Why your dog will only come when it feels like it, and what you can do to change that
Recall (or coming when called) is something that a lot of people have trouble teaching effectively. I practice recall with students in every level of dog training class that I teach, and by the higher level classes, practice looks pretty tough. We scatter toys, chew hooves and other tempting items around the practice area, allow the dogs to become interested, and then promptly call them away and back to us. Pretty impressive!
What surprises a lot of people is that the same dogs who perform tough exercises like this in class are oftentimes unable to be off leash outside, and in many cases will even ignore owners who call them from a fenced yard. They’ve learned that in controlled situations, coming when called is typically their best option - they get a treat out of it, after all! Additionally, during training class their owners are usually all-business and practice exactly as they should.
The problem is, many owners have a habit of practicing by-the-book in class and making little mistakes at home. Even owners who take their dogs out for practice sessions throughout the week can easily forget the rules during their day-to-day life. These are some of the most common mistakes I observe, and explanations of why they are so damaging.
1. “Come” leads to punishment or other undesirable outcomes
This can mean two things. In the first type of scenario, a dog learns that coming when called is followed by something unpleasant. For instance, a dog owner wakes up in the morning, puts her dog in the yard, gets ready for work, then goes to collect the dog to put him in his crate before she leaves for the day. The dog learns that after “come”, he goes into the crate - especially if this routine is common. The dog decides he’s much better off poking around in the yard for a few more minutes and starts ignoring the owners requests. Until recalls are reliable (though ideally, not even then), dogs should never be called before crating, nail trims, or other undesirable activities.
In the second scenario, an owner calls the dog but it doesn’t come (or doesn’t come immediately). When it finally makes it back or when it’s retrieved, the owner harshly scolds the dog for not responding like it should have. This is absolutely counterproductive as it tells the dog that returning to the owner leads to being punished. If a dog thinks that this is what happens when they are called, they will naturally be disinclined to listen!
2. “Come” is not a single cue, but a collection of words and noises
Everything we teach our dog must have a cue to make it happen. For instance, “sit”, “down”, or “shake”. In this case, it could be “come” or “here” or anything else that will be easy for you to remember. However, for many people, what starts as “come” often turns into “Come! C'mere! Come on, pup! Lets go! Come on!” This phenomenon is incredibly common, yet nobody would tell their dog to do anything else with such fuzzy or random cues. If you want your dog to come every time it is called, pick a cue and stick to it - otherwise you can expect poor reliability.
3. “Come” is made ignorable
If you aren’t convinced that your dog will respond when you call it, then don’t! The reason being, if we do and the dog chooses to ignore us, he learns instantaneously that he CAN ignore this command. It’s pretty simple. Sometimes I catch people starting to ask me how they can make their dog come to them if they can’t call it - and I remind them that if their dog could come when it was called, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Until recalls are reliable, zip your lips and get your dog to you another way. If necessary, make a “no words” policy and use whistles, kissy noises, hand claps or excited “pup pup!” sounds to encourage your dog along.
Sessions for training “come” should be planned. Dogs should be on a long training line (something lightweight, so that they’re not really aware they are leashed) while practicing. If we say “come” and the dog ignores us to sniff a bush (or whatever), we can begin to shorten the line to retrieve the dog. The dog learns that he cannot ignore this command, and if he does, we’ll just remove him from the reinforcement he was hoping to find elsewhere. However, if he does listen, he gets praise and a treat party!
4. Marking “come” at the wrong time
Many people will wait until the dog arrives at their feet to mark (verbally or with a clicker). The problem here is that “come” should be met with an immediate response from the dog. By waiting until they arrive to praise them, many owners unintentionally communicate to their dog that they can do whatever they’d like after the owner calls, as long as they eventually come.
Once recall practice has started we need to let our dogs know that they have a very short amount of time to respond. We should strive to see immediate recognition of the command - so mark the moment they turn and start moving toward you. Most dogs who have been in training before this point will hear their mark and already be on the way to you for a reward, which is also helpful.
Once the dog arrives you only need to provide the anticipated reward. However, many owners will mark a second time upon the arrival of the dog to say “yep, this is where you stop. Thanks!” For instance, if I find that a dog comes reliably but stops too far away from me, I’ll raise criteria by marking for moving closer to my feet until they “land” where they should.
