Dog Training Tips

In an emergency – do anything that works!

Training a dog for a recall is challenging. It takes time, and even a well-trained dog might not respond to the recall cue every single time you use it. So what do you do if your dog won’t respond to your cue? What if, for example, your dog gets loose, by accident, in a strange place?

Here are some things you can try.

• Make a lot of silly noises – loud, silly, excited noises – and run away from your dog. Pretend you’re chasing something or that you’ve found something your dog will find very interesting or exciting.
• Try a word that your dog associates with treats or meals. If you always say, “Cookies” when you open your dog’s treat jar, try saying, “Cookies!” If you always say, “Ready for your dinner?” at mealtimes, try that.
• Try saying, “Sit” or “Down”. If you’ve done lots of repetitions of these behaviors, your dog might drop into a sit or down, giving you an opportunity to get your hand on her collar.
• Toss your leash. If you can get close enough, gently toss your leash so that it touches your dog. The intention is not to hurt her, but to turn her attention away from whatever she’s doing (chasing a squirrel or sniffing at the neighborhood dogs’ marking spots) so you have a chance to get within arm’s distance.

While these tricks might work once, or even two or three times, they may lose their power if overused. So be sure to work on your recall training, and only use these techniques if you don’t have any other options, or if your dog might be in danger.

And be sure to reward your dog with lots of treats and pets when you have her back under your control – even if you used a trick to get her to come, instead of your recall cue.

Dog Recall Training Tips - Train A Backup Recall Cue