K-911 Dog Training Information

The recall or “Come” command is the most important command that you can teach your pets. It is the one command that can save their lives. Unfortunately, very few dogs respond reliably to this command in the presence of distractions. Several factors will influence the reliability of a dog’s response to the “Come” command.

One such factor is the degree to which they are socially versus environmentally focused. Dogs that are more socially focused typically tend to “check in” with their owners frequently and are less distracted by their environment. These dogs will usually have more reliable recalls than will dogs that are more environmentally focused. Environmentally focused dogs are more attuned to their surroundings and what is going on around them. In distracting environments, these dogs will typically tune-out their owners and, as such, will rarely have extremely reliable recalls. Breed, personality, and the particular environment or people involved all contribute to the degree to which a dog will be more socially or environmentally focused. Nevertheless, all dogs can and should learn the best recall they are able to offer.

Unfortunately, people often neglect the most important step in teaching a “Come” command- creating for the dog a strong, positive emotional bond with the command. This step will provide a strong foundation for recall. Consider, for example, your emotional response to the word “vomit”. If you are like most people, you probably felt a nearly immediate disgust reaction. Now, consider your emotional response to the word “flower”. Dogs, like people, form emotional reactions to words or phrases. How does your dog respond when you ask, “Do you want to go for a walk?” or “Do you want a treat?” What about “No! Bad dog!” Which of these statements do you think would be more likely to make your dog happy and excited? The “Come” command needs to elicit the same emotion for your dog as “Do you want a treat?”

For most dogs, the word “Come” is likely to elicit a negative emotional reaction. To a dog, “Come” usually means stop whatever you’re doing (sleeping, sniffing, getting into the garbage, exploring, etc.) and return to your handler (which often is not nearly as exciting as whatever it was you were just doing).

Before you even attempt to ask your dog to comply with the “Come” command, you must help the dog acquire a positive feeling about the command. The most effective way to do this is to repeatedly “pair” the command with whatever your dog likes. For example, immediately before your dog receives something good (dinner, treats, toys, going for a walk or ride, etc.) he should hear the word “Come.” During this time, it is also important to not ever use the word without pairing it with something good. For this reason, many people will begin training a recall command with a word the dog has not already formed an association with and is not likely to hear at any other times (e.g., “Front,” “Mind,” or “Here”).

Although owners and handlers must understand that not all dogs will be able to respond perfectly to a recall command, the foundation for the best possible recall lies in removing any negative feelings a dog has formed for the command and building the strongest possible positive feelings.

This article was written by Terri Asher and Sam Kabbel of Pet Behavior Solutions and reproduced with their permission. All rights are reserved, and this article may not be duplicated in any manner without written permission from the authors.