HAVING a reliable recall (come command) is probably the single most important command you can teach your dog.
A dog that will not come when called is a dog that can get itself into a lot of trouble. It is a dog that lacks proper leadership. In other words, the dog doesn't value its owner enough to stop what it is doing and return immediately.
We can certainly deny this and say the dog is hard of hearing (yes, some aging dogs are) or suffering from ADD, but let's face it, your dog can wake up from a deep sleep in another room when it hears a grain of rice hit the kitchen floor.
So how do you train a dog to reliably come when called? Training a reliable recall can be done at any age with any dog (deaf dogs aside for the moment). The old wives tale that you can't teach an old dog new tricks is simply untrue.
As I said, when a dog does not come when called it is because it just doesn't want to, and it doesn't want to because the thing that it is leaving is more important than the thing it is coming to (you). So the first place you want to start is to begin making yourself valuable to your dog.
Carrying around a bag of treats is certainly a useful tool, but it is just that - another tool. Treats are great when you are teaching a dog to associate the word "come" with the action of returning to you. But relying solely on treats will not improve your relationship unless you want your dog to consider you a vending machine.
Where you do want to start is to implement a proper leadership training routine. This is a series of exercises that places you in the position of leadership with your dog simply by how you move around the home and around your dog.
One leadership tip is to ensure your dog waits its turn - patiently - when you go up and down stairways. Another is to have your dog sit patiently while its dinner is being made and when its leash goes on. It must also wait while its owner goes out the front door first. Dogs are not allowed on furniture and if they are invited up, they must show acceptable behaviour first. No begging! In addition to training, it is also important to have fun with your dog. Having fun will gain your dog's respect faster than just using the leadership training tips. Find what your dog loves to do, be it playing fetch, tug of war, doing nose work, swimming, or going on a long walk with just you. Taking your dog to a dog park and allowing it to run freely and play with other dogs may be something that your dog loves, but there is no interaction happening between you and your dog. You are just your dog's taxi service to the park. Let the dog park be a special occasion rather than a daily excursion if you are trying to teach your dog a reliable recall.
Then there is actually teaching a dog to come when called. I do recommend a variety of tasty treats be used for the training exercise.
There are a plethora of methods available but one of my favourites is to use an extendable flexi-leash. I do not use these leashes for anything other than teaching or reinforcing a recall. They offer the dog some freedom, the owner control, and you are able to observe your dog at a distance so you can watch for the perfect moment to recall your dog when it is meandering about on a trail or in a park.
As a goal, practise the recall, and include having fun, every day with your dog. The more you practise the faster the dog learns and is able to retain the information.
Get your tools ready - an extendible leash, a bag of super yummy treats your dog can't resist - and make time in your daily schedule. Next week I will give you the steps to the training process.
Joan has been working with dogs for over 15 years. Contact her at K9kinship.com.
