How To Teach A Dog To Come When Called

Every dog owner dreams of having a dog that can be trusted off-leash. A dog who avoids getting into mischief and chooses to come bounding back with excitement the moment we call. So, how do we make this dream a reality?

It starts with understanding that our dogs are blissfully unaware of the dangers of our human world, they’re just happy to explore. So it’s our responsibility to teach them the skills they need to stay safe and become well-behaved members of society, both on and off the leash.

We get it, teaching your dog to come when called isn’t always a walk in the park, but it is achievable and a reality for many dog owners! With time, patience, and consistency, you can build a reliable recall and ensure that, when called, your dog easily chooses you over all the other distractions.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or need to brush up on technique, Kip can help with dog training.

What Is Dog Recall?

Dog recall is when your dog comes back to you when called and is arguably the most important skill to teach our dogs because the world is full of potential dangers that our dogs simply do not understand. If they’re running around off-leash and heading towards a busy road, an unknown dog, a construction site, or even a brown snake, being able to call them back instantly could save their life.

While safety should be the primary reason for teaching recall, it’s also about freedom and fun! A dog with a strong recall can enjoy more off-lead adventures, making life easier and more enjoyable for both of you. You can call them away from trouble, round them up when needed, and even use recall as part of fun games to continue strengthening your bond.

What is Reliable Recall?

Reliable recall means that your dog chooses you 99% of the time the first time you call, no matter what they are doing or what’s happening around them . We can make this choice easy for them by investing in our relationship and doing the work to build our value, as well as the skill itself.

Why Should I Teach My Dog Recall?

Teaching your dog to recall reliably brings so many benefits to the table, making both your and your dog’s life safer and more enjoyable:

Safety & Control: Recall helps protect them from potential dangers, injuries, accidents, and conflicts, and allows you to have a level of control over their behaviour when they are at a distance.
Freedom & Fun: A reliable recall allows for more easygoing off-leash adventures and enriching outdoor experiences where your dog can move freely and engage comfortably with their environment.
Socialisation & Exposure: Teaching a reliable recall helps facilitate safe interactions with people, children, and other dogs, and improves their ability to engage with us in between the excitement and distractions of life.
Bond & Relationship: Recall can further strengthen your bond and foster strong foundations of trust and communication, reducing stress while simultaneously building confidence.
People & Society: Councils require off-leash dogs to be under ‘effective control’ meaning they return on command the first time you call, remain in sight, and not approach others (especially on-leash dogs). This is a fundamental part of being a responsible owner.

How Long Will It Take To See Results?

Recall training isn’t all that difficult. Once you understand that ‘recall’ is all about teaching your dog that coming back to you is always a great idea! Whether it means getting a tasty treat, playing their favourite game, or soaking up some affection, they’ll learn that sticking close to you leads to good things.

Yes, recall training takes time, patience, and consistency but the most important factor is that you both have fun while developing this skill.

Training your dog to recall reliably can take anywhere from 3- 6 months and will be dependent on factors such as:

Your dog’s age, breed, and temperament
How long they’ve been practising ignoring recall
The quality and consistency of your training
Practicing recalls on a leash in different environments

Is my dog too old for recall training?

It’s never too late to teach an older dog new tricks, and recall is no exception!

Older dogs often come with a learned history of ignoring recall so it can be very helpful to first ask yourself:

Does my dog actually understand what “come” means?
Is there enough incentive for them to choose me over their environment?
Do they think coming back signals the end of fun, like going home?

By understanding your dog’s perspective and focusing on building a strong belief system that returning to you always leads to something wonderful, you can teach recall at any age.

Understanding what recall means for your dog

Building a reliable recall isn’t just about getting your dog to physically return to you, it’s about getting them to want to come back every time you call!

Before diving into the steps, it’s important to keep in mind these 5 common recall pitfalls that can make our training more challenging:

Accidentally turning recall into a “fun’s over” signal: This happens when we only recall our dogs when it’s time to leave and head home. Our dogs quickly catch on that recall means the end of “fun” and they either slowly drag their paws back to you or worse, ignore you altogether and decide to stay where the action is.
Overusing recall and calling them back too often: No one likes a nag, and that includes our dogs. Constantly interrupting their fun with attempts to get them back to you only teaches them to tune you out and makes your recall command lose its meaning. It also diminishes our value to them, making it less likely for them to want to come back when called.
Forgetting to reward their return: For our dogs, the outside world is like Disneyland; there are so many sights, smells, and sounds to engage with. So when they choose us over those distractions we must understand that this is a big deal! Reinforcing this choice (with something they love) every time they make it means it's more likely to happen again in the future. So why not make their decision easy to choose us over everything else?
Punishing a delayed response: Your dog’s return to you, even if it’s delayed, is still a success! Punishing or scolding them for being slow can create negative associations with recall and discourage them from coming back next time.Always celebrate their choice to come back with praise and rewards; it’s about making recall something they’re excited to do!
Giving too much freedom too soon: Too much freedom, too early, can set your recall training back. Until your dog fully understands what the recall cue means and responds consistently (99%), practice on a leash or a long-line leash. This gives you control over their actions and prevents them from learning to ignore the verbal cue.

