Teaching great recall is actually a lot easier than it sometimes seems - the reason many of dogs have poor recall is either that they haven't ever really been taught it properly, or that owners have accidentally taught their dogs to actively avoid coming when called!
There are three things to remeber when training your dog to 'come':
1) Make it a fun
Coming back to should always be a good thing for your dog - never call him to you just to tell him off and try use the recall command randomly and often (even when you don't really need to call him back), instead of just using it when you need to take him home, or stop him chasing something interesting.
2) Make it easy
Never push your dog too far too fast - before you let him off leash always take a look around for hazards that might spook him or things he might chase. If you see anything, then consider whether his recall skills are good enough to withstand it yet. Always set him up for the best chance of success. Also, be reasonable about WHEN you call him - if he's in the middle of playing (safely) with another dog then wait for a lull to call him back, otherwise you may be teaching him to ignore you.
3) Make it stick
Don't just train recall on leash in the house or garden and then expect it to work off leash in a busy, distracting dog park! Build up to it; gradually training with more distance/distractions and less physical control over him. Then, once you've taught it, use it! Don't just assume he's going to remember months later in an emergency!
So, let's get started!
Step One: Recall Games.
Start out training recall by making it all a game.
It can be helpful to play the game with another person:
Have person A hold puppy's leash or collar, while person B riles up the dog with the lure (a toy or treat). Person B can wave the treat or toy about, play with it to make it interesting to pup, call to the pup to get its attention. Once pup shows signs of wanting to get to them, B can issue the recall command word - Person A then releases the pup and allows it to run to B.
Once pup has got to person B and been praised and rewarded, B can then take the leash/collar and A can call the pup.
Its important to get the timing of the word right. There's no point saying it before he moves because he doesn't know what it means yet! But there's no point saying it once he's already got to you, because then the word is associated with taking the treat or toy. It needs to be said as soon as he decides to move towards you, so that he learns to associate it with the act of going to you.
After a few repetitions of recall games like this, pup should come to make the association between the cue word, and choosing to go to you.
You can then see if he's got the idea, by issuing the recall command before he moves. If he comes, then you know he's starting to get it.
If you need to train recall on your own at first, then I suggest this method: http://www.doggiebuddy.com/topics/tricks/come.html The instructions on this site are very good, so I won't give you a blow by blow here, but the method involves teaching the dog to expect rewards when it hears the recall command and is easily done by one person on their own. You can always use recall games later, as practice for pup, when you CAN find someone to help.
Step two: Practice and proofing at home.
At the beginning you should start off close to the dog, in a very low distraction area of the home, but once its clear that pup knows what 'come' means in that situation its time to start upping the ante a little.
I would add distance, before adding distraction. So start, for example, going down the hall to call the dog instead of just across the room. Once pup has that down, (and if they start to falter, don't be afraid to take it back a step and get closer to them - every dog learns at a different pace) then you can start playing hide and seek! At first, just go into the next room and call the dog, but build up to going right across the house from him and calling him to come to you.
Remember that, when you start making things harder, it can be helpful to use 'jackpot' rewards (really great food, an absolute favourite toy) the first couple of times just to really help motivate your dog.
Step 3: Practice and Proofing Outside.
Once he's doing well in the house, take it outside. Being outside is a lot more distracting for a dog with all those sights and smells, so start practicing fairly close to him, and then build up distance. If you don't have a safe, fenced in area to practice, then you can buy very long (up to 50ft) training leashes to allow you to build up distance in a quiet corner of the park, while maintaining a safe level of control over him, just in case.
When he is responding well in low distractions outside, start adding distractions. Have a friend stand nearby or walk past at first, build up to them waving their arms, running past, cycling past, or walking their own dog past yours. Move training to the park using a long leash, if you haven't already, and slowly practice closer and closer to the busy cycle paths, favourite dog walking areas, or the most squirrel heavy trees! This is called 'proofing' a behaviour and it aims to ensure that the dog can respond reliably, no matter what sort of distractions he encounters.
Avoiding common problems:
My dog only comes back if you call and call and call again!
When training anything, use the command only once.
