COME WHEN CALLED
BUILD IT, DO NOT DEMAND IT

Why recall breaks down

Dogs do what pays. If coming to you ends the fun, the dog learns that "come" means the party is over. If you call and then clip the leash and go home every time, recall becomes a bad deal. If you call a dog in trouble and scold when they arrive, you have just punished the best thing they did.

Other causes:

• The cue was never taught. "Come" was said a thousand times with nothing behind it, so it became background noise.
• The environment is too exciting. Squirrels, other dogs and smells beat a treat.
• The dog is over threshold, and cannot hear you. Read about what over threshold means.
• Breed. Hounds, huskies and many working breeds are built to follow their nose or run. See huskies, recall and escaping and training a beagle.

It is also true that a dog who is sore, scared or confused may not come. If your dog was reliable and suddenly is not, check with your vet.

Choose a new cue and make it magic

If the old word is worn out, pick a fresh one, like a whistle, "here," or a silly word. Say it once, in a happy voice, and always follow it with something wonderful.

1. Pick the best food your dog gets: chicken, cheese, hot dog. Cut it pea-sized.
2. Say the word, then feed three to five treats in a row, one at a time. Make it a party.
3. Do this ten times a day, in the kitchen, with no demand at all. Your dog is learning that the word predicts a jackpot.

This is classical conditioning, and it is the reason a good recall feels automatic. Spend a few days on it before you ask for any distance.

Add distance and distraction in small steps

Now begin to ask the dog to move toward you.

• Start with two steps away in the house. Say the word, step back, and reward when the dog arrives.
• Move to another room, then the yard. Use a long line (15 to 30 feet) outdoors so the dog can practice without risk.
• Raise one thing at a time: distance, or distraction, not both.
• When the dog fails, do not repeat the cue. Go quietly pick up the line and walk them back to where they last succeeded.

Keep a ratio of at least five successes to one miss. If you are failing more, the setting is too hard. A recall dog is made in boring places first.

Never call to end something fun, every time

Call, reward, and send the dog back to play. This is called the Premack principle in practice: the dog's favorite thing is the reward. If you must leash up to leave, wait until the dog is closer and walk over to them, or call and reward a few times during the walk without ending the fun.

A sample week

Days one to three: the magic word indoors, no distance. Days four to six: a few steps across a room, then to a different room. Day seven: the backyard on a long line, with no distractions. In week two, add a second person who holds the dog gently while you back away and call. The dog runs to you, and the person releases them. This "chase me" game builds speed and excitement.

Always end the session with a win. If the dog is distracted by something, do not call. Walk closer, or ask for a sit and wait for it to pass. Calling on a dog who will not answer is practice at ignoring you.

Use the nose, not against it

Dogs who love to sniff are dogs with strong noses. Use that. "Find it" is a great way to bring a dog's attention back. Toss a treat on the ground after the dog arrives. This makes coming to you the start of a game, not the end of one. Read the Find It game and sniff walks.

Scent work also builds the habit of checking in with you. In our scent detection classes, dogs work on a handler's cue, search with focus, and return for the reward. That relationship carries over to everyday life.

Where it falls apart, and what to do

Do not trust a recall in an unfenced area until it has been proven many times, in many places, at increasing distraction. Plenty of good dogs run into traffic. Use a long line in parks, and use a fenced area when you want off-leash play.

• Do not chase. Moving away from the dog, or dropping to the ground and acting interesting, works better than running after.
• Do not scold on arrival. If the dog came back, the dog gets paid, no matter how long it took.
• Do not overuse the cue. Each time it fails, it loses power.
• Do keep a small bag of treats in your pocket for the next year.

If your dog slips away because they are scared, see door dashing for a safety plan.

Think of recall as a bank account. Every happy return is a deposit. Every scolding, every leash-up, every time the cue is ignored is a withdrawal. Dogs with good recalls have a big balance, and they have earned it over hundreds of repetitions. If your account is low, you can still rebuild it. Start small and be patient with yourself too.

Keep the long line on when the dog is learning in new places. A line gives freedom without risk. Let it drag, and step on it if you need to stop the dog. Never yank, since a pull on the line and the collar can hurt the neck, and it tells the dog that coming to you is unpleasant.

Teach a back-up cue too. A solid "sit" or a whistle that means "run to me" lets you handle situations the main recall misses. Many owners also teach an emergency cue that is used rarely and always followed by a huge reward, like a whole handful of chicken. Keep that one special.

When to get help

A trainer can help you set up a recall plan and spot what you are doing that undermines it. Our group classes and private lessons include recall work in real settings. If your dog is reactive, a long line at the park is not enough, and you need a different plan. See leash reactivity.