Kroki

Question · Dog

How do I teach my dog to come when called?

The short answer

Give your dog a reason to leave whatever it is doing. Charge a fresh recall word such as “Here!” at home with top treats, then practise outdoors in small stages on a long line clipped to a harness. Call only when you would bet on success, and often let your dog go again afterwards. If the old word has been ignored for years, retire it. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, includes recall steps with “Here!” and an SOS card for when recall fails.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Retire a worn-out cue

    If your dog has heard “Come!” a hundred times with nothing good after it, or just before being told off, the word now means little or even “trouble ahead”. Choose a new one, such as “Here!”, and treat it as a blank page.

  2. Charge the new word at home

    In a quiet room, say the new cue once and hand over a top treat the moment your dog looks at you, then another when it reaches you. Spread around ten of these over a day, with no distractions, before you use the word anywhere else.

  3. Work outwards in stages

    Go from house to garden, from garden to a quiet path, and from there to a busier park. In each new place start close and easy, as if your dog were learning the cue for the first time.

  4. Let a long line keep it safe

    Until the cue works in that kind of place, clip a long line of 5 to 10 metres to a well-fitting harness. Let it trail or hold it loosely, and never use it to reel your dog in: the line is a safety net, not a teacher.

  5. Outbid the distraction, then let go

    Pay with something your dog wants more than what it left: real meat, a tug game or a quick chase after a thrown toy. Then send it off again with “Free!”, so coming back rarely means the walk is over.

  6. Plan around hunting drive

    Dogs that chase deer, hares or birds rarely stop for a cue alone. Choose routes with less wildlife, keep the line on in woods and fields, and get a trainer to help you turn the chasing urge into games you play together.

Raising a puppy?

A young puppy has no bad history with the cue and still likes to stay close and follow you, so you can link “Here!” to that following from the first day in one- or two-minute sessions at home. The page for puppies explains those first weeks.

What studies say about rewards, pressure and recall

Recall is one of the few cues that has been tested directly. In a trial with 63 pet dogs trained on “Sit” and “Come”, the group taught by reward-focused trainers came on the first call about 83 times in 100, against about 71 in the remote electric collar group, and set off back slightly sooner (China, Mills and Cooper 2020). The groups also trained in different seasons, so the authors treat this as one piece of evidence rather than the final word.

Pressure has a cost for the dog as well. A study of 92 companion dogs from several training schools found that dogs from schools relying heavily on aversive methods showed more stress behaviour in class, higher stress hormone levels afterwards and a gloomier outlook in a later test than dogs from reward-based schools (Vieira de Castro and colleagues 2020).

A review of the research reached a similar view: aversive methods can harm a dog’s physical and mental health, and there is no evidence that they work better than rewards (Ziv 2017). For a grown dog whose recall was once followed by shouting or a hard tug, that is good news: rebuilding the cue with rewards and a fresh word is a kind way to start again.

When the recall breaks down

  • Your dog stops a few metres away: turn sideways, crouch and reward at your feet. Leaning over it or grabbing for the collar makes the last metres feel risky.
  • It glances at you, then goes back to the smell: you called too late or the distraction was too big. Go one step back in difficulty.
  • It only comes when it sees food in your hand: keep treats in a pocket or pouch and sometimes pay with play instead.
  • It used to come and now doesn’t: rule out pain first, then think about what changed, such as a new route, more wildlife or the teenage months.

Common mistakes with grown dogs

  • Testing the cue where it is bound to fail, for example as a deer runs past. Call where you would bet money on success.
  • Using recall only to end the walk. Clip the lead on several times during a walk, reward, and release again.
  • Taking the long line off after the first good day. Leave it on for weeks in every new kind of place.
  • Assuming a rescue dog knows the word. Many never learned a recall at all, so start as you would with a puppy, only with longer sessions.

When to see a professional

Let your dog off lead only where it is allowed and safe, and never near roads or wildlife while the recall is still shaky. Talk to a professional if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

Can an older dog still learn to come when called?

Yes, dogs can learn a recall at any age. Older dogs may need a few more repeats, so keep sessions short and the rewards generous, and check with your vet if your dog has started to slow down.

My dog ignores “Come”: should I change the word?

Often yes, if the old word has mostly been repeated or followed by something unpleasant. A fresh word lets you start with a clean slate, as long as you teach it from scratch and keep it worth answering.

How do I teach recall to a rescue dog?

Start with trust and an easy indoor recall before any outdoor practice. Give your rescue dog a few weeks to settle, keep it on a long line outdoors, and never let it off lead until it reliably comes back in quiet places.

Can a dog with a strong hunting drive ever run off lead?

Some can in safe, open areas, but many cannot be let off near wildlife at all. A trainer can help you find outlets for the drive, and a long line keeps your dog and the wildlife safe in the meantime.

Will a remote training collar make my dog come back?

Not better than rewards: in a trial with pet dogs, the reward-trained group responded to “Come” more often on the first call. Such collars also carry welfare risks, so stick with rewards and a long line.

Why does my dog come back but stop just out of reach?

Usually because reaching you has meant being grabbed or put on the lead. Reward at your feet, touch the harness only after the treat, and often let it go again so arriving feels safe.

How long should a long line be for recall practice?

Five to ten metres suits most dogs and places. Always clip it to a harness, never a collar, and wear gloves if your dog is strong, so a sudden run can’t hurt either of you.

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