Many new dog owners are nervous about letting their dog off the lead. You want to protect your dog from every dangerous situation. But Recall training is important so your dog will reliably come back to you when you call them, to help keep them out of trouble. So, how do you teach your dog to learn come back to you and not go off chasing something more exciting? We know you're not a dog trainer, but with these easy steps you can’t go wrong.
The Importance of Recall Training for Dogs
Any time you don’t have control over your dog can be potentially dangerous – not only for your dog but for other dogs, cats, wildlife, livestock, and people. Dogs that are on the loose can run onto roads causing accidents, become lost or get stolen. Training a reliable recall means your dog will return to you when called so you can allow them to run around off lead when it’s safe with the certainty that they’ll always come back to you.
How to Teach a Dog Recall
Recall training can be started in the garden or inside your home. Put your dog on a long lead, take a step back and with a flat hand up, and ask them to stay. After 5 seconds, call your dog to your side and reward them with a treat. You can then call them to come to you by using their name and adding a short word such as ‘Come’ or ‘Here’.
This can be their recall cue. Use a happy, excited voice and crouch down to welcome them back with lots of praise and a treat. You can use a whistle if you prefer and open your arms wide so they also have a visual clue.
Gradually increase the time and distance - you could ask a friend or other family member to hold your dog to start with. Always use the same calls and body language to prevent confusion. Other family members should also use the same recall words and signals.
Once you’re confident your dog understands they're training recalls and they must come back to you when called and not go off for a wander, you can head off out using a longer training line. Choose a quiet area and time in a local park or other public space when there’s unlikely to be many other people and dogs around to practice your recall. You can increase the distance on the long lead to help improve your dog's recall when they're further away.
You can practice calling your dog several times on every walk you take together. Don’t despair if your dog would rather go off exploring than come back to you. It might take several weeks or even months before your dog gets the hang of it and you have reliable recall.
If you don’t give your dog consistent cues, they can become confused, and this can make them appear disobedient. So be patient, keep practicing in a quiet area, and don’t be tempted to take your dog to open public areas before you and your dog are ready.
Recall Training with Rewards
You’ll soon know which kind of reward your dog loves most - it needs to be a better reward than whatever they’re doing! The reward should be a high-value treat like something tasty, a favourite toy or ball to play with, heaps of praise or a game that you can play together.
Once you know which reward works best for your dog, you can repeat the recall training. It may involve a lot of patience and a lot of repetition until your dog consistently comes back to you when called. Always be positive, the training sessions should be fun and relaxed.
If your dog loses concentration, becomes distracted by some exciting smells or finds chasing squirrels preferable, try again another day. Never get angry or impatient with them as this will make them more unlikely to want to return to you.
After a while, you won’t need to reward your dog when they return but it’s always a good idea to have some treats ready to keep them motivated from time to time.
Letting Your Dog off the Lead
Once you’re both ready to move on to the next stage, you can move from using a long training line to letting your dog off the lead altogether. Make sure the area is secure and dog-friendly - a dog park is ideal. Only let your dog off the lead in an open space if you’re confident that they’ll return when called. It’s a good idea to keep practicing the recall from time to time to make sure your dog is still on-message!
The best way to make sure your dog consistently comes back to you when called is to repeat the training regularly. Always be patient and positive, but if your dog still hasn’t mastered reliable recall, a qualified trainer or dog behaviourist can help.
And always make sure your dog has a collar, ID tag and microchip with up-to-date details – you know, just in case!
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