Many pet owners wonder what the most important dog training command is. Fortunately, it’s a no-brainer. If you’re planning to take your dog to parks, festivals, the office or anywhere really, a good solid recall command will be your best friend.
Every day, lost dog posts pop up on social media, and many of those notices will say something like “don’t approach or try to call, he will run away.” Most dogs are going to be skittish and fearful in situations like this, but the lack of a recall command will make getting the dog out of a dangerous situation and back home even more difficult than it already is.
Dog Training Basics: Training Recall
With that in mind, I’m going to teach you how to train “recall.” The premise for a recall is for your dog to choose to come to you over all the seemingly better available options: trash on the ground, kids playing with balls or a dog across a busy street. Once your dog is able to respond reliably to you, you can reduce the likelihood that he will run off in the first place, and it will make it easier for others to approach and leash your dog if he does escape from the yard or office when you aren’t looking.
The Components of a Recall Command
- Your dog becomes cognitively aware of your call (use a word like “come” or “here”).
- His head turns towards you and he makes eye contact.
- Your dog takes one step toward you (and another, and another).
- Finally, your dog arrives and stays with you. Yay!
Teaching a Recall Command
- Have your dog on long leash.
- Call your dog (use the word you picked, like “come!”).
- Reward your dog after each component of the recall. Use praise for components like eye contact.
Each time you call your dog, you will reward him. Remember, you want your dog to choose to come to you. This will set your dog up for success by making running away seem like a much less attractive option, and it will also prevent you from having to use force to make your dog come to you.
What If My Dog Won’t Come to Me?
If your dog still won’t come to you, try the following ideas. Remember that not every tactic will work for every dog, so you may have to try a few different techniques before you find one that works.
- Run backwards.
- Make interesting noises like whistles, handclaps and high-pitched gibberish.
- Turn around and walk away.
- Gently reel them in with your leash. You can use a long leash for this if you’d like; 20′ or 30′ is plenty long enough for this exercise. Don’t use a retractable leash, because if you drop it or it malfunctions, you’ll undo all of your hard work.
- Be more interesting and more fun than the environment. If the distraction level goes up, your effort and treat quality must also go up.
- Use body language like crouching down, turning sideways and averting your eyes.
- Practice “watch me.” “Watch me” commands are like mini-recalls and will keep your dog from getting distracted by interesting things across the street like squirrels, birds, and other dogs.
For example: Your dog is barking and digging outside. You call your dog to come inside the house, and he does! As hard as it may be to offer a reward for digging or barking, in the current moment, when your dog comes, you must reward for the recall. When your dog crosses the threshold of the door, all is forgiven and treats appear. A very important reminder: always keep treats near the door.
Remembering the Basics
- Reward: The reward must be extra special for recall.
- Encourage: Verbally reward your dog many times during each component of the recall.
- Communication: Give lots of feedback and use your knowledge of canine body language.
- Always good: Recall should ALWAYS end as something good.
- Lots of praise: It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it!
- Leash: Use your leash as training wheels to ensure success and rewards.
Keep the sessions short at first, to avoid frustration on both sides. Keep the initial training components to 5 or 10 minutes at a time, and make sure those rewards are high value and utterly compelling.