The re-call is probably one of the easiest commands to teach to your dog but it’s also one that you can completely ruin.
Many dog owners accidentally destroy their dog’s desire to come when they call. How is that possible? Well, if your dog doesn’t come when you call him you’re probably making any or all of these mistakes:
- calling your dog when you’re angry
- calling your dog when you’re about to do something he doesn’t like (e.g. grooming or bathing)
- calling your dog to put on his leash at the dog park
- calling your dog to put him in a crate or in confinement
- not praising your dog enough
- calling your off-leash dog to come before he is trained
Of course, there’s always a way to teach your dog the re-call without sabotaging the process.
When you let your dog play without his leash, e.g. in the park, be sure to call him often during the whole time. When he comes back to you, praise him and show him how pleased you are. Then tell him to go back and play again.
In this way you’re accomplishing two equally important goals: making sure that your dog will come when you call and teaching your dog that coming to you is not necessarily a bad thing but can also be quite rewarding!
If you enjoy watching and learning from videos, then check out Doggy Dan’s Online Dog Trainer site where there are over 100 detailed dog and puppy training videos that cover every dog problem. You’ll also find downloadable audio and video clips and a free dog training Forum. I highly recommend it.
