How do I get my rescue dog to come? Here’s the Answer

# Be consistent, calm, and patient

The way you approach training your dog goes a long way toward whether theyll listen to you. Many rescue dogs are fearful and have anxiety, so erratic and inconsistent behavior could worsen their mental health and make them unlikely to listen.

The chances are everybody in your household will train and interact with your dog a little differently. Call a house meeting to ensure youre all taking the same approach.

For example, youll want to ensure nobodys using your rescue pups name negatively and that theyre getting treats and praise consistently. Dogs like a pack leader whos calm, confident, and assertive, so try to convey this energy to your fur-baby.

It may also take your rescue a long time to build trust and listen to you. Whenever youre trying to teach your dog something new and theyre not picking it up as quickly as you expect, dont get frustrated and stay patient. Yelling or getting angry will only cause setbacks and may ruin the trust youve already built with Baxter.

One of the best ways to get your rescue dog to listen to you is to identify their emotional triggers. There could be a memory from your dogs past that causes emotional distress, and you may be triggering it without realizing it.

If your pooch seems particularly stressed in certain situations, they may be suffering from separation anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Identifying these disorders can go a long way toward helping your pup live their best life.

Pay attention to your dogs body language to see if theres something in particular that scares them. For example, your pup may cower when around men in hats, or they may not like extended eye contact. Identifying what causes your pup stress will help them listen better and learn commands quicker.

If your dog doesnt like being approached, you can adjust your stance to make them more comfortable. If a dog has been physically abused in the past and is very skittish, they may not like being approached head-on. As a result, they might hide and not come when called.

In order to get closer to a rescue dog whos fearful and has an abusive past, take a side-on stance. You should also crouch and avoid eye contact — this will make you less physically imposing.

Approaching side-on is seen as good dog etiquette, and your pooch will consider this stance polite and non-threatening. By taking a side-on stance, youre much more likely to get close to a fearful rescue dog. Getting close should help you build trust, which in turn will get them to listen to you.

Dogs dont use words to communicate and dont always find verbal cues and sweet-talking as comforting as we might think. If you find talking to your dog like a baby doesnt have the desired calming effect, you might want to change your approach.

Hand gestures can come in very handy when teaching your dog commands like “sit” and “give paw” and can replace speaking completely if you find your dog is scared of talking.

Watch your dogs body language when you talk to them — if you find their ears are down and their tail isnt wagging, they may not be a fan of talking. To get your dog to listen to you, try using gestures and body language to get them to listen.

# Let your dog make the first move

Pet parents often think that you can solve a dogs problems by showering them with affection and attention. With scared rescues, its often best to let them make the first move.

Never force an interaction with your pup, and reward them when they show bravery and come up to you. This reward will usually be a treat, but you can also try a quick pet and praise.

By not forcing your fearful furry friend to interact with you, youll slowly build trust. While this may be slow going, youre much more likely to build a trusting relationship with a fearful dog, which means theyll listen to you in the long run. Forcing a rescue to interact with you may damage your long-term relationship.

Teaching your dog to come to you in six easy steps

You need an incentive to encourage your dog to come back – a really tasty treat or a fun game with a toy. Show your dog the toy or food.

Run away a couple of paces then call your dogs name and say “come” in a friendly, exciting tone – getting down low can also encourage them to come back.

As your dog comes to you, gently hold their collar and either feed them the treat or let them play with the toy.

Gradually increase the distance that you are from your dog, until eventually you can call your dog in and out of the garden or from room to room.

Ask a friend or partner to help take it in turns to gently hold your dogs collar whilst the other one walks a distance away and then calls the dog over. (Dont forget to praise the dog each time this is a success.)

Once your dog is consistently coming to you when called around the house and garden you can start to practice in safe outside spaces. Long training leads can be helpful for practicing recall when outside as they allow your dog some freedom without giving them complete free-range at this stage.

Only call when you are going to praise your dog – do not call your dog and then tell them off as it means they will be less likely to come back next time you call.

Dont only call your dog to put them back on the lead – theyll soon make the association and be reluctant to come back.

When practicing this command on walks, always take your dogs favourite treats and toys with you so you can continue to reward him when he comes back.

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