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Learning to come when called, or recall to you, is one of the most important skills your dog can acquire. But teaching a recall can be challenging, as dogs find so much of the world so interesting. Each time we ask our dog to come to us, we are asking them to stop what they are doing and turn away from other stimuli. As a result, to build a reliable recall, we must teach our dogs that being near us is the most fun thing they can do and will bring them the most rewards.
“Reliable recall” means that when you call your dog to come, you are 99.99% sure they are going to enthusiastically respond. Dogs are not robots, so there is never any guarantee that they will listen to your cue. But with a lifesaving skill like recall, we are working towards them being as consistent as possible.
Having a reliable recall is especially important if you want to allow your dog off-leash outside of a fenced yard or dog park. Reliable recall is also important in the event of an emergency.
There is no shame in keeping your dog on-leash if you are not confident in their recall. Instead, let them play in fenced areas or consider using a long leash. These may give your companion more opportunity to explore while staying safe.
Regardless of how strong your dog’s recall is, it is important to respect all local leash laws. This includes your front yard and anywhere else on your property that is not fenced. Local, state, and national parks will usually also have these regulations in effect.
An important part of teaching recall is to make training a game for your dog. Start your training in a slow, low-distraction environment, like inside your house. First, show your dog a toy or a treat, praise them as they are coming to you, then reward them. After a few repetitions, whenever your dog looks at you and starts to move towards you, add in your chosen verbal cue (“come,” “here,” etc.). Make sure to only add in the cue when you are confident your dog is moving towards you.
You can slowly up the ante by asking your dog to come before showing them the treat. But be sure to reward with a high-value treat like chicken, cheese, or beef liver when they get to you. Also, try slowly adding distance within your low-distraction environment.
A common training mistake is to recall your dog, put the leash on, and go home. Dogs will likely learn to view recall as a sign that the fun is over, which may make them less likely to come in the future. One good method of practice is to recall, praise, and give a treat, then release your dog and allow them to return to they were doing before.
“Come! COME! Come! Come! Come! Please come!”
If this sounds like your dog’s current recall, you may have a “poisoned cue.” This generally happens unintentionally and occurs when the cue either has an unclear meaning or takes on a negative association for the dog, so they ignore it. The easiest way to poison a cue is to overuse it by repeating the word over and over without your dog responding.
In this case, the best thing to do is to change your verbal cue to something new. For example, if you had previously used “come,” you could shift to something like “here” or “close.” Go back to basics and start at the beginning when introducing the new recall cue.
- Do not repeat yourself. If you have to repeat your recall cue, the environment may be too distracting. Alternatively, your dog may not understand the skill well enough for the level you at which you are trying to train them.
- Reward eye contact. When you notice your dog is looking at you or has self-selected to be close to you, verbally praise and give them a treat. You may use a lot of treats at first, but you are reinforcing an important lesson to your dog. Being near you and paying attention to you makes good things happen.
- Never punish your dog for coming to you. Even if you are frustrated because your pup took their time before coming, always praise a recall.
- Reward! When training recalls, use high-value treats and toys for your dog. This is especially true when your dog is learning. Always reward the recall, because you want them to associate coming with getting something great.
- Practice recalls daily. Slowly increase the difficulty and level of distraction. Moving too quickly is likely to confuse your dog and may lead to less reliability.
- If you require recall in an emergency, do not chase your dog. That is likely to make them continue the “game” by moving away from you. Instead, try running away from your dog to inspire them to chase after you.
Need some help training your dog? While you may not be able to attend in-person training classes during COVID-19, we are here to help you virtually through AKC GoodDog! Helpline. This live telephone service connects you with a professional trainer who will offer unlimited, individualized advice on everything from behavioral issues to CGC prep to getting started in dog sports.
How long does it take for a dog to learn recall?
Teaching a dog to come when called (also known as the “recall”) is not as difficult as you may think! It does take time, enthusiasm, and good deal of practice, but the steps are pretty straightforward. If you have time to practice on most days, you can figure it will take 3 to 6 months to develop a reliable recall.
Be Consistent With Your Recall Command
Dogs are constantly learning from us whether we realize it or not, so it’s important to remember not to get lazy when it comes to giving out a great reward whenever they come on command. Even if they already know what “come here” means it’s important to keep rewarding them every time they come when called. If you don’t reward your dog they may decide that sniffing around in the yard is far more rewarding than coming back to you just to go back inside.
Dog’s learn well when they’re rewarded for making their own choices; when your dog recalls on command make sure they know that choice was the best decision they could have made. If you forget to praise them they might wonder whether they’ve done something wrong or just decide it’s simply not worth it to listen next time.
Do you want your dog to come to you? Learn how to get a 100% recall
Are you tired of your dog darting off and not coming back to you? Would you love to have your dog off lead but they wont come back when called? Our natural canine behaviourist, Caroline Spencer, has 7 simple dog recall training tips to get you started on the path to fun, relaxing dog walks again.