Recall Tips
Come to Me! – Recall Tips
The Big Two
The most important thing you can do is make it FUN for your dog to come to you.
Coming to you should always lead to something good. Your dog gets to decide what’s
good. Since you can’t ask him, you’ll have to experiment and work on your
observation skills. What gets your dog all jazzed and tail waggy? Maybe treats will do
the trick, but maybe it’s getting to play tug or chase a ball or Frisbee or roll around
the ground with you or hearing how wonderful he is or seeing you do a dance of joy as
he runs to you. For treats, be sure and use something special for your recalls
(McDonald’s burger?). Every time you reinforce your dog, it’s like depositing money
in a savings account so it’s there when you need to make a withdrawal – like calling
your dog at the park.
The second most important thing is to use a clear, consistent signal for your recall
cue. It often helps to switch to a new signal if your dog is so-so on responding to your
current cue. An audible whistle can also be great for calling your dog at a park or the
beach. Whatever signal you use, it’s your job to link that signal with the “big fun” for
your dog, i.e., that signal ALWAYS means the big fun (and NEVER means taking a
bath or going home from the park).
Other Tips
Recall Game – Get Your Dog to Come FAST!
This particular version of the game came from a seminar given by Sue Ailsby, a noted
clicker trainer from Canada. It’s a fun way to start because everyone can be
successful! Plus, it’s a great way to exercise your dog and give an outlet for some of
his wild behavior. Later, we will work on more formal recalls so please just have fun
with this! Here’s how to play:
1. Begin with two people* standing about 15 feet away from each other. (It’s OK to
start closer if your dog has trouble with this.) Each person has treats the dog really
likes. Either person or a third person can have the clicker. The dog is off-leash. (If
you wish to purchase additional clickers for your family, they are available in the
Humane Society office.)
2. One person starts by encouraging the dog to come over. You can use the dog’s
name, kissy sounds, whistles, tapping your leg, moving backwards, sweet talk –
anything EXCEPT the word “Come.” Here, you are not “commanding” your dog; you
are simply trying to attract him to you. We will add more precise responses later on
so please don’t “water down” the word Come by using it just yet.
3. As soon as the dog starts to come over, click and place a treat on the ground
between your feet.
4. Once the dog eats the treat, the other person tries to encourage the dog to come
over. Important Note: Only the person who is calling the dog should look at the dog.
Once you give your treat, look AWAY from the dog so he knows that you are
“finished” with him.
5. Call back and forth with lots of praise and excitement (and really good treats!)
to help the dog build the momentum of running back and forth. Once you see that he
is anticipating the next call by wheeling around after the treat, that’s when you can
start to say “Come!” That is, you can only say “Come” when you know for sure that
your dog is about to come running enthusiastically to you. The point is to make the
link in your dog’s mind between the word/signal and the behavior of quickly turning
to run to you. Please do not use the word “Come” in any other situations this week
and especially not to call your dog for something he’s not going to be thrilled about.
* To play by yourself, throw a “free” treat or a toy away from you. After he eats the
treat, encourage your dog to run back to you, click when he’s coming and put another
treat down between your feet. Throw another treat to get him away from you so you
can encourage him back.
Please continue to play this game at least once per day. If your dog is doing great,
make it harder! Call your dog from different rooms of the house (like “Hide ‘n Seek”);
play in the yard over greater distances; try some mild distractions as your dog is
coming to you; get a long line and practice in a park, etc. Really make it fun for your
dog to come to you!
Runaway Recalls – Catch Me If You Can!
This is another great exercise to build speed and excitement. It’s simple, too! To do
it, call your dog’s name, announce “COME!” and then RUN away from your dog. Give
the big fun rewards when he catches up to you.
This is really good for off-leash recalls at a park or the beach. The idea is to call your
dog and play this game during the time you are at the park so you can also release him
back with, “Go Play.” Of course, you’ll feel a little bit silly at first so you may want to
practice when there are not too many other people around! However, once your dog
gets good at this, your friends will all want to know how to get THEIR dogs to come to
them so happily.
To make it even more exciting for your dog, practice sometimes where you have a
friend hold your dog’s collar so you can get a head start. Often, the dogs take off like
a shot to follow!
You can also practice at home where you run and hide in another room. When your
dog finds you, big fun all around!
The Big Two
The most important thing you can do is make it FUN for your dog to come to you.
Coming to you should always lead to something good. Your dog gets to decide what’s
good. Since you can’t ask him, you’ll have to experiment and work on your
observation skills. What gets your dog all jazzed and tail waggy? Maybe treats will do
the trick, but maybe it’s getting to play tug or chase a ball or Frisbee or roll around
the ground with you or hearing how wonderful he is or seeing you do a dance of joy as
he runs to you. For treats, be sure and use something special for your recalls
(McDonald’s burger?). Every time you reinforce your dog, it’s like depositing money
in a savings account so it’s there when you need to make a withdrawal – like calling
your dog at the park.
