Really Reliable Recall

Really Reliable Recall

By: LukEli K-9, Dog Training and Behavior Modification Professionals

So You Wish Your Dog Had a Really Reliable Recall:

Three Keys to a Dog Who Comes When Called

Be honest;  how many times do you tell your dog to “come” before he actually listens? Have you yelled “come” over and over, only to have Fido completely ignore you until he finally decides he’s done sniffing the bush? Does your dog seem to pretend they don’t hear you at all? After some reflection are you wondering how you could improve your dog’s recall? I’ll share a few secrets with you about training a dog to consistently return to you when called. Here are the three keys to a reliable recall:

Consistency

First things first: Also, keep in mind: dogs learn constantly through every interaction with us. If they learn that they can wait until the 5th time you call them before you actually make them comply, then they’ll push it to 5 every time. Does this sound familiar? “Fido, come. F-i-i-i-do. Come here. Come HERE. FIDO. F-I-I-DO COME. COME.

ISAIDCOMEHERERIGHTTHISVERYINSTANT!!!! If this or something similar has been the interaction between you and your dog in your household, and you’re ready to train a reliable recall, I would seriously consider changing the cue so that your dog learns that the NEW cue is not optional. If you have been using the word “come” you could change it to “here” or something similar. Chose a word that the whole family agrees on. Dogs learn one word cues much more easily and retain that knowledge longer as well, which means ISAIDCOMEHERERIGHTTHISVERYINSTANT is probably a poor choice. Also make sure everyone is on board with the new training plan. All your training will be for naught if everyone uses different words for recall and doesn’t follow through with the rules.

You must only call your dog with your chosen cue when you KNOW he’ll respond, at least through the first three stages of learning. If you say your cue and your dog does not return to you, you must go and get your dog. Remember not to stamp up as though you are about to rain fury down on your dog’s head because you’re frustrated with them; the idea is to make your dog want to be near you and come closer to you, not retreat in fear.  Let me reiterate: Once you say your recall cue and your dog doesn’t respond, don’t say another word: just go get them. Again, keep in mind that every member of your household must be consistent in this manner or you won’t see the benefits of training your dog, you’ll just get the same old response.

Positivity

This is a really important point to keep in mind: you MUST NOT use the cue for your dog’s recall to bring them to you to do anything they dislike, or they will learn to associate some negativity with coming to you. This should be avoided at all cost if you want your dog to have a reliable recall. Don’t call Scruffy to bath her if she hates baths. Just go and get her. Don’t ever, EVER call your dog to punish them. This will completely ruin your positive efforts at getting your dog to understand how much better it is to be with you and drop what they were doing to come to your side.

If your dog has a less than positive association with returning to your side currently, you have some counter conditioning work ahead of you. You’ll need to change the dog’s perception of recall as a negative event. There are quite a few ways you can do that: changing the cue word used and relying heavily on high value reinforcers as you re-teach your reliable recall cue will go a long way to making it a good thing to return to your side for your dog. Some dogs may need more help with counter conditioning. Contact a dog training professional for further help if necessary.

One other point to consider: make training fun! In the beginning this is especially essential, but it’s important to remember to make training fun even long after you’ve reached the maintenance stage with your dog. Be excited and silly; hop around like a maniac once in awhile when your dog comes back to you. You should try to convince your dog they just won the doggie lottery! This practice will help form long-lasting appetitive associations

It’s OK to Use Treats!

If it’s not more rewarding to be with you than it is to chase the squirrel, your dog will choose the squirrel every time! You have to have a way to compete with self-rewarding behaviors that are reinforced by things in the environment out of your control. High value reinforcers are essential for counter conditioning as I mentioned, as well. Use the highest value treat that motivates your dog for training a really reliable recall; cheese, hot dogs, roast beef, chicken, chicken livers or anything your dog can’t resist (my dog Jackson goes crazy for bananas and carrots). This ensures your dog will try above and beyond to earn his treat. We use food to lure or bait dogs in the beginning stages of learning. Eventually, the food reinforcer becomes variable and intermittent. You’ll intersperse verbal praise, petting, playing, toys, and functional rewards like allowing your dog to go outside and play throughout training and maintenance to reward your dog for a job well done.

Conclusion

With patience, time, and the three key points mentioned above, you too can have a dog who enthusiastically returns to your side. All training should be broken down into small, manageable steps so your dog can learn to put them together for an end result. A Certified Canine Obedience & Behavior Modification Professional can help you develop a training plan for you and your canine companion so you can take your dog anywhere and trust that he will return to you when called.

Checkout the link below to see a video of us demonstrating all the skills discussed in this blog!
http://youtu.be/U-BD_PeU-g0