How To Train Your Dog To Come When Called

Learn how to build a strong recall in your dog with these seven steps to success. 

Teaching your dog a reliable recall is crucial for her safety and your peace of mind. Knowing your dog will come when called can be a lifesaver. This skill is invaluable whether you’re at the park, on a hike, or in your backyard. Here’s how to train your dog to come when called by using  positive training methods. 

Step 1: Create a positive association

• Start in a non-distracting environment, such as a large room, hallway, or garage, where your dog can focus on you. Choosing a spacious area ensures she has room to move and engage with you without distractions. Grab her favorite treats and toys. Use these to reward her for a job well done.
• Begin by making novel sounds, such as smooches, clapping, or a happy upbeat voice, to get your dog’s attention. You will eventually replace these sounds with your recall word.

Hint: The goal is to pique her interest so she turns to look at you.

• As soon as she looks toward you, encourage her to come by happily running a few steps back while making more sounds. It may seem silly, but dogs love to play and chase, so your noise and movement will be very enticing to her. 
• When your dog reaches you, make it an amazing-party celebration! Use enthusiastic praise and rewards, such as treats and toys, to let her know she did something great. Exciting and valuable rewards help your dog associate coming to you with something positive. This makes her more likely to respond quickly.
• Practice this exercise at various times of the day for a week, ensuring each successful repetition is a big party for your dog. This step is crucial in the training process. It teaches your dog that coming to you is more fun than chasing a squirrel.

Step 2: Fade your movement

• In this next step, you’ll focus on fading the part where you run away from your dog. Again, start in a room without distractions. Use your novel sounds and, when your dog looks at you, encourage her to come to you, but don’t run away yourself.
• Don’t move away from your dog. Instead, use your novel sounds and bend down to the side to encourage her to come to you. In doggy body language, this is an invitation to come closer. You can also tap your leg, make your novel sounds, and smile.

Hint: Facing your dog straight on is actually telling her to not come too close.

• Once she comes, celebrate with enthusiastic praise, treats, and play. Repeat these steps periodically throughout the day for a few days. Consistency and big rewards are vital for reinforcing the recall every time. 

Step 3: Remove prompts

• Now we’ll remove any physical prompting and focus on using your recall sounds to encourage your dog to come. As before, start in a non-distracting room and have her favorite treats and toys handy as rewards.
• Make your novel sounds and use happy talk to grab your dog’s attention and get her to come to you. You’ve been practicing this, so it shouldn’t be a challenge. When she comes, reward her with another big party. Give your dog plenty of praise, treats and play to let her know she did the right thing.
• Practice this several times daily over the course of a few days. With each successful recall, your dog learns that responding to your call is fun and rewarding! 

Hint: Over time, you should notice her running faster to you so she can cash in on her prize.

Step 4: Add the recall word

• Now it’s time to name this wonderful behavior. Before just saying “come” or “here” or whichever word you choose, do two repetitions of Step 3 to get your dog going. On the third repetition, say your recall word just after making your happy sounds. This helps your dog associate the recall word with the action of coming to you. 
• As always, you want to praise her with an amazing party. When rewarding your dog for coming, remember you are rewarding her for leaving her most desired distraction, so make the celebration good!
• Repeat this process five times. Ensure your dog responds quickly and enthusiastically each time. Once she consistently comes when she hears the verbal cue, you can slowly start adding distractions and changing environments.

Step 5: Change environments

• Now that your dog is reliably coming when called in one location, it’s time to add a bit of a challenge by changing the environment. Move outside to your backyard. Choose a time that isn’t too distracting.
• Snap on a long leash to ensure safety and so you can reel her in if necessary. Give her about six feet of leash to sniff the yard. 
• Since this is a new challenge, simplify it to help your dog succeed. Use fun sounds and movement instead of the recall word to encourage her to chase you. Celebrate enthusiastically when she responds. After her party, add another reward by allowing her to go back to sniffing and wandering.
• If this step proves too challenging, slowly reel in the leash to prevent your dog from having a good time on her own and ignoring your recall. Don’t snap the leash or use any form of pressure; just bring her closer to you and try again. If she’s not successful, go back to the indoor work.

Hint: Make sure you practice often and, when she’s successful, that the celebratory party is more amazing than anything in the environment.

• When your dog is successful at six feet, add her recall word and call again. Reward her, then send her back to sniffing. Start adding more leash length: ten feet, twelve feet, etc. You want to teach her that coming to you isn’t a punishment, but means she’ll get something good followed by more sniffing. Practice this at various times throughout the week.

Step 6: Introduce controlled distractions

• As your dog’s recall improves, it’s time to add some distractions to the environment. In this step, you’ll either work with a helper or place treats somewhere your dog can see but not reach them.
• Have your helper hold treats, or place the treats out of reach. Make sure your dog knows they are there, but don’t tease her with them. Stand about six feet away from your dog, whose attention will be on the treats, and encourage her to come to you by using your recall word along with your novel sounds and happy talk.
• Once she comes — and it may take some time — celebrate with an amazing party. Then retrieve the treats she left behind and reward her with them. This approach teaches her to leave the goodies for a better reward. She’ll also learn that she can still get the original treats afterward. This makes the recall even more exciting.

Hint: Repeat the process, changing the items she’s leaving, throughout the week. You want your dog to stay focused and motivated, even around mild distractions.

Step 7: Master the recall

• To keep your recall reliable, you must continue to practice and change up the situations. Use your recall word during everyday situations, such as calling your dog inside from the yard or away from a favorite toy.
• Practice in various locations and at different times of the day. Include settings with varying levels of activity. For example, you might call your dog during a quiet walk in the park. Reward her generously with treats, toys, or praise when she responds quickly, then let her go back to what she was doing.

Knowing how to train your dog to come when called isn’t a skill you teach once and then forget. You need to regularly reinforce this behavior to keep it sharp. Practice consistently and make it rewarding. This teaches your dog that coming when called is always worth it, regardless of what’s going on around her.

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