The second most important thing is to use a clear, consistent signal for your recall
cue. It often helps to switch to a new signal if your dog is so-so on responding to your
current cue. An audible whistle can also be great for calling your dog at a park or the
beach. Whatever signal you use, it’s your job to link that signal with the “big fun” for
your dog, i.e., that signal ALWAYS means the big fun (and NEVER means taking a
bath or going home from the park).
Other Tips
- Moving away from your dog will help jumpstart a recall and keep him on
track. Dogs naturally track motion. Sometimes, your dog can “lose” you if you
are just standing still and other things around you are moving. - Make sure you have your dog’s attention before you give the recall cue. If
your dog won’t turn around at the sound of his name or if he’s completely
engaged with other dogs, he’s not going to be able to come, either. Go get your
dog instead. Next time, call your dog before he gets too interested in
something else. Gradually, he will start to expect your call and will do a better
job listening for it. - Experiment with more exciting ways to deliver the treats. Licking baby food
out of a jar can be fun, as can the chance to stick his mouth in the treat bag.
Tossing a handful of treats on the ground can also make a big impression. - Remember the sequence of : Call – Collar – Cookie. Get in the habit of
grasping your dog’s collar before you bring out the treat or other reward. This
gets your dog in the habit of coming close each time and allowing himself to be
“caught.” The other part of this is for you to be sure that you are not showing
the treats before your dog gets there. Showing food as a way to get your dog to
come to you will lead to a dog that checks for treats before deciding to come. - Encourage your dog along the way. This keeps him focused on you and makes
him want to get to you faster! Remember, even big league baseball players
have coaches telling them “Go, go, go!”
Recall Game – Get Your Dog to Come FAST!
This particular version of the game came from a seminar given by Sue Ailsby, a noted
clicker trainer from Canada. It’s a fun way to start because everyone can be
successful! Plus, it’s a great way to exercise your dog and give an outlet for some of
his wild behavior. Later, we will work on more formal recalls so please just have fun
with this! Here’s how to play:
1. Begin with two people* standing about 15 feet away from each other. (It’s OK to
start closer if your dog has trouble with this.) Each person has treats the dog really
likes. Either person or a third person can have the clicker. The dog is off-leash. (If
you wish to purchase additional clickers for your family, they are available in the
Humane Society office.)
2. One person starts by encouraging the dog to come over. You can use the dog’s
name, kissy sounds, whistles, tapping your leg, moving backwards, sweet talk –
anything EXCEPT the word “Come.” Here, you are not “commanding” your dog; you
are simply trying to attract him to you. We will add more precise responses later on
so please don’t “water down” the word Come by using it just yet.
3. As soon as the dog starts to come over, click and place a treat on the ground
between your feet.
4. Once the dog eats the treat, the other person tries to encourage the dog to come
over. Important Note: Only the person who is calling the dog should look at the dog.
Once you give your treat, look AWAY from the dog so he knows that you are
“finished” with him.
5. Call back and forth with lots of praise and excitement (and really good treats!)
to help the dog build the momentum of running back and forth. Once you see that he
is anticipating the next call by wheeling around after the treat, that’s when you can
start to say “Come!” That is, you can only say “Come” when you know for sure that
your dog is about to come running enthusiastically to you. The point is to make the
link in your dog’s mind between the word/signal and the behavior of quickly turning
to run to you. Please do not use the word “Come” in any other situations this week
and especially not to call your dog for something he’s not going to be thrilled about.
* To play by yourself, throw a “free” treat or a toy away from you. After he eats the
treat, encourage your dog to run back to you, click when he’s coming and put another
treat down between your feet. Throw another treat to get him away from you so you
can encourage him back.
Please continue to play this game at least once per day. If your dog is doing great,
make it harder! Call your dog from different rooms of the house (like “Hide ‘n Seek”);
play in the yard over greater distances; try some mild distractions as your dog is
coming to you; get a long line and practice in a park, etc. Really make it fun for your
dog to come to you!
Runaway Recalls – Catch Me If You Can!
This is another great exercise to build speed and excitement. It’s simple, too! To do
it, call your dog’s name, announce “COME!” and then RUN away from your dog. Give
the big fun rewards when he catches up to you.
This is really good for off-leash recalls at a park or the beach. The idea is to call your
dog and play this game during the time you are at the park so you can also release him
back with, “Go Play.” Of course, you’ll feel a little bit silly at first so you may want to
practice when there are not too many other people around! However, once your dog
gets good at this, your friends will all want to know how to get THEIR dogs to come to
them so happily.
To make it even more exciting for your dog, practice sometimes where you have a
friend hold your dog’s collar so you can get a head start. Often, the dogs take off like
a shot to follow!
You can also practice at home where you run and hide in another room. When your
dog finds you, big fun all around!