Dear Critter Corner:
I am struggling with teaching my dog to come to me reliably when called. Can you give me some tips to help with this?
Many owners struggle with this issue. We tend to muddy the cue ‘come’ by repeating it too much and without a follow-through when we do call the dog. Here are a few tips that could help with your situation.
First are my three rules for the recall: 1) always make sure when you call your dog to you that the outcome is positive as far as they are concerned; 2) only say it if you are about 95% to 100% sure it will happen; 3) if you say it, make it happen.
If you feel that you have muddied the cue ‘come,’ think of using a different cue and starting over. Pick a word that you will have to think of to say and that is not part of your day-to-day conversations. Suggestions can be ‘recall,’ ‘here,’ or any other word you would like. The key is to protect the word and apply the three rules above.
You can play a game such as the counting game. You would say, 1, 2, 3, and 3 always gets a treat. You would start with little to no distractions and build on the intensity as your dog is responding reliably to the ‘3.’
You can use a ‘touch’ cue to make it a fun game, too. This is hand targeting, so once the dog targets your hand with their nose, you would mark that behavior and reinforce it. You would start right next to your dog and add distance as your dog gets better at the exercise.
Keep in mind that with all training, we need to start in low distraction zones and build on the distractions as your dog becomes more reliable with the exercise. Always try to set them up for success and end on a positive note.
If you are still having problems with your pup, contact our training department and schedule a 1:1 session to address the behavior or join one of our training classes.