It’s all about finding that sweet spot between practising too much versus too little. Practise enough to build consistency, remembering to always acknowledge and reward their choice to focus on you over all the other distractions out there.

Teach Your Dog Recall in Six Easy Steps

Step 1: Start Training In A Low-Distraction Area: Always begin training in a calm, familiar space like your living room or backyard. Low-distraction areas help your dog focus solely on you, making it easier for them to learn the skill. Keep it simple with short distances (1-2m) to make coming back to you a no-brainer for them!

Step 2: Introduce Your Cue: Call your dog to get their attention, then, in an upbeat tone, say your recall word, e.g., “COME” and take a few steps backward to encourage them to move towards you. When they reach you, reward them with a high-value treat (something they love) and then reset the exercise.

If your dog doesn’t return to you fully or only comes back halfway, gently use the leash to guide them back to you. Remember, if you say the word, the action must follow; otherwise, your dog won’t learn what the word means.

We recommend using a clicker or marker word, like “YES” and a release word, like “FREE” to speed up the learning process.

Increase The Distance: Once your dog understands the recall cue at close range, start gradually increasing the distance (3-5 metres). Ensure that you’re practising in a safe, distraction-free space, such as a hallway. Remove obstacles to make returning easier and minimise distractions.

Be patient and take it slow. As your dog succeeds at longer distances, you can increase the challenge bit by bit - meter by meter. Remember to reward them each time, reinforcing that choosing to return is always a rewarding choice.

Step 4: Ask A Friend To Help: Enlisting a friend or family member is a helpful, and fun, way to increase the distance and their motivation to return to you.

Have the person gently hold onto your dog’s collar or leash as you walk away. When you’re far enough that your dog will likely respond and not become distracted, enthusiastically say your recall word, “COME.” Move backwards again to encourage them to follow (dogs love chasing movement). When your dog reaches you, reward them with high-value treats, praise, or even a fun game, again, whatever they love, for returning to you. Recalls are always about celebrating the return.

Step 5: Start To Practice Outside The House: When your dog reliably responds to their recall cue at greater distances, in a familiar, low-distraction environment, it’s time to practice the skill around life’s distractions. This will teach your dog to stay focused and responsive when off-leash, no matter what’s going on around them.

First, practice in a low-distraction outdoor environment, like a quiet park or empty parking lot, and use a long-line leash (5-10 metres) to give your dog a bit more freedom while you still have control. Now you can safely practice recall without the risk of them running after a moving car or bird.

In a new environment with fresh, competing distractions, make it easy for your dog by practising short-distance recalls first before gradually increasing the distance again - set them up to succeed in returning to you.

As your dog’s recall becomes more reliable then practice in various environments around multiple and different types of distractions to help them generalise the skill.

Step 6: Give It A Red Hot Go: To ensure a reliable recall, the general rule is: Until you are 99% sure that your dog will come back when they hear their recall word,all recalls should be practised on a standard leash or on a long line so we can control the outcome and ensure our dog returns to us each time.

So, once you are confident with your dog’s long-line recalls, it’s time to practice off-leash! Find a secure, public area and allow them to explore for a bit before starting simple: reward their choices to engage with you first before practising the ‘formal’ recall with your verbal cue.

Begin with short distances and gradually build up the distance as they consistently respond. Call them back periodically - remember we don’t want to annoy them with the recall - and always reward them with something high-value for returning i.e., their favourite treats, game, or some glowing attention.

Your recall sequence should look a little something like this:

Get their attention and say the command: "Fido, COME."
Move backward to encourage them to run towards you.
When they reach you, mark with “YES” and reward them
Release them with “FREE” to signal the end of the task.

Extra Training Tips

Tip 1: Only Call Your Dog When You Are Going To Praise Them

Dogs are more likely to repeat behaviours that result in a positive outcome (think treats, toys, or praise) and less likely to perform behaviours that result in a negative consequence, like being scolded, intimidated, or ignored.

Punishing or ignoring your dog’s efforts to return to you, even if they’re slow or distracted, is a surefire way to discourage them from coming back in the future. Over time, this can damage their recall response altogether.

