I hope I don’t offend but for ease of reading I refer to the dog as he or him but of course I also mean female dogs too.
This course is about making sure your dog will come back to you when called. It’s vital that we can let our dogs and puppies off lead for exercise and fun, but it’s also vital that we can get them back when we call them for safety and management.
We’re going to work on teaching ‘Fido (your dog’s name), Come,’. Often when people call their dogs in the park they just call the name.
If you teach your dog that when he hears his name, it’s something good, then you use his name to get his attention. Once you have his attention, then add in your command (COME) so your dog knows what you want him to do.
To get a good recall you need to find your dog’s biggest and best motivator. As puppies food usually works but this doesn’t always work for older dogs. You need to find their most favourite toy, or it may even be you that motivates your dog most.
We talk about building a tool kit. This is a bag of ‘surprises’ for your dog. He never knows what is coming out of the bag. It helps to keep you exciting and interesting to your dog.
You can watch a video about ‘building your tool kit’ below.
The exercises in this programme get slightly harder as you work through them. Take your time and build on success and try each activity as you feel you and your dog are ready.
Any mention of doing activities in ‘the park’ means a safe space where you feel you can let your dog off the lead or train using a long training line.
Each video has a link to a PDF, downloadable document to help you through it.
Resources
It is possible to use your dog’s food, mixed in with something smelly such as fish treats, sausages or smelly cheese rather than constantly giving treats. A favourite toy or ball might be needed in places with more distractions.
You can feed your dog completely through training, throughout the day. No food goes in the bowl. Measure the quota of food for the day in the morning and use it for training and mental stimulation throughout the day.
You will need:
Recall is about your dog coming back every time you call, regardless of distractions. The habit needs to be trained. Dog’s learn by habit, so you need to make sure everytime your dog hears, ‘Fido, COME, he does just that.
You need to provide the motivation for your dog to want to come back to you.
As with all commands, you should use your dog’s name to get his attention, followed by the command, COME.
We talk in the fun activity section about whiplash response to their name. This is your dog being excited to hear you call his name and instantly looking to see what you want.
It’s important to get 100% response to ‘COME’ when you’re training your dog, to build the habit, which is why we use a long training line. There are two ways to use the long line, a restrained recall which takes two people and a long line recall that you can do on your own.
Use the videos below to show you how.
Recall needs to be fun and exciting in these early days. Dogs are about ‘what’s in it for me.’
Is what you’re offering of high enough value for your dog to prioritise coming back to you?
At this stage you are trying to build a habit in your dog’s head.
‘I hear, Fido, COME’ and it’s what I automatically do without stopping to think.
Let’s have a look at some recall training activities.
Remember to practice in as many different environments as possible as dogs cue in the environment when they are training. It’s important to get the habit built in lots of places.
Use this video to work through restrained recall.
Downloadable PDF here.
Watch this video to work through long line recall.
This video will show you how to use your long line to train recall if you are working along with your dog.
Use this video to teach your dog spins and turns. A great focus activity for dog and one your dog will enjoy doing with you. Make sure to do both ways and remember your dog will find one way easier than the other.
Recall
Have really good fun with your dog on recall activities. Use your long line to make sure you can get 100% response to your ‘COME’ command.
Practise in as many different environments as you possibly can. Remember your dog will cue in the environment when training.
Teach the fun activities to make yourself more interesting and exciting.
Training your dog should be fun, so enjoy it. If things aren’t working and it becomes frustrating, take a break. Try again later.
The ‘drop and run’ recall activity is fast and exciting. In the next step you will do this activity but getting your dog to run past distractions of food and other exciting things.
Practise this in any safe space that you can.
If you’re unable to run, shorten the distance that you go away from your dog and drop more crumbs of food to keep your dog busier for longer. Digestive biscuits are great for turning in to crumbs for hoovering up.
Let’s get going. Downloadable PDF here.
Don’t just call your dog back when it’s time to go home. Do recall activities throughout your walk. Oh, and remember to get your lead out, rattle your keys and all the other little cues that might mean ‘home time’, at various times throughout the walk.
Do lots of changes of direction in the park. Make sure your dog understands he needs to keep any eye on you, checking in frequently. You can play hide and seek, but just constantly walking in a different direction, without calling your dog, works brilliantly.
For the dogs that love to chase
Use bubbles! The large bubble wands are best for this. This activity is great for any dog that loves to chase. You will need to teach your dog to chase bubbles, so do this by wafting them gently, low on the ground, near your dog so he can watch them move, but be careful not to frighten your dog if he’s a bit nervous.
You can use bubbles as a recall reward. When your dog comes back when you call him, you have your bubbles ready to have a play.
Keep your recall fun.
Take your took kit out with you and keep your dog guessing what’s coming out next. You can use your things in your tool kit to spend quality time with your dog when he’s out off lead with you.
You can use the things in your tool kit as reward for the recall too, to keep recall exciting and interesting.
The drop and run recall activity is great fun and you’ll find your dog is soon running after you rather than stopping to hoover up all the food. If you’re unable to run, shorten the distance and drop more crumbs to keep your dog busier for longer.
Have fun.
You might need someone to help you with this activity as it’s important that your dog doesn’t steal the food or toys.
If you are exciting enough, and have the right motivators, trust me, your dog will come to you, past the distractions.
We are training the ‘COME’ command. Building that habit.
Start with lower value distractions, then build up to one of your dog’s most exciting toys or even a bowl of food. You need to be the motivator for your dog to do this, rewarding well when the behaviour is delivered.
Watch the video to help. PDF download here.
Fun Activity – Push
Teaching your dog to push is a great thing to teach for focus, self-control and mental stimulation. If you want to, you can progress the command to teach your dog to push a ball, push a door closed and so on. Have a go this week with just a folded up towel or flexible mat.
Video below and download here.
Work hard on developing the verbal recall with your dog. Make yourself fun and exciting. Keep your dog wanting to be with you or to come back to you.
Remember your dog learns by patterns and habits so if he doesn’t come back when you call him, he will be starting to build the wrong habit to the command, COME.
Keep those best toys and foods for recall training around distractions.
Don’t rush your training, but when you feel ready, move on to the next step of training a whistle for recall.
A whistle is a great back up tool for your recall. Sometimes our dogs get distracted by their noses, playing or maybe even wander a little too far away.
At times like this your dog won’t hear you call, so a whistle is a great tool for such occasions.
We like the ACME gundog whistle as you can train various patterns with these so you can progress to teaching a STOP whistle too.
Take your time training it and you will have a very effective tool.
Use the video below.
I hope you’ve had fun with your recall training.
Do remember training should continue for life with your dog. You don’t need to put so much work in all the time, but do keep rewarding your dog, even if it’s just a bit of praise, when your dog comes back to you.
If you feel your dog’s recall is getting a bit slower or not quite as good as it was, revisit some of the activities above and ‘hot’ it back up again.
Thank you for taking part in this training.
© NDTA 2026
| VAT number: 287 0655 73
Website by Eldo™
