February 3, 2014
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Does your dog come when called? Let me rephrase the question. Does your dog come when called immediately, no matter where you are,what you are doing, or what is around you? The majority of the dog owning population will say that generally their dog comes to them when called inside the house, or in the yard, but not as much at the dog park. A response I get when I ask about how someone’s dog’s recall is at the dog park is “Well, they don’t come when I call, but they don’t go too far.” Well, what if a squirrel is across a busy street, your dog gets out the door and bolts. You call for him but he is too distracted by the squirrel. A good recall can save your dog’s life, not to mention is a great training tool!
Now, how do we become more exciting than said squirrel? Depending on your dog’s personality, this can be a long process but by using positive reinforcement, setting your dog up for success, and making training fun, the end result will be worth it.
Focus
Step 1:
Start in an area with few distractions like a room in your house, or your yard.
- Get some tasty treats, something soft and cut into pea-sized pieces as your dog will be getting a lot of them.
- Have your dog sit in front of you on leash, when he gives you eye contact, “YES”, or click (if you use a clicker) and treat.
- Make sure you reward your dog when he is looking at you, not while he is looking away, or else you are training him that looking away gets a treat.
- Once your dog has this step down, add in some distractions, either the backyard, driveway, or on a walk.
- REMEMBER, you aren’t using the word “come” yet.
Step 2:
- Now start moving backwards away from your dog. Reward for him following and looking at you. Make sure to make it REALLY fun!
- Once your dog has this step down, add in some distractions, either the backyard, driveway, or on a walk.
Step 3 – Leave It:
- The next step is to toss a treat, out of his reach, when he goes towards it, he is learning that when he isn’t focusing on you, he doesn’t get the treat. Make a whistle sound to get him back to you, reward for eye contact, say “OK!” and walk on a loose leash to go get the treat you tossed on the ground. This is also teaching your dog to ask permission before running off and playing with that other dog, or chasing a rabbit.
- Now start walking around and having your dog follow you. Treat for eye contact and focus.
- Once your dog has this step down, add in some distractions, either the backyard, driveway, or on a walk.
- Once your dog begins to leave the tossed treat before you give the “ok” cue, start incorporating “leave it”.
Step 4:
- Now graduate to a long lead. If you have a very strong dog, I would recommend investing in a proper one from the pet store over one from Dollarama.
- You may need to start inside if your dog is getting too distracted with his new found “freedom”
- Go through the steps in exercises 1-3.
- Add in a fun chase game! Say “Let’s Go” or whatever term you choose, and run the other way! When your dog reaches you and sits, reward him. Reward him to getting to you and sitting, and then reward for his continued focus being on you.
- You can also start incorporating a fun game like tug when your dog gets to you. You never want your dog to come to you, and have the fun stop. Make sure to play a bit of a game or give some free treats before leashing and leaving the park.
Now that your dog is coming to you every time, start incorporating the term “come”. Start inside with no distractions to introduce the cue and move up from there. When you start your dog off leash, go through all of the steps again. REMEMBER if your dog ever stops focusing on you, back up a step, change up the treat or toy, or take a break. Although you are consistently training, specific training sessions should never be more than 3-5 minutes long, depending on the age of your dog.
REWARD your dog every time he comes to you throughout your day. When he comes to you, make it SUPER fun.
Does your dog have great recall? What training methods worked for you?
