Of any obedience-related commands that I teach my dogs, the single most important one is a reliable recall. Teaching a puppy to come to you when called can absolutely save their lives should they escape or get away from you, so I train this more than I train anything else.
A reliable recall starts with establishing something seemingly obvious, which is that your puppy knows their name. While this may seem unthinkable, many puppies forget their names when they are not in the kitchen waiting for their dinner. When outside in a more stimulating environment, they may suddenly seem to forget who exactly they are and appear to blow your voice off completely.
I start teaching my puppies their names by sitting in front of them and saying their names in the happiest voice I can muster and giving them a little treat while doing so. Also, when praising them, use their name in the praise, such as “Good Bento!” I test their name recognition by saying it when their backs are to me outside in the yard to see if they actually turn their heads completely and look at me.
Since your puppy will become more distracted when outdoors, start teaching the steps of a reliable recall inside the house or garage where there are less distractions. I like to build what I call an insurance policy, which is a jackpot of treats delivered to the puppy on a variable reward schedule so that they never know when they are going to hit the jackpot. I also use what some people would consider a bribe word to pique their interest in me; the word I use is “treats.” I start by sitting away from my puppy and saying their name in my happiest and highest-pitched voice possible. Once the puppy has looked at me, I show them my hand and say the word “treats.” Usually the puppy is very excited to come see what is in my hand and will come running. When they get to me, I give them a jackpot of treats while making a fuss over them. I give the jackpot about every third or fourth time they come when called. That said, always deliver at least one treat with lots of praise in between jackpots.
When you move this game outdoors, you will notice that you simply are not as interesting to your puppy as you were inside. Smells and sounds will trump you, so to compete, I have an arsenal of treats ready to deliver. Start again by saying the puppy’s name from a close distance. If they look at you, say the word “treats” and reward them if they come to you. If the puppy does not turn their head and look at you, try closing the distance and making your voice higher-pitched and enticing.
One of the most important steps to this game is to not say the word “come” right away. If your puppy is not turning their head towards you when you say their name, you most certainly should not say the word “come” repeatedly. Doing so makes the word mean they can get to you whenever they’d like or that they ignore you until they feel like it is OK to do. So start with just a “treat” word, and reward your puppy each and every time they come to you.
Making yourself rewarding to come to is the first step to building a reliable recall. Play this game every day. Also, remember to stay tuned for how to phase out treats and add the word “come” to the game. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
