come when called

It seems simple enough to train a dog to come when he is called, but a failure to respond is probably the most common problem in dog training. A dog is easily distracted - by a scent, by another dog, or just following his own agenda - and he becomes "deaf" to your calls. Understandably, you become frustrated by your pet's disobedience. But it doesn't have to be like this.

Start early
Puppies have an inbuilt instinct to follow, so make use of this from the beginning. When your puppy arrives in his new home, he will be eager to find some security. Generally, this will mean that the puppy will attempt to follow you wherever you go. At every opportunity use your puppy's name - then, as he follows you, give the command "come". In no time, the puppy will have learnt to respond to his name, and he will associate the command "come" with following you.

Training line
This is a very simple piece of equipment, but is an invaluable aid when teaching the recall. Before you start training the recall with a training line in the park, make sure you have trained the recall to perfection in the house and your garden. Recall training requires patience, and moving forward too fast can ruin all the effort you have put into the training so far. Training line should be quite long, about 15-30 ft in length. Attach one end to the dog's collar and let the other end lie free on the ground. Let your dog sniff the ground and play freely. If you feel that he is going too far away from you, you can always step on your end of the line to stop him. In the initial stages do not try to call your dog while he is sniffing or playing with another dog. Wait until he is pretty close to you and you think he is likely to respond. Then call his name and your recall command, and remember to praise and reward with a tasty treat.

Reward
You should save the best treats for the recall training. If the reward for coming is not more exciting than other distractions in the park, your dog will not be eager to come back, or at least will only do so when he feels like it. Make sure you have a very tasty and smelly treat ready each time your dog performs a good recall.

Back on the lead
Once you feel confident enough that your dog will stay close to you, you can stop using the training line and let your dog off the lead. During his "off-the-lead-time" you should call your dog regularly, give him praise and a treat and then let him loose again. Try to avoid calling your dog when it is time to head back home and he needs to go on the lead again. Walk over to your dog and feed him a treat at the same time as you attach the lead to his collar.

Tone of voice
Always use the same word, and try to use the same tone of voice each and every time you call your dog. Your tone of voice should be loud enough for your dog to hear, with a happy enthusiastic tone so that your dog will want to come back and see you. Never use a frustrated or angry tone in your voice when you call your dog, he can sense your frustration and might be nervous of approaching you.

Finally
To come when called is one of the most important things your dog should learn. If you are patient and train several times a day in different situations, you will get a dog that is a pleasure to take out for walks off the lead. But remember that recall needs to be trained regularly in order to stay reliant, and even though you have a dog with a brilliant recall, it will probably never be 100%. You are not perfect so why should you expect your dog to be. If your dog does not come back to you until much later, you should never be angry with him or punish him once he finally gets back. He will not be able to associate your punishment with him staying away. He will think you are punishing him for coming back.

With all of these tips in mind, go on and find those tasty treats and start calling your dog!