You're at the park with your dog. You've tried calling and calling him/her, but they won't listen. Instead of coming to you, the dog runs away or continues playing. It's frustrating and sometimes even embarrassing because people around are looking at you. Eventually, after chasing them around and running around in circles, you manage to get them. But it should not be so difficult - a dog should obey what you say to them. If you're in a similar situation where your dog doesn't come back after calling them, we're going to look at dog recall tips to help you solve this problem.

Call, Don't Yell

One mistake people make is that they yell instead of calling calmly, especially when the dog has done something wrong. What these people don't know is that the dog will associate the call with a negative thing. Your precious animal will be confused and won't come to you due to the fear of getting punished. What should you do instead? If he/she doesn't come back the first time, call them by name again. Do it cheerfully. When your dog turns around, sit down on your haunches and go on calling, enthusiastically and happily. Doing all these will encourage your animal to come. And when he finally comes, don't reprimand, but praise warmly.

Let Coming to You Be the Best Choice for Your Dog

If a dog is not answering and responding to your call, then he/she may be chasing after something more interesting. Therefore, think of ways to make coming back to you more exciting. One excellent way is having their favorite toy in hand. When you call them, your dog will know that you're giving them a fun item to play with, and they'll come. Another way is keeping a bag of tasty treats. As you continue with the recall training, you'll eventually be able to call your animal without over-relying on toys or treats.

Let the Call Be Not Always About Stopping Fun

One thing about dogs is that sometimes they behave like stubborn and over-excited kids. If you only call them when it's time to stop enjoying themselves, they're soon going to realize that it's not the best thing for them. Naturally, they'll want to keep enjoying themselves. The best solution for this is to call them when you're out having fun. Call your dog, and when he/she comes, say "good boy/girl," give them a treat or a scratch on the ear, and release them to continue playing. Do this several times and leave when it's finally time to go.

The key here is dissociating your call with the end of having fun. With enough recall training, they'll listen.

Never Punish If He/She Doesn't Come Straight Away

Punishment is a common reason why many dogs don't go to their owners after being called. Therefore, you should try to avoid it as much as possible. If you always punish your precious pet when they take too long to respond or come, they'll perceive your call as that of punishment. Therefore, they'll never do it. Be positive any time your dog responds and comes back, regardless of how long they take.

These are some of the best tips when it comes to dog recall training. Remember to exercise patience during the whole training process. Don't expect him to grasp everything within a day or two. It may take several days or even weeks, depending on various factors. The best thing is that if your dog learns to respond to a call, grasping other advanced commands will be easier.