Dog Recall Training

From LoveToKnow Dogs

Spring and summer seem to be the time to remind us all how to train our puppies and dogs to do recalls. Advice columnist Wendy Nan Rees tells you how.

A trained dog is a safe dog.

Why Recall Training Is Important

I have received no less than 25 phone calls and 50 emails in the last four weeks that have asked about teaching dogs to stay, come or not run out the front door. There have even been one or two about "My dog has been not coming when I call him in from the back yard for dinner."

I am on my last week or so of training my sister’s wonderful dog Gomez, that we all have fallen in love with. One of the largest tasks at hand with Gomez was for him to learn recalls. For any puppy or dog, this is a technique you will need to teach and continue to practice throughout your dog’s life. I suggest you make several different games to practice recalls. In this way, neither you nor your dog will get bored. The first lesson you should teach is the one everyone learns in basic training school. This is the basis upon which you'll build everything else.

Tips When Teaching the Recall

Please, never use your dog’s name with a negative. For example, the word "No!" and your dog’s name should never be in the same sentence together. It will only make him think, "Hey, do I really want to come back to this person?" Just remember to use positive with positive. Say "Good Cappy" or "Good Sally," and use a high, happy tone with a smile in your voice.

When you need to say "No", just use a firm tone when saying it. Never use your dog's name and do not hit your dog. He will know what you mean just by your tone. Remember, the last thing you want to do is scream at your dog in a negative way when you are doing recalls. You want to make it a wonderful experience, full of love and kindness. You can even use a toy filled with a treat or a ball or a stuffed fuzzy toy that makes him say "Hey this is great! I love this place; let’s keep playing this game." Once you have imprinted your dog’s brain with the idea that coming to you is a wonderful thing, you have half the battle won.

Next, it is important to have the family, or whoever is training the dog, pick the word you will use for your dog to respond to. My good friend Kathy Santo, dog trainer and New York Times best-selling author, teaches her students to use the word "Here". Her philosophy is that not everyone else is using that word so it won't confuse your dog.

I also like to use the word "At a good boy". I have found that when I say it fast and in a high voice, my dogs respond to it and go wild. They just love it, and they have been trained to this. Another word we have trained our dogs on is the word "Wait!" (Another tip; but it tells them to stop no matter what they are doing and trust me, they stop!)

When training your dog for recalls, be sure to never call him in to do something like take a bath, have his ears cleaned, toenails clipped or to get medication. Remember, positive brings positive, and the last thing you want to do is bring him in the house to do something he will just hate.

How to Teach Recalls

In a perfect world, you know your dog has the recall down when he comes on the first call. It is never too late to start to teach this to your dog, it just takes time for him to learn.

Let’s begin with the supplies that you will need:

A six-foot leash
A dog collar
You'll also need an additional 20-foot lead of either nylon or cotton material that you can tie to the end of the six-foot leash. These are available in many stores, catalogs and online. However, do not use a retractable leash. This is not a training tool.

Put on your dog's collar, attach the six-foot leash and take him outside. Using a whistle or a happy voice, wait for a moment when your dog looks at you, and then call him to you. Be sure to use the hand signal for come, just as you'd gesture to a person, to show him you want him to come to you. When he comes to you, praise him well and offer a treat if you have one handy. As your dog learns that coming to you is always a good experience in some way, you'll eventually be able to recall him even when he isn't paying attention to you. You should start this exercise using a short lead, and gradually work on recalls from a longer lead length by tying on the addition 20-foot line. Build on your successes, and always end the training session on a positive note when your dog has obeyed the recall.

I suggest you do the training recalls three times a day for ten minutes until your dog learns to come on the first call even if he is all the way out on a 26-foot long lead.

As you build on your recalls, this is the time you can think up fun games for you and your dog. Remember though, this is a technique you will want to practice on a regular basis so your dog never forgets. You just never know when a door might be left open. Fido just might (no matter how well trained he is) be too tempted and dart out the door. My little Cappy did this one day, and off he went to the hills of Brentwood. He was off on a "squirrel mission", but we started hitting the bowls and calling "At a boy Cappy!" Within two minutes, wow! He came running home, and did you ever see two happy parents praise one lucky, loved dog!