Teaching your dog to come when called

The initial step in teaching your dog to come when called is to ensure they recognize their name. It's crucial for your dog to understand that when you call their name, they should cease what they're doing and look to you for the next instruction. Here's how to teach this behavior:

• Select one meal a day for your dog to earn through training.

• Keep your dog on a leash with their food bowl placed within easy reach.

• Loop the leash handle around your wrist and hold a small amount of kibble in each hand.

• Call your dog's name and step back. If they don't pay attention, gently use the leash to redirect their focus to you.

• Encourage your dog to approach you for the reward as they look at you.

• Offer all the kibble from one hand after they come to you. Once they've finished, step back, call their name again, and repeat the process, using the leash if needed.

• Continue these steps until all the kibble is used.

• You'll know it's time to progress to the next training phase when your dog eagerly responds to their name by coming to you for their reward.

• For added difficulty, practice this training in various environments, like your backyard or a park.

To establish a reliable recall, the next step is teaching your dog the meaning of "come."

• Use a leash that's at least 6 feet long and prepare high-value treats; a treat pouch might be useful since you'll need free hands to manage the leash.

• Attach the leash to a secure collar that your dog cannot slip out of.

• Allow your dog to explore, preferably starting in the backyard. When ready, call their name followed by "come," like this: "Fido, come."

• Immediately after saying "come," give a quick tug on the leash towards you while moving backward to encourage your dog to follow.

• Once your dog reaches you, verbally mark the behavior with "good" and reward them generously with the high-value treats.

• Release your dog to explore again and repeat the process until your dog comes to you without needing a leash correction.

• To further challenge your dog as they progress, conduct this training in various environments such as the front yard, parks, or inside the house.

Common Mistakes:

• Holding the treat in your hand and coaxing your dog to come. Instead, use movement and a leash correction towards you to encourage your dog to engage with you rather than being coaxed.

• Failing to consistently apply leash corrections during the learning phase. This is crucial as it teaches the dog that responding to a recall is mandatory—a potentially life-saving skill.

Your Homework:

Ensure your dog is set up for success when learning the recall command. If there's any doubt about your dog responding when off-leash, go out and physically retrieve them. Allowing your dog to ignore a recall command can diminish its value, prolonging the learning phase.

Always pair leash corrections with high-value treats when teaching the recall command. It's essential to create a strong motivation for your dog to want to come to you.

The more you make recall training playful and game-like, the faster your dog will learn the command and respond eagerly. Once they show they understand, you can progress to dropping the leash (keep it on in case you need to reinforce the command). When your dog reliably responds to recall four out of five times with a dropped leash, you can then remove the leash. At this point, you may transition to an e-collar or continue practicing in a distraction-free environment to solidify the command.