We’re going to discuss how to train a dog to come when called in this chapter. The recall taught here is an informal recall for a well behaved and safe puppy. If you plan on doing competitive obedience, the principles learned in this chapter can then become the foundation for training a formal recall or call to front that can be used in formal obedience.
We teach the recall the same way we teach everything else: by setting the puppy up for success and then reinforcing correct choices. For this particular exercise in the initial stages, it is easier to incorporate the training in with every day life rather than putting forth the effort to intentionally set the dog up for the exercise during a formal training session.
We will, however, do a little initial recall work with most puppies during the very first training session when puppies don’t realize that it pays to stay focused on the handler and will tend to roam around. If a puppy roams off during the first training session, we might teach the initial stages of the recall. However, what we’ve found is that after the first session, it is rare that a puppy roams off for any other reason than for a brief de-stress. For de-stresses, we like to give the puppy as much time as he needs to roam without calling him back to us.
Therefore, we might work on the recall a couple of times during the first training session. After that, we train the recall during the normal process of life. It is during these non-training-session times that a puppy is likely to roam around without constant attention on you. The puppy cannot have his attention zoned in on you when practicing advanced re-call skills. As you advance in recall skills, you will be calling the puppy when he is increasingly interested in things other than you.
How We Teach It
Here’s how we teach it. During your first training session, your puppy will probably do a lot of roaming around, sniffing, and exploring. At some point, your puppy will happen to look up at you and start to move toward you. When he does, say his name and then say “come” or “here” or whatever cue you want to use. As the puppy is coming towards you, lean over holding out a treat or some food towards the puppy. Back up as fast as you can safely back up from him until he gets to you. This backing from the puppy further motivates him to want to come to you.
Don’t walk towards the puppy. That will cause his instincts to move away from you to kick in.
Say “yes” and give the dog the food as soon as he gets to you. Get the food to the dog as quickly as possible. Don’t ask the dog to sit or do any additional behaviors besides coming to you. Reward as quickly as possible when the dog is close enough to get his food. Be in the process of delivering the food before the dog is even totally to you.
During recall training, it is more important for you to deliver the food quickly than for you to build value in the marker. Therefore, don’t worry about the marker and the reward coming at the same time. You will be building value in the marker at other times during your training session.
If the recall is during a training session, the dog will probably look up at you after he’s finished his treat. Mark and reward eye contact and then start your training session. As long as the dog is re-engaging with you after he has eaten, continue playing the shaping game. At some point, the puppy might roam away from you. Let him roam. Sometimes the work gets hard and the puppy might need a break. After a bit, the puppy will probably look back at you and start to come back. As soon as he does, do another recall using the same method.
Follow this same protocol whenever you are out and about with your puppy. When he’s been sniffing and roaming and then starts to come back to you, practice recalls every time (as long as you have food on you). Every time your puppy comes back to you, reward him as you are backing away from him and then let him go back to sniffing and roaming.
Once the puppy understands the recall game, you’ll make the game a little harder. Call your puppy when he’s just looking at you before he begins moving towards you. Then, when that is solid, add even more difficulty. Call him before he looks at you when he is not especially distracted. Gradually over time, begin calling him off of more and more distracting things and doing the recall in more and more stimulating and distracting environments.
Your puppy should have a knee jerk reaction to your recall shortly after you’ve begun this work. If he doesn’t, you are calling him off of too difficult of distractions. You need to reduce criteria.
I have 2 different recalls for my puppies. The first is “Puppy Come” and is what I call my emergency recall. I never say “Puppy Come” unless I have food on me or it is indeed a true emergency. I want this command to have very high value to the puppy so that he will respond quickly with an automatic response to it. If the puppy has to stop and think about whether or not he wants to come, it could be too late if it were a true emergency. Again, I can’t say enough that it is important that this recall is practiced at an easy enough level that the puppy has a quick knee jerk automatic response to it.
If I do not have food on me, I will simply use my puppy’s name. Even when using a puppy’s name, I will often reward with food. I want this recall to be strong as well, but since there will be times when I don’t have food on me before I’ve built a strong response to a recall, I prefer having this second recall. The more you use a recall without a reinforcement, the less value it will have. Keep in mind that you can reinforce with other things besides food. If coming to you when called is usually a pleasant experience, the dog will continue wanting to do it.
Don’t call your puppy when you will be having the puppy do something he doesn’t like such as a bath or nail trim until the training is super solid. Instead, go get him. Even when the training is solid, it’s best if the puppy associates only good things with the recall. If you’re calling the puppy for something he doesn’t like, give him something he does like before the bad thing and then let a bit of time lapse before the bad experience. For instance, if you’re calling a puppy for a bath, give him a big reward for the recall and take him inside. Wait a few minutes and then give the bath.
There are other techniques that will build enthusiasm for coming to you. One is the restrained recall. Have a friend hold onto the dog with the dog on the ground in such a way that the dog cannot get away to come to you. Call him. Let the puppy struggle to get away from the friend for a few seconds. When the friend lets go, back up from the puppy while he comes to you.
I practice recalls with my puppies several times a day. It doesn’t take long before they will spin around quickly and fly back to me without even thinking about it.
Where to Find Demonstration
The skills described in this lesson are demonstrated in our 1st Days: Recall-SitWithEyeContact-LuringPointingDown-Down/stay Video.