If the dog fails to respond issue a 'no reward marker' like a calm 'ah-ah' or 'nope' to let the dog know they aren't getting a reward - you can also take any toys or food and put them behind your back or hold them against your chest. Then you can give the dog a moment, and start again.
If you start rewarding the dog after saying 'Come...Come...Cooome' then your dog is going to learn that he doesn't have to respond the first time you call to get the reward.
That said - Don't tell your dog off for not responding fast enough:
Its difficult to be fun when your dog is being frustrating: say he's chased off through the park after a squirrel and made you run off after him like a mad person. You finally get him to come back to you and your natural inclination is to give him a good telling off! Of course it is, you're only human!
But HE isn't - he isn't a naughty child who can be told WHY you are so angry; he's a dog! He doesn't understand you are angry that he ran off because his memory for association is only a couple of seconds long, at best - so he thinks you are angry because of what he just did, and what he just did is COME BACK TO YOU!
So, SMILE (as you wipe the mud off your knees with one hand and hold his collar tightly in the other) and tell him what a good boy he is for coming back, such a good boy, so deserving of cuddles and praise for choosing to return to you (even if it was a bit late). Recall must always be a good thing.
My dog doesn't want to come back to me at the end of a walk!
Another thing that stops the fun for dogs is only ever calling them back to you to clip on their leash and take them home, or to put them indoors after playtime.
Dogs aren't dumb and he'll soon come to realise that when you say 'Come here, boy!' all the fun stops! Try and use the recall command randomly throughout the walk, praise him, then let him go and play some more, so that he never comes to associate 'come' with 'we're leaving'. You can also praise and reward him ANY time he chooses to come back to you of his own volition, encouraging him to want to stick close by and check in with you more because he knows it gets him a fun or tasty reward.
My dog comes back to me, but not close enough to let me grab him!
Some owners make the mistake of teaching a dog to come towards them, but not right up to them. Only reward your dog for coming to you once you have a hand on his neck/collar. This makes it habit for your dog to be handled in that area and stops him learning to come JUST close enough to get a treat and praise, and then slipping out of your grasp when you try to get his leash on!
My dog just isn't interested once there are distractions around!
You have to do your best to make yourself more interesting than the world around you.
Try:
Lying on the ground. This is sometimes enough to get a curious dog interested.
Getting VERY interested in something -especially good if you have a toy with you! Act like this object is the most interesting thing in the world (even if its just a stick!). Throw it from hand to hand, bang it on the ground, drag it around. Make it seem like something your dog absolutely HAS to come play with. This also works great for getting your dog to give up something you need him to drop.
Run away as you call him. Might seem counter-productive, but dogs have a deep seated desire to chase things, and this makes getting to you something interesting and fun.
Wave your arms around, make interesting noises (whistles, clicks, excited calling) and generally act like a loon. Dogs are like toddlers- the more exaggerated your excitement, the more engaged they become. Plus, most dogs are curious enough to want to check out why you are acting so odd!
What not to do:
NEVER chase your dog to try and get him back (unless it's absolutely necessary for his safety) - chasing him makes evading you into a game dogs love. Your two legs will tire out quicker than his four!
NEVER rely purely on recall if:
- You are in a potentially dangerous area, such as near a busy road.
- You haven't properly practiced and proofed, or aren't sure of your dog's ability to return to you when a little distracted.
- Your dog is of a breed that naturally finds control or recall difficult. Huskies, for example, should never be allowed off leash in open areas - they are bred to run, and if they do you might never see them again. Sighthound breeds like Greyhounds and Afghans will not be able to overcome thousands of years of breeding and resist that small, furry, fast moving animal.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't train recall in these breeds, it could well save their lives one day, but it does mean that they'll have a harder time listening under certain situations. It would be unfair and unsafe to put them in those situations and rely solely on training, rather than a leash.
Have fun training recall! Not only is it a vital way to keep your dog safe, it also allows them to have a great deal more freedom than a dog who's owners don't take the time and effort to train it.
More advice on recall training:
The ASPCA suggest some great recall games: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/teaching-your-dog-come-when-called
Training Positive's tutorial video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QonpHq930Rk
Kikopup's youtube channel, which has several videos on training recall: http://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup
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