5. Owners “go after” the dog, and the dog becomes evasive
A dogs oppositional reflex is powerful. If we move towards a dog, they back further away. If we step away from a dog, they move towards us. Many people make moves toward a dog they are trying to call and unintentionally compel the dog to back away. If a dog seems reluctant to come when called, the trainer should move (if not sprint) away from the dog after calling it. It may sound counterintuitive, but believe me on this one!
It is also important to pay attention to your body language. Do not face a dog who seems reluctant to come head-on. Turn slightly away from the dog to appear more approachable - and squatting down usually doesn’t hurt either.
So, moving onto what you SHOULD do…
When a dog hears “come”, we want them to be turned towards us by the time we’re done saying it. To get that kind of speed it sure helps to have enthusiasm!
Many dogs have issues with recall since in many cases they’re already in forward motion - perhaps even chasing something. Many dogs hate losing momentum, so teach them that if they fly back to you there’s more fun to be had!
One way we teach this is through a game called skitterball. To play skitterball, call your dog as usual, but instead of handing them a treat when they arrive, roll or throw it away from you. Most dogs quickly gain speed in their recall once they realize that they could miss a flying treat! Another way you can gain speed is by calling your dog, marking as soon as they turn, and immediately running in the opposite direction. Your dog will probably run to catch up, and in doing so, learn that “come” needs to be fast.
Most dogs have little trouble with recall during a training session - they get the pattern and they know that they will be rewarded, so why not? But being called out of distracting activity or away from something interesting is a totally different story.
A firm foundation of obedience and practice in any behavior involving impulse control (stay, wait, leave it, etc) will help, to start. Our dogs need to learn that sometimes they’ll have to “just say no”. These are two of my favorite impulse control exercises which relate to teaching come:
-In the first exercise, start with your dog on a standard 6’ lead. Hold it firmly.
-Take a treat and throw it just out of your dog’s reach.
-Your dog will presumably pull towards the treat. As they’re straining on the leash, call them. “Skippy, come!”
-Do not repeat your verbal cue if the dog does not respond. If the dog is unresponsive and does not stop straining towards the treat after being called after 30 seconds or so, begin to gently pull the dog away from the treat. Don’t jerk them away harshly, since we ultimately want the dog to make the decision to come. If we rely on the leash to get a response there will be no reliability without it.
-The instant your dog turns to you, regardless of how long it took (for now - that rule changes down the line), mark. If your dog is moving towards you slowly, jog backwards to encourage them to gain speed. Once they make it to you, treat and praise heavily!
This exercise can be mixed-up by throwing toys, by practicing around dogs, or (for people-loving pups) by having a helper stand out of the dogs reach while verbally engaging him / her (“hey puppy! Hey bud! Whose a good pup?!”).
Another game that I play is find it / come. This is a fun one, and helps to build both enthusiasm and impulse control.
-Start by tossing a few treats onto the ground. Point to the treats and instruct your dog to “find it!”
-As soon as they seem to be finishing with the treats, call them excitedly.
-Mark the moment they turn to you, and praise / reward when they make it to your feet.
-Practice this way several times, and once your dog is immediately responding to your cue you can try making it tougher. Either pretend to throw a treat (if your dog will fall for it) or deliberately toss treats into taller grass or the edge of a bush to make them difficult to find.
-At this point we’re roughly simulating the frustration a dog may feel while deciding whether to come or to blow off their owner in order to do something else (chase a rabbit, continue playing with another dog, etc). The first few times a dog may be slow to respond, so be sure to utilize backup techniques if necessary. For instance, if you call once and your dog looks at you but isn’t moving yet, try a backwards jog. Or if your dog listens but clearly isn’t happy about it, “skitter” your treats once they get to you instead of handing them to build excitement. Most dogs will start to come pretty quickly, even when pulled out of this frustrating situation, because finding the treats might be tough but the treats they get for responding are guaranteed.
-After repeating that step until your dog comes back from the frustrating treat-tosses quickly, make it even harder. Scatter treats in a more obvious area, and like before, ask your dog to “find it” - but this time, call the dog back before they can finish eating them all. Make sure that “come” is crisp, friendly, and said excitedly!
