Start calling ‘came’ around meals and play times, always giving lots of praise and food. Dinnertime is perfect for this as the reward is a big bowl of food. You are programming your dog’s action to the word ‘come’.

Practise moving backwards and squeaking a toy, so that your dog follows you. Always including the command ‘come’ as you move. Over time you will have programmed your dog to run towards you each time you use the word ‘come’. Encourage with a squeaky toy, treats and verbal praise.

Progress to adding in distractions and different locations around the home and yard, before progressing to enclosed areas off your property. Puppies get distracted easily so you will need very high value treats (like cheese or chicken) to make sure you are more interesting than all the other distractions.

Your dog’s safety is very important, so if you are not in an enclosed area be sure to practise on a long lead before considering letting your dog run free. Continue to give lashings of praise, make a fuss, and give treats and/or a favourite toy when your dog does return to you.

If you have a dog that does not come back to you in the park, you need to stop allowing it the opportunity to not do so. The more times that your dog doesn’t return to you, the harder it will be to train the recall. Do not let your dog off the lead until you have trained the recall properly. This may take several weeks or months.

Don’t keep calling your dog when it’s not coming back to you as you may now be programming your dog to run away when you call ‘come’. Please remember, never punish or scream at your dog for not coming back as that will only teach your dog to be reluctant next time. The key is to keep everything positive and fun for both of you.

Be sure to tune in next month for some tips to stop your dog barking…

Dr Katrina has a new book, ‘Wonderdogs- Tricks and Training’, which is full of training tips for dogs of all ages. It’s available from March 1 online and at all good book stores.