Never stop reinforcing the recall. When they leave distractions and return to you, they’re choosing you over the exciting world around them. Always acknowledge, celebrate, and reward this effort, even if it’s not perfect.

Remember, we want our dogs to want to come back when called, so ensure it’s always worth their while!

Tip 2: Avoid Repeating Yourself

If you find yourself repeating your recall word multiple times before your dog responds, then this simply teaches them that they don’t need to come back right away, or they learn to ignore the cue altogether. This is a sign your dog doesn’t fully understand the cue yet, or the environment is too distracting.

Return to practising successful recalls with your dog, until they are reliable, which means being on a leash or a long-line and in a familiar, low-distraction environment. Don’t be deterred by having to go back to basics because solidifying the foundations of the recall is the fastest way to having reliable off-leash recalls.

Remember, if you say the word, the action must follow; otherwise, your dog won’t learn what the word means

Tip 3: Practice Recalls Everyday

Consistency is key to mastering a reliable recall! A bit of practice each day works to develop your dog’s muscle memory, turning their recall into a default or automatic response, every time they hear the cue. For example: practice 5 recall reps, 3 times per day.

Practice in various environments and around different situations and work up to recalling them from other dogs, ducks, playgrounds, trains, cars, bikes etc. Iincrease challenges only when you’re dog is ready.

Remember, we want our dogs to reliably recall 99% of the time, regardless of what’s going on around them.

Tip 4: Rewards

Every time your dog comes back when called, they’re making a deliberate decision to prioritise you over everything else and from that perspective, we should feel pretty good about being our dog’s #1 option. A decision like that deserves to be rewarded meaningfully, don’t you think?

Using rewards that your dog loves like high-value treats, their favourite toy, a fun game together, or being told how amazing they are fantastic ways to make coming back to you the highlight of their outing.

You can also build your value by showing your dog that staying close to you means more opportunities for fun and exploration. Interact and play with them during your walks or outdoor time. The more rewarding you are to be around, the more eager they’ll be to stay connected to you.

Recall Games

These 3 recall games blend training with exercise and fun, ensuring that both you and your dog enjoy the learning process together! Science tells us that ‘play-based learning’ makes learning far more enjoyable for our dogs and increases their willingness to repeat the behaviours we want to see more of like… coming back when called! Keep recall training playful, energetic, and highly-rewarding to ensure your dog’s recall becomes second nature.

Game #1: Catch the treat

The aim of ‘catch the treat’ is to toss a treat for your dog to catch in mid-air; it’s easy to play and highly rewarding for our dogs! This game strengthens your dog’s focus and engagement, while reinforcing a positive connection with you - ultimately making you the most obvious choice over competing distractions.

Start by holding the treat above their nose and dropping it into their mouth so they understand the aim of the game. After a few successful catches, move to gently tossing it from a short distance away and gradually increase the difficulty as your dog becomes more proficient. Say ‘CATCH’ before tossing the treat to add in a verbal cue.

Game #2: Chase the treat

In this game, you toss a treat a short distance away for your dog to chase, then they return to you to start the game again. ‘Chase the treat’ also encourages focus, engagement, and a positive association with you, as well as teaches them that when distractions arise, their best option is to look to you for what to do next.

To play, toss a treat a short distance away from your dog and let them chase it. Once they’ve eaten it, call their name to get their attention and encourage them back to you. Reward their return with another treat, then toss another one past them for them to chase. Say ‘GET IT’ before tossing the treat along the ground to add in a verbal cue.

Game #3: Chase me

‘Chase me’ is a high-energy game that boosts your dog’s motivation to excitedly come back when called and strongly associates running towards you with fun, excitement, and rewards. It’s one of the most powerful recall games because it teaches your dog to proactively seek you out, regardless of distractions and taps into their natural instinct to run and chase movement, replacing the dreaded ‘catch me if you can’ game our dogs love to play, with a fun, recall-focused alternative where you become part of the prize!

Begin by running away from your dog while calling their name and using cheerful, playful noises to catch their attention. As they chase after you, let your energy encourage them to follow. When they catch up, shower them with praise, treats, or play with their favourite toy. To reset, toss a treat past them to create a momentary ‘distraction,’ then repeat the game. Say ‘CHASE ME’ before running away to add in a verbal cue.

Or, Let Us Help!

Teaching your dog to recall is about creating a strong, trusting relationship where your dog knows that returning to you is always their best choice. It's about ensuring their safety in a world full of unknown risks, while also giving you the freedom to enjoy more places and experiences together with confidence and peace of mind.

At Kip, we offer a range of dog training programs help set up you and your dog with the important skills you need for a happy and fulfilling life together!