-If you try this and your dog is insistent upon finishing the treats before responding, quickly gather the treats they’re trying to eat or simply say “oops!”, take their leash, and walk them away. When you first try this it’s best to toss something less appealing (like dry dog food) but offer high-value rewards (hotdogs, chicken, freeze-dried liver, etc) for recall to give the dog incentive to respond. As they get better with this exercise, you can vary the reinforcement they receive and call them away from more tempting items.
Dogs should be on a training lead until they’re fully reliable so that we’re always able to retrieve them quickly. This way, they get the message that ignoring us doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to evade us for long. When they’re off leash, ignoring us provides precious moments (or minutes, in some cases) of freedom, and the inevitable chase that ensues between a loose dog and it’s owner is often all the reinforcement a dog needs to run away. To teach our dogs that they can’t ignore our commands, we first need to make that true by maintaining control.
Also, don’t persue your dog while trying to teach come. Many owners find themselves trying to “keep up” with their dog - frequently calling them back and making sure they can’t go too far or out of sight. Instead, we should aim to teach our dogs that they need to keep an eye on us if they want to explore.
One way this can be done is by playing hide-and-seek. If you have a nervous dogs who panics when you’re out of sight, this usually isn’t necessary (and could actually be quite cruel). But if you have a dog that will run away without looking back, it’s not a bad idea to teach them that they could easily get lost - and that finding yourself alone is quite scary.
With your dog in a safe fenced area or on a long training line, practice recall a few times to set a positive tone and encourage attentiveness. Next encourage your dog to independently explore, run, and sniff. When they seem occupied, discreetly jump behind a bush or tree and “spy” on them. Once they realize that they’re alone most will pause, look around, and perhaps panic visibly. Wait for a bit to see if your dog can find you on his own, but if they seem to be struggling immensely or going the wrong way, whistle, “pup pup!’”, make kissy noises, etc, to help them find you. Once they do, throw a party. Happy voices, verbal praise, and plenty of treats!
Another way we can encourage dogs to pay attention is by changing direction erratically from time to time. Walk through a field, parking lot, or other large area at a brisk pace. When your dog picks up speed and is ahead of you, turn around or change direction. Give them some time to notice and change direction with you (try not to resort to calling until you’re going to run out of training line), and if they do, toss them a treat as they run past you. I like to encourage dogs to a) follow my lead and keep an eye on my whereabouts and b) make occasional “drive-by” runs to check in with me, so these direction-changing drills help teach both. As the dog starts to keep up and check in more often you can absolutely start to vary the frequency with which you actually offer a treat, until all you need is a quick “thank you” pat or verbal praise.
On that note, as you’re practicing you may begin to wonder when you can stop using treats. The best answer is that you shouldn’t. Not completely, anyway. If your dog has practiced recall reliably for several sessions, you should absolutely begin to vary your rate of reinforcement. If you’re doing well, give something like this a shot:
- Call your dog. Mark and provide a treat. Repeat 3-5 times.
-Call your dog. Mark, but when your dog arrives, verbally praise and pat them instead of giving a treat.
-Call your dog, mark and treat.
-Call your dog, mark, give a brief positive acknowledgement before moving on.
-Call your dog, mark and have a tugging or fetching session.
… And mix it up from there! Once your dog is reliable you can certainly cut back back on the number of treats you offer, but if your dog begins making mistakes or seems to be losing interest, raise your rate of reinforcement until it’s doing well again. Try to end sessions on a high note!
As a final tip, for all but perhaps the very first session or two, treats should be concealed in your pocket or a bait bag and only removed once your dog has received a mark. By not calling your dog while food is visible, you avoid the possibility of finding yourself in a situation in which your dog refuses to come because he doesn’t see a treat your hand!
“Come” is a potentially life-saving command. Most owners will find themselves in a heart-stopping situation at some point in which they watch as their dog runs into the woods, towards a busy road, or straight at an unfamiliar dog. I know how terrifying these moments are, but I also know how much easier they are to absorb and handle when you can simply remember to yell “come!” and have your dog stop, turn to you, and run up to your feet. That peace of mind is absolutely worth working for. Recall is a serious cue, but it’s also a ton of fun to teach, so practice often and enjoy it. If you really need it some day, you’ll be glad you did!
