How to fix a bad recall?

Start Indoors: Begin training in a distraction-free environment like your home. Use a happy, enthusiastic voice to call your dog’s name followed by a command like “come” or “here.” The tone of your voice is so important – be exciting! Use High-Value Rewards: Reward your dog with high-value treats or their favourite toy every time they come to you. This creates a positive association with the recall command. Gradually Increase Distractions: Once your dog reliably comes to you indoors, practice in the garden, then gradually move to more distracting environments like parks. We want 90% efficacy in a low-stimulus environment before we make it trickier for our dog! Consistency is Key: Be consistent with your commands and rewards. Always make coming to you the best option for your dog. Play Recall Games: Engage in fun games like hide and seek or tag to make recall training enjoyable for your dog. And if the pup is ignoring you – no not ‘poison’ your recall cue by repeating it over and over.

If your pooch keeps darting off when you call them, stick with training on a long lead attached to a harness, and only let them off-lead in secure areas. Only let your dog off their lead in open spaces when you’re confident they’ll come back when called. If you aren’t seeing an improvement with your dog’s training, you may wish to contact a qualified trainer or behaviourist to help. If you find your dogs recall isn't quite where is should be, it might be worth enrolling in some dog training lessons. Contact our free Behaviour Support Line for tailored advice.