Puppy Club Fact Sheets
Recalling Your Dog
Introduction
Getting your dog to come when called is probably the most important thing you can teach your dog. After all, his life could depend on your ability to call him back from that busy road.
Training Recall
In puppies this is very simple. Most puppies will approach anyone who looks welcoming and makes encouraging noises. Unfortunately as puppies get older this natural behaviour decreases.
Our aim is to teach them at a young age that coming when called is a good thing to do. So regularly call your puppy and reward him with a treat or game. Call him before his dinner or before going for a walk. Remember you have to give him a reason to come towards you.
Start practising in boring places where you are the most interesting thing and work up to more exciting places with lots of distractions like the park. Never give in. If he does not come, go and get him and put him on a lead for a short time so he learns that ignoring you does not result in him having more fun. However be realistic in your aims, if you have only ever practised in the living room calling your puppy back from chasing squirrels in the park is unlikely to be successful!
Tightening Up Recall
Once your puppy is clear on the meaning of the word 'come' you can start rewarding the behaviour intermittently. One way to do this is to only reward the fastest recalls always encouraging your dog to come back quicker. Again start this in more boring places and work up to places with distractions.
Another way to reinforce recall is to call once, then walk briskly in the opposite direction. With most dogs if they see their owners heading off they are keen to catch up.
How not to use Recall
Never under any circumstances call your dog over to tell him off. No matter how slow he is to come or what he has just done, yelling at him once he returns will be perceived as a punishment for coming close to you and will discourage him from coming back next time.
Never call your dog over to do something unpleasant like clip nails or have a bath, again this will be perceived as a punishment. Do not just call your dog at the end of a walk, all this is teaching him is that coming back to you ends his fun and acts as a disincentive! Instead call him regularly on a walk and reward him, so he sees coming back as an opportunity to earn a reward rather than always the end of a good time.
