Part II: Getting your Dog To Come When Called

Teaching your dog to come when you call him takes practice. Every dog should learn this behavior, but few owners work hard enough to achieve it. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, I recommend working on this behavior daily.

• Read Part I

Let us review the rules for teaching coming when called:

• Your dog must believe that coming to you is a good thing. Food rewards that are novel and of high value should be used when practicing this exercise.

• Coming to you can never be considered a “bad” thing. If your dog’s fun is always shut down or if you punish him when he comes to you, he will be less likely to come to you next time.

• Your dog should never learn that coming to you is optional. If you call your dog once and he does not respond, go get him. Use a leash or long line in situations where you may have trouble getting your dog to come to you. This allows you to “reel him in” to create a positive response that can be rewarded.

• Practice makes perfect. You should work on this behavior often and in a variety of situations with distractions.

Here are some easy exercises that you can do to help teach your dog to come when called:

Here puppy – Young puppies do not often stray too far. Walk up to your puppy with a tasty treat, place it under his nose, call your puppy’s name, give the command “Here” and back up a few steps. Encourage him to keep coming by using an excited voice to tell him “Good boy!” Reward him with the treat as he moves with you.

Chase me – Adolescent puppies love this game! Say your puppy’s name, and when he responds, give the command “Here,” and run backwards 10 to 15 steps. Keep him coming to you by using an excited tone of voice, stop, and when he catches you, reward him. The more excited you are, the more he’ll enjoy this game.

Pingpong game – This game can be played with two or more people and can be fun indoors and outdoors. Each person should have treats. Spread out so that your dog has to cover a little distance when moving from person to person. The first person should say the dog’s name and then give the command “Here;” encouraging the dog with their voice to come when called. Your dog earns a tasty treat with each successful recall. Take turns calling the dog so that he “pingpongs” between each person. See who can get the dog to come to them the quickest! For another fun twist, try playing “hide and seek.” Each person takes turns hiding while calling the dog. This means the dog will have to listen and seek out the person to get his treat!

Restrained recall – This exercise is wonderful for young dogs, but you will need a helper. Have your helper hold your dog on leash. Turn and walk 15 to 20 feet away, then turn to face your dog. Talk to him and get him as excited as you can so that he wants to get to you! The more he fusses because you are being silly in the distance the better! When he is really straining against the leash, say his name and give the command “Here!” You can even use a favorite toy as a reward for this exercise.

Random recall – This is my favorite exercise for adult dogs and is done during walks. Simply give your dog the command “Here” at random times during walks. As you give the command, back up a few steps and reward him with a treat for changing direction and coming to you, then start walking again. This exercise also improves focus during walks. Using a long line can also help teach your dog to come to you from a longer distance.

I often teach students to use the word “Here” instead of “Come,” as most dogs have already learned that “Come” is optional. With a little practice, your dog will come to you when you call him.