Train dog to come running when you call
Our dog only sometimes comes when called. I find myself reaching for bribes and trying to catch her. How do I teach my dog to come without begging?
Coming when called, or recalls, is one of the simpler skills. They do require repeated drilling to achieve proficiency. Most people are surprised to recognize that many animals have shockingly good recalls. The problem is that it’s to the wrong sound. Many dogs come running when they hear the crinkle of a treat bag. These are recalls. The animal hears a sound and comes running. If you can teach a dog to run to the sound of a treat bag, you can get a pretty decent recall with a dog.
What people struggle with is getting a dog to attend a specific word. It’s because they shoot themselves in the foot by not adhering to the same principles that work so very well in the treat bag example.
Most people train with hope and pray training. They call their distracted dog, hoping and praying that they will listen. When it fails, they become trapped in a situation where all options are bad. Repeating oneself teaches the dog that the word isn’t that important. Chasing the dog becomes a fun game for the animal.
For this reason, recalls should be started at a level that is so ridiculously easy, the dog cannot help but get it right. Recall commands should be sacred. Not to be used until and unless the dog has been trained to that level. Preserve and maintain the value in the word for the life of the dog religiously.
Choose a new word. It’s easier than overcoming the baggage attached to the old one. Work in a small, boring location inside the house. Start about one meter away from the dog.
Say the word, clearly and distinctly. It should stand out from room conversation. Pause for a second. Then reach for several pieces of special food. Give it to the dog no matter what they do. Feed the dog by your feet. Don’t deliver it to the dog.
Within a few days, the dog should be visibly happy to hear the new word. At that point, shift expectations. Say the word and wait for their feet to start moving toward you. When they do, say yes. Pay near your feet. Then comes the drilling. Add distance. Work in different rooms. Play hide and seek. Incorporate distractions. Start easy. Drill through progressively harder ones.
Then repeat the entire exercise start to finish in multiple new, safe locations. The need to drill in multiple locations is normal for all dogs.
Finally, stop eroding progress. Dogs that are scolded after coming when called will over time stop coming. So will dogs that realize that listening means the end of fun or the start of negative things. Such things destroy recalls. Use the word with care and maintain its meaning over the life of the dog. The weather has been excruciatingly hot. How can I get my dog exercised and tired? Exercise, while very healthy, is often too heavily relied upon as a fix for energetic dogs. The problem is that when the weather does not co-operate, these dogs have no means by which to burn off steam.
Instead, think mental exhaustion and training. Mental exercises tire dogs out. Thinking is strenuous. Whether you teach skills, tricks or sports such as nose work, it can quickly exhaust dogs.
Also start to train dogs to relax and behave independently. Tired dogs aren’t good dogs. They’re sleeping dogs.
Training is what allows an energetic dog to focus their energy towards independent activities.