7 Reasons Recall Goes Wrong

Recall can be one of the hardest things to teach your dog. It certainly is one of the most requested skills we get asked to help with in our classes.

Here’s the thing… Recall isn’t ‘just’ about your dog coming back when they are called!

In that tiny word of ‘just’, you are basically asking your dog to choose you… over absolute freedom. The freedom to run and bark and dig and play and chase and everything else that comes with being outdoors and being a dog. 

And while we’re dealing with your dog weighing up the pros and cons of choosing to go with you, we also have a lot of recall history to compete with, if you haven’t put in the foundations that lead to success.

Let’s look at the main mistakes people make with recall - and if you happen to recognise yourself in some of these examples, don’t worry. You are not alone, and we’ve seen it often enough that we can write a whole blog on it.

1. Using the dog’s name as their recall cue. We use our dog’s name in a lot of contexts, so why would yelling their name across the park be an indicator you want them to come back? You need to actually give them instructions!
2. Getting frustrated when their dog doesn’t come back immediately. Would you want to come back to someone if they were using a grumpy voice to instruct you? That would give me an idea that I was about to get into trouble… so I think I’ll stay away - thank you very much!  
3. Using a range of different ways to ask for the recall. ‘Come! COME! Come here! Fido cooooooome! Come-come-come-come…’ and so on and so forth. This is a recall that is wildly unpredictable, so how will your dog actually understand what you want from them if the communication is all over the place?
4. Not rewarding your dog enough when they come back. Your dog has chosen you, over everything else in the whole wide world. Over that bird they wanted to see off, over their friend who they wanted to zoom around with, everything. And you pat them on the head and say ‘well done’. 
5. Not being exciting. If you stand like a statue while your dog runs full pelt in your direction, or while another dog is goading them into a game, or even while a tree shifts some sort of delicious scent your dog’s way, they won’t be interested in you. You’re boring! 
6. Unintentionally punishing the dog when they get back to you. If you have put your dog on lead consistently every time you recall them to take them out of the park, away from the beach, or off to head home - recall ends up meaning that the fun will stop. 
7. Trying to practice recall in the heat of the moment. If you have not trained the recall skill (or any skill with your dog for that matter), in an environment where they can learn i.e. your less-exciting backyard - but you go to the dog park and expect your dog to listen… you may be setting the whole situation up for failure.

So there are a few things we may be doing to ruin a recall… and you may feel a little disheartened to think that we’re competing against so much to have our dogs want to come back when we call.

But don’t give up hope. There are a few things we can quickly suggest to help you out - and save you from the frustration or worry about your dog disappearing on you. You can basically switch up and reverse the mistakes listed above, and you’ll have more success!

1. Get your dog’s attention, and THEN ask your dog to recall. Don’t just yell haphazardly with no purpose - make it nice and easy for your dog to understand what you want from them.
2. Keep your cool, and stay happy. Even if your dog has forgotten everything you do for them, and is pretending you don’t exist. Take deep breaths, and remain cheery while you work on getting your dog back to you
3. Be clear and consistent with your recall cue. Know what you’re asking, and stick with one way. Some people like to use a whistle tone, or pair the recall with a really obvious hand signal!
4. Find out what your dog LOVES, and use that as a reward. If your dog will do anything for some cheese, bring cheese on your walk and present it when your dog does an amazing recall. The reward has to outweigh all the environment around them, but if you pick the right things, your dog will choose it (and you), when you need them to.
5. Be more exciting. Happy tones, fast movement, enthusiasm for your dog. If you want to be more enticing than the environment around your dog - you have to fully commit! Dog’s don’t get embarrassed, and you shouldn’t either.
6. Sometimes recall but then release again. If 9 times out of 10, your dog comes back to you, has some cheese and a little dance party, and then gets to keep having fun, the one time you need to call them in to take them home is much more likely to be successful. Your dog is very good at maths, even if you don’t realise it, and you have to make sure the odds weigh in your favour.
7. Practice, practice, practice. Do all of these things at home first, and then out in your driveway, and then out in your park when it’s quiet - not immediately on Saturday morning when everyone else is out with their dogs. You’ve got a lot of learning and practice to do together at easier levels before you can succeed in the thick of it all!

Just like anything that is worth it, training a solid recall requires investment, dedication, and practice. But before you know it, recall becomes an amazing safety skill, and can truly be a whole lot of fun for the both of you.

If you are looking for some guidance on how to train recall, we’ve got some awesome workshops planned in 2024 - check out our Recall Games Workshop, or our Recall to the Whistle Course!

Authored by Sarah Endres
Dog Trainer and Behaviour Advisor