How to Teach Your Puppy to Recall

Recall is an important obedience command that trainers agree that is often the most difficult for dogs to follow. Starting recall training with your puppy is essential, especially if you want to work towards off-leash obedience. Coming when called requires a lot of practice, but it pays off in big ways when you have a happy and trustworthy, off-leash adult dog. This blog will help in learning how to teach your puppy to recall.

General Strategies:

• Recall practice should ALWAYS be fun for your dog. They should love coming back to you!
• Use the bridge word, “good,” to let your dog know a treat is coming, or use “uhuhuh” to let them know when they’ve done something wrong. 
• Always practice with a leash or long line attached, so you can reel them in if they don’t come.
• Most importantly, do not ask your puppy to “come,” if you are not able to reward or correct them. This is how puppies learn to “blow off” the command.

Step 1: Name Recognition

Start inside to minimize distractions

1. Have your puppy’s collar and leash on, and stand one or two feet behind them. 
2. Say their name. 
3. When they look at you, mark the particular behavior by saying “good” and then delivering a piece of kibble.

Tip 1: As long as your puppy is excited for kibble and will “work” for it, continue using kibble. Upgrade to a better treat if the puppy is losing interest in a more distracted setting.

Before moving forward, your dog should be turning their head towards you 5-10 successful trials in a row. Make sure you only say their name one time!

Step 2: Introduce the Command

While still inside, stand two to three feet away from your puppy.

1. Say your dog’s name followed by the command, “Rover, come!” 
2. Once your dog looks at you, bridge “good” and start backpedaling. Your puppy should start moving in your direction.
3. Once your puppy is close to you, take your kibble and lure them into a sitting position, by putting the treat at their nose level and then bringing it up to the ceiling.
4. When the puppy is in a sitting position, take hold of their collar (this will be important outside, so you can leash them up). 
5. Once your puppy has come, sat in front of you, and allowed you to touch their collar, give them the treat. 
6. If your puppy does not come to you when you call, say “uhuhuh” and use the leash to lead him to you. Repeat the last unsuccessful repetition. If the puppy is unsuccessful three times in a row, make it easier on them by decreasing the distance between you or making it less distracting.

Repeat this same procedure until your puppy is reliably coming 5-10 repetitions in a row. At that point, you can stop backpedaling and stand in place when you call them. Over time, you should call the puppy from further away in the house, making sure you are successful at shorter distances for 5 repetitions in a row before making it harder. 

Step 3: Following Outside

Following is a great exercise to practice early on with your puppy to encourage them to stay in your eyesight  and discourage wandering or running away. Your puppy should wear a tightly-fitted martingale collar and a long leash (50ft) for safety. 

1. Start in an open area with little distractions at first. Have your treat bag ready.
2. Begin walking in the opposite direction of your puppy, being careful not to tug on their longline.
3. As your puppy makes eye contact with you or steps in your direction, praise them. 
4. Continue praising your puppy as they walk towards you, and give them a piece of kibble or treat when they are near your side. 
5. Continue to walk in different directions, praising and treating your puppy as they follow you. 
6. If your puppy wanders away or stops moving toward you, wait until the end of the line. If they are at the end of the line and still haven’t followed you, it’s okay to say their name (only once!) or make kissy noises to encourage them to look your way. You can also give them a little pop on their lead, if needed. As soon as they turn towards you, praise them and pat your legs to guide them towards you. Feed them once they are close to you again. 

Step 4: Recall Outside and the Three D’s

As your puppy has learned the basics of the “come” command and has learned to pay attention to you outside, it is time to add them together. As you practice recall (or any obedience), keep in mind the 3 D’s of training – distractions, duration, and distance. Distractions are anything that might pull away your puppy’s attention. Duration is the time the puppy performs the command. Finally, distance is the distance away from you when you prompt the puppy to come. As the puppy is successful, increase the difficulty with each of these in mind. 

1. Start in a large area with a surface that does not have a lot of distractions, like concrete on your driveway.
2. Back away from your dog about 5-10ft.
3. Call your puppy to “come.”
4. Bridge “good” and praise as your puppy comes to you. 
5. Once they reach you, lure them into a sit (if they are not doing it automatically), reach for their collar, and deliver the treat. 
6. If the puppy does not come within 1 second, say “uhuhuh” and reel them in with the long line. Then immediately try again from the same spot and distance.

Tip 2: As your dog becomes more reliable, increase the difficulty, one at a time, keeping in mind the 3 D’s. For example, the first time you practice at a distracting park, start by calling them from only 5 ft away, even if you were successful from 20ft at home. 

Tip 3: Only move forward with increased difficulty if you’ve had multiple repetitions of success, at least 5-10 trials. On the other hand, if the puppy has been unsuccessful more than three times in a row, make it less difficult by decreasing the distance of the recall or going further away from the distraction.

We are here to help

Would you like help with how to teach your puppy to recall? You can schedule a free consultation with our Pet Behavior Team. We offer a range of training programs, including virtual consultations, private sessions, and board and train programs. 

Our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage offers virtual training programs. During these programs she will develop a personalized training plan and provide guidance to achieve your training goals.