Recall Your Dog

Having a solid recall is a safety behavior all dogs should have. This is a skill that takes time, patience and consistency. It is important to note I use “Come” as an emergency recall and avoid using that word in everyday life to avoid poisoning the cue. I use “Here” and “Let’s Go” to get my dog to move with me in daily life situations. The word “Come” can be interchangeable. Keep reading to master Recall.

5 Rules of Recall

• Never Call your dog for anything unpleasant (Nail clipping, bath) 
• Never call your dog if you know they will not come.
• If you call your dog and they do not come, make it happen
• Never repeat the Cue 
• Fabulous recall gets fabulous rewards (Hotdogs, Cut up Cheese, Chicken) 

How to Train Recall

**Have your dog on a long line to begin training recall. 

1. Cue- “Dogs Name, Come” 
2. Prompt your dog to come: clap hands, bend over, back up, lure with food, make high pitch noises, or even start to back up.
3. Dog begins to come 
4. While your dog begins to come towards you, praise your dog enthusiastically
5. Wait for your dog to be at your feet and grab collar gently
6. Reward with a treat or favorite toy 
7. Release (Release word: “Free, Release, etc)

DO NOT CHASE YOUR DOG DURING RECALL TRAINING

During the time you are practicing more advanced recalls with distance and distraction, you should always attach a long line to your dog’s collar/harness. This will give you the ability to back up your command with leash guidance. If your dog chooses to not listen you can grab the line and start reeling your dog in like a fish. Nevertheless. the second your dog starts coming to you, praise and reward. 

How to Train your dog NOT to come: 

Consequently, sometimes accidentally teach our dogs that coming to us means bad things for your dog or we punish the wrong behavior. 

Coming to you should not always mean the dog’s fun is over. Remember dog’s are expert observers of your body and routine. Do not call them to come if you are going to put them in the crate, or give them a bath. Therefore you should be practicing recall just for the fun of it. It should be more pleasant to come to you than not. 

Particularly when our dogs decide to not listen and initiate a game of “catch me if you can ” we usually become irritated and proceed with our ugly face and voice leading to screaming. Think about the situation from your dog’s perspective. Keep calm and make yourself more interesting and approachable. 

Regardless never punish your dog for coming to you. Even if it took 10 minutes to come you must reward them coming. You have 1.3 seconds to mark any behavior and communicate to your dog if you approve or not. 

Recall Games and Exercises: 

 Find my Feet and Sit :

1. Tie the leash to your waist
2. Call your dog to you 
3. Take a few steps back 
4. Lure your dog into a sit at your feet 
5. Reward 
6. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat 

Chase Instinct

1. Attach a long line to your dog’s collar 
2. When your dog is not looking at you, run in the opposite direction 
3. Call your dog’s name and command him to come 
4. Make yourself interesting to get your dog’s attention and keep backing up 
5. Lure into a sit 
6. Reward 

Yo-Yo Recall 

 You and a helper call your dog back and forth between each other one at a time. Continue back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, down a long hallway from upstairs to downstairs 

Generalization Recall Training

 Be creative and be careful. Your dog is much faster than you. If they decide to split or go after one of your distractions you may be in trouble 

1. Practice a recall past a piece of food on the floor 
2. Practice a recall past a friendly person 
3. Practice a recall with another dog in a Down-Stay