Come When Called
A recall is one of the most important things dogs need to learn. It can be a life-saving skill. Commonly though dogs learn when they’re called that it’s optional. They may have a, “Come if I want to, come if I’m in the mood to, come if there is nothing better to do,” attitude.
When training a recall follow these three principles and you’ll get a recall that works 90-100% of the time!
Principle 1: Always keep it positive!
Never call your dog for something bad. Remember! Your dog defines what's bad! That means if you're going to call your dog ask yourself, "Will he like what happens when he gets to me?" If the consequence is something the dog doesn’t want, he’s unlikely to come the next time you call him. A bath, going in his crate, coming in from playing outside all may be things your dog doesn’t like to do after he comes to you.
So what do you do when you need to call your dog for one of those things?
Start with his name! By now you should have played the Name Game so many times your dog LOVES to come running when he hears his name.
Use a hand target. Hand touch is a great way to get your dog to come running!
Just go get your dog. Go to your dog and use a treat or toy to bring him to you.
Principle Two: Always Reinforce!
Exercise: Create a list of your dog’s strongest reinforcers.
Extra Credit: List those reinforcers from strongest to weakest. The strongest reinforcement will be used for recall!
When practicing you should use a 1:1 food reinforcement schedule. That means EVERY time your dog comes he should get high value food reinforcement UNLESS your dog prefers toys or some other type of reinforcement more than food. Just remember if your dog comes to you it must pay off for him!
In time you can use other types of reinforcement such as:
Release your dog to go play or sniff again. This teaches him coming when called doesn't end the fun. He comes to you, gets a treat, and then goes back to doing what he was enjoying.
Throw the ball or play a game of tug.
Run away and let your dog chase you.
Principle Three: Only call your dog one time!
We teach dogs to ignore us by repeating ourselves over and over. Call your dog one time and if he doesn’t come, follow through and make it happen. Keep it positive! Say his recall word. If he doesn’t respond, say his name and makes some encouraging sounds. Clap your hands, make kissy noises or squeak a ball! When he looks at you, encourage him with praise. Once he starts coming crouch down and open your arms or try running away from him to encourage him to chase you.
Take that slow response as feedback. What is your dog telling you?
Were you too far away?
Is your treat not high enough value?
Is the environment too distracting?
Have you been stingy with your reinforcement?
Have you followed a 1:1 reinforcement schedule?
Change those variables and set up your recall practice so your dog will be successful. Over time your dog will gain more reliability.
If your dog just does not come to you go get your dog, but remember our first principle! Keep it positive! So cheerfully go to your dog, use a treat if needed and guide them back to where you called from. Change something about your next recall so your dog can be successful.
First Steps
Choose a sacred word! For most dogs the word “Come” will be used as an informal recall. Most of the time we’ve used this word since they were puppies and perhaps weren’t consistent applying the Three Principles so the dog has learned she doesn’t have to come all the time. If you have a rescue pup she may have a bad association with the word come because it was previously used before someone punished her or in a harsh way. If either of these applies to your dog the easiest thing is to just choose a new word. With this new word you get a fresh start to apply the Three Principles and so does your dog!
Some suggested recall words:
Hustle
Chop Chop
Aqui (Spanish for come, but you can use a word in any other language.)
Here
Pronto
Choose your own word
The most important thing is this is a word that will come out of your mouth easily and you’ll say it in a cheerful tone of voice.
Your recall training starts at home. What is the least distracting environment for your dog? That’s where you’ll start!
Start by putting a few pieces of kibble down for your dog to eat. Walk away a few paces and when she looks at you say her new word. Does she come running? Apply Principle Two: Always Reinforce. If she doesn’t come running make some exciting noises and when she starts coming to you cheer her on. Next time don’t go as far. Gradually add distance to your recall until you can be in any room of the house and your dog will come running. Once you’ve got a dog who books it to you every time you call, move your training outside and repeat these steps in the backyard, the front yard (on leash if your yard isn’t fenced of course) and around the neighborhood.
Use the Name Game
Don’t always use your dog’s name when you call her, but as you take your training to more and more distracting areas, help your dog out by calling her name before you call her.
Clara Mae and Calvin show us a great default check in behavior while on the beach.
Automatic Check-Ins
Don’t waste those automatic check-ins! Reinforcing offered attention is critical to the success of your recall. Your dog needs to know you are always there and you are always paying attention. So if he looks at you while out and about, click then treat! Verbally acknowledge those glances and use your release word to allow your dog to go back to playing. Remember! You don't want your recall to end all the fun! So more often than not allow your dog to go back to that big, fun, distracting world. This gives you another opportunity to practice your recall!
Remember! You don't want your recall to end all the fun!
Advanced Recalls
Let’s look at a few recalls and see what we can learn.
Oakley’s Amazing Recall
In both recalls Oakley is successful, but the first time takes a little more coaching than we’d like. Did you notice what his handler changed? The second recall she didn’t wait for Oakley to be as close to Calvin.
In both recalls his handler does an AMAZING job applying principle one: Always keep it positive. She reinforced both with food and released him to go back to the distraction.
Clara Mae’s Perfect Recall
A cued recall is different than an automatic check-in. Automatic check-ins should become your dog’s default response when off leash, but we also need cued recalls. Notice at :04 seconds Clara puts on the afterburners intending to visit two other beach dogs. That’s when I knew it was time for a cued recall, before she was too distracted to come to me.
Oakley, a seven month old standard poodle, shows us a great recall away from another dog.