Coming When Called - Part 2

Studies have been done that have shown dogs perform better and have lower stress levels when taught with positive reinforcement. I like to explain things in the dogs perspective to clients  to give a good idea of why our dog is doing what he does...here's a hint, it isn't that they are being stubborn.

In Part 1, I gave an example of a dog off in the field sniffing where geese had been. The owner calls and calls but is getting no response. The best thing to do at that point is to go get your dog and bring them back. How many times have you used the word "Come" and your dog doesn't come? If you believe you have soured the word, your first step will be to create a new recall word. I have had clients use "Here", "Cookies",  "Free Dinner", "Rover" etc. Remember, our dogs don't know English, so if we teach them that "Pepsi" means leave whatever you are doing and come to me, they will be none the wiser that it is actually a soda.

Practice teaching your dog "Come" or whatever word you want to use in very short distances. Always use high value treats. High value is something that makes your dog open his eyes wide and say "I want more!" Hot dogs, cheese, chicken, freeze dried liver etc. are all good high value treats. Start with a low level distraction, work within your home, and move backwards several steps. As you do say "Come" and as your dog follows, stop, then reward with a treat when he reaches you. Repeat again and again and again. This is how you can begin to teach your dog the association that good things happen with the word come. Be certain to not try and use this word too early with bigger distractions because you will quickly teach your dog that "Come" only means come when you want.

You can also teach your dog to voluntarily check in with you. When you are in the house or outside in your yard start rewarding your dog for checking in voluntarily. Your only goal here is to recognize that your dog just came to you instead of going away. The added bonus is your dog is allowed to go back to what he was doing before he checked in. You can also just observe your dog outside and when you see a break in your dog's behavior where he isn't really doing anything, call him. Say his name, and then be really excitable, if your dog likes that, and move backwards away from your dog. Once he follows and reaches you, reward with the high value treat and some positive talk and as an added bonus, he is free to do what he wants again. If 9 times out of 10 your dog always gets to go back to what he was doing you are strengthening his recall.

Start young and always use high value treats

One of the biggest mistakes that we make when teaching our dogs to come when called is not keeping it positive. Our dogs recall starts out good and then over time gets worse. That is likely due to the fact that we call our dog and then bring them in the house and ignore them or put them in the crate and leave for work. What the dog learns is that coming when called results in bad things and boredom, so he then chooses to stay where he is because it is more entertaining.

Here are some things that will quickly ruin a recall:
1. Not using high value treats - Sure your dog comes , most of the time, but will a piece of kibble compare to the turkey poop on the lawn? We want our dogs to know that coming is in their best interest and the only time they will get their piece of sirloin steak.
          Henry, my youngest lab, and I were really struggling with recalls. He truly was a dog who would eat anything! Food or not, it was hard to distinguish what he considered high value. I can't stress enough how creativity comes into play but also using the higher value treats. You know something like steak has got to be more enticing than kibble so stick with it until you really find something he can't pass up. I discovered that 5 minutes of chewing a bully stick has substantially strengthened Henry's recall.

2. Trying to call your dog away from something that is too distracting. If you wouldn't bet money that if you said "Henry Come" he would tear himself away and come, than don't say it and go get your dog. Even when you catch your dog you should reward him. Why? Because if your dog doesn't want to be caught there isn't anything you can do, they are faster than us. Rewarding them prevents our dog from running away when we are only 2-3 feet away and about to take their collar.

3. NEVER punish your dog for coming to you. If it was slower than normal or took 5 minutes your dog did come to you. As much as you may like to roughly grab your dog by the collar and semi drag them to the house and throw them into the crate all the while cussing at them you will only prevent your dog from approaching you any quicker in future. You will most likely teach your dog to stay away from you because you are a dangerous person. Be thankful your dog came to you and no harm has been done.

Be Realistic, how much time have you invested into teaching your dog to have a reliable recall? It can take up to 3 years to get a reliable recall. Until the recall is reliable, manage your dog's situations with 30' nylon leashes or fenced in areas where you can practice in a safe environments.  Practice makes perfect and a good recall can save your dogs life.