The Elusive Recall – How To Get It and How To Keep It
There’s nothing more joyous than a dog being able to run full out, off leash! But they need the skills to do so safely, especially a recall or response to their name.
Trainers hear all the time, “He knows what that means!” or “He comes when called in the house!” Either of these “explanations” is a problem when it comes to safety skills, like Coming When Called. There are, however, some common reasons your dog may not come when you call him:
Keep in mind that dogs are specific, so they don’t generalize well. You probably taught your puppy to come to you in the house, by saying his name and then rewarding him so he would come to you. Once he “knew” this game, you expected him to come when you called him, wherever you called him, even though you didn’t teach this in your yard, at the park, etc. Your dog won’t understand what you want, without being taught that same skill in new locations.
You might only call your dog to come to you when you take him in from the yard or put him in his crate before you leave the house. If calling your dog only predicts something he doesn’t want, why would he come? Why would anyone?
You expect your dog to drop the goose poop or run away from the squirrel she’s chasing when you call her to come. Unfortunately, your dog will probably struggle with this unless taught this skill and then practiced with increasing levels of distractions.
But there are solutions, and you can teach your dog what you need to keep him safe and connected to you outside. You just need to break it down:
Start over in new locations. Start teaching your dog to come when called in the house and then work on your porch/deck, in your back yard, then your front yard, on a walk and then in new places like a park. Gradually increase the distraction level as your dog gets more responsive.
Randomly call your dog inside and out, reward him and then let him go play again. This creates a request that doesn’t always predict something the dog doesn’t want and increases the value of coming when called.
Thoughtfully add on the other skills that you need outside—Leave It and Drop It are good places to start. Combine those with a Recall and you’ll be able to confidently walk or hike with your dog anywhere you like.
Need help? Find A Certified Professional Trainer near you at https://www.ccpdt.org/.