The Recall - Stage 1

Note: A reminder that training your dog never stops. You are constantly training and re-training whether you like it or not. It's important to get into good teaching habits so that you are always reinforcing the correct behaviors.

Coming back to you when he is called is the most important lesson you will ever teach your dog, but it can also be one of the most difficult. This article helps you to teach your dog to return to you whenever you want him to.

If running away is the only problem you have with your dog, the help and advice here may be all you need. If your dog has a whole series of behavior problems, you should ask for personal advice from someone who will look at them all rather than dealing with them one at a time.

WHY DO DOGS RUN AWAY?

If you look at this problem from the dogs' point of view running away is very rewarding - games with other dogs, a nice game of chase with you and lots of exercise! Coming back to you is just the opposite as he is instantly in confined.

Even when he hasn't run away, you are probably like many other dog owners - you let him 'do his own thing' while he is off lead, and only call him back to you when you want to avoid something, or when it's time to put the lead on and go home. This doesn't encourage him to want to come back to you either, since it means fun time is over and he will be confined.

So what's the answer?

1. Make coming to you at least as rewarding as running loose.
2. Numbers are important. The more you call your dog to you, the easier it gets. Any behavior becomes easier, the more it's practiced.
3. Releasing your dog immediately after he comes to you is a reward for coming.

HOW SHOULD YOU CALL YOUR DOG?

By "recall" or "recall command" we mean a word or a whistle, whichever you prefer to use. Don't just use his name as this gets his attention but doesn't tell him what to do.

Note: Dogs, by nature, are not verbal. Humans teach dog words so the dog can function in the human environment. As dogs are being taught words, they first learn body language and tone of voice. They also learn in what context the word is being used. All commands must be expanded, in context, body language, and tone, to be sure the dog understands what you want.

Try to make your command sound the same every time, as many dogs listen to your tone rather than the word you use.  A desperate scream of "oh no, you bad dog, get back here" is not the same command as the calm and encouraging "Ben, come" you use at the training club. It is also important that all members of the family call your dog in the same way, so hold a family meeting and make sure you do.

STAGE ONE - THE BASICS OF TEACHING YOUR DOG TO COME

Note: When training your dog to do anything, always start with the least distractive place and build up distractions gradually. Whenever your dog has trouble focusing, back up to a previously successful level of distraction. 

First you need to decide what the recall command is and then you need to decide what it means. Dogs are very immature, like a small child, and have difficulty interpreting your meaning. You need to make commands mean something very specific. I often see people tell there dog to "get down" when the dog jumps up on them. This teaches the dog that "down" has several meanings, depending on the context or situation. If we humans don't know what "down" means, how is the dog supposed to know.

Note: You will need to have taught your dog to "stay" before beginning the recall training.

Most people use "come" as the recall command. I use "come" and then later add a whistle so I can use both. A whistle is useful in a public place when your dog is a long way away and you don't want to be shouting.

Now that you've decided on the command, decide what the dog will have to do. This seems quite obvious at first: "I want my dog to come back to me." For the dog, this isn't obvious. Is "coming back" returning to within three feet, six feet, ten feet of you? Is it returning to your left side or maybe in front of you? The more specific you make the meaning, the easier it will be for the dog to learn and execute, especially in a distractive situation from a distance. I always teach my dog to return to me and sit directly in front of me.

The usual method of teaching the recall command is to put your dog on a six foot leash, tell him to stay, and then move out in front of your dog to the end of the leash. The dog is then called and pulled with the leash. This is repeated until the dog doesn't have to be pulled. This is fine and is a good beginning. The important part is how you expand the command so the meaning of the word is very clear to your dog.

In most obedience classes, the "come" command is taught as described above. The owner is told the dog now "knows" come and then enrolled in the "off-leash" class to continue training. I have found that the dog rarely "knows" come at this point.

To test the dogs, and more importantly to teach the owners, I have the dog put in the stay on the six foot leash and then have the owner stand BEHIND the dog at the end of the leash. This usually causes confusion for the dog because the dog thinks that he should stay with you in front of him because that is what he has been taught. Once the dog is able to stay with the owner behind him, the owner says the dogs name, followed by the stay command. This is repeated several times so the dog thinks the command that he will here is "stay". Now for the test. The owner says the dogs name, followed by "come", and only if the dog is NOT looking at the owner. If the dog turns around and completes the recall, the dog has a good grasp of what the "come" command means up to this point. Most likely, the dog will not know what to do and will wait for some other signal.

The purpose of all this is to understand what we have taught our dog. Most dogs learn to WATCH their owners for clues about what they are supposed to do. It's very difficult for an owner to say "come" when teaching the command without leaning over slightly, especially when pulling on the leash. This teaches the dog that standing in front of him and saying his name while leaning forward, means "come".

Note: To reinforce the command and teach the dog that his name is not a command, I play a game where I say the dog's name and pause. If the dog begins to dog something, I give a command that is the opposite of what the dog starts to do. For instance, I put the dog in a stay and move away. I say the dog's name and pause. If the dog begins to come to me, I say "stay". If the dog begins to lie down, I say "come". By playing this game I can teach the dog to wait for a command after hearing his name.

At this point I've taught my dog that "come" means to come to me and sit in front of me BUT ONLY WITHIN SIX FEET WHILE ON A LEASH. Now we need to expand the meaning of the command and practice the behavior.