Does Your Dog Come When Called?

My dog is not 100% reliable, but more in that sometimes she detours on the way back to me rather than coming straight back, or she decides she will come back right after she checks out this thing over here. She always comes when I call, but I wouldn't let her offlead when we're walking beside a busy road because my offlead control of her is not something I'd like to test in those situations. I guess I would say she comes right back maybe 90% of the time, but she doesn't actually stray much in the first place, so I don't know if that really counts. Generally speaking, when she's offlead she stays within a 10 metre radius of me and doesn't like to go out of sight.

I didn't deliberately set out to teach her a solid recall. When she was still a puppy, I started taking her for walks along the roo trails in the bush around here. We started off on a long line, but because of the low visibility of the environment with the narrow trails and tall grass and dense shrubs, she naturally kept close to me so she knew where we were going. Once I decided she wouldn't run off, I abandoned the annoying long line and she learnt that it didn't pay to wander because she didn't have to wander far before she couldn't see me anymore and felt lost. We built a strong relationship in that environment, and now she tosses glances over her shoulder at me regularly if she's walking ahead of me so she knows where I'm going. She prefers to walk on my heels so she won't take a wrong turn.

So I guess I didn't teach her a good recall so much as to pay attention to me in the first place. I think that led to a reasonably good recall. I was lucky because she was very easy. And she actually likes going back on lead, so it's very easy to call her back to be releashed.

I think this is a great thread. I would love to hear how others have trained their dogs on coming back. My cocker, Monty, does it sometimes but if there's poo on the way, forget. He'd rather sniff, eat, roll around in that versus coming straight to me. If there's another dog and he takes off, forget about it. He's gone. Happened at a park once. Luckily the park isn't that big and there's no streets through it so it was fine but we're continuously working on it. Right now either on a long lead in the yard or off-leash in the yard. I have to have lots of treats. I'd love to hear others' stories, tips, advice.

I am playing with a stacked deck... this is why Velcro Dogs are good. Here is my recipe:

1. Get a dog that would rather lay on your chest than do anything else in the whole world... a vizsla will do.
2. Put that dog on a long lead and let him follow you around all day in a big field.
3. Every time he comes when he's called, he gets something great--a game, a treat, love, an invitation to go back to playing if that's what he was doing.
4. If he doesn't come when called, he gets tethered to you for awhile.

We'll see if this is a done deal... adolesence is just rearing its ugly head. I may be fooling myself, but I do think I have a dog that comes when called.

I know it's a case by case kind of thing, but for those of you who have solid recalls, how long did it take you to get to the point you are right now? Also, how much of the recall is training, how much is your relationship with the dog and what other factors affect it?

I have had two dogs with pretty solid (solid-ish) recall, and they were like day and night.

My current pup comes when he's called because he likes to be close to me. I shaped that desire of his by asking him to do it a lot. With him it's desire + practice. Very simple.

The dog I owned before this one was extremely independent and undersocialized and had a prey drive that was out-of-this-world. I think she was actually a dingo and not a dog. She behaved like a wild animal. She would not come for treats, would not come because I asked her to, would not come because we practiced. She came when I called her because I stopped letting her run (one of her favorite things to do) unless we were practicing recall, and she could run for a whole hour as long as she was running toward me when I called her. No recall = game over.

Coming when called meant satisfying her prey drive. She would get a game of tug, a go at the pigeons, another chance to run around... but ONLY if she executed a good recall.

After a month of work, I trusted her off-lead when there weren't other dogs or children around, but I always knew that if she was satisfying the prey drive some other way (ie, attacking a small dog or a child), then she would never come back when called in a million years.

She came when I called her because I stopped letting her run (one of her favorite things to do) unless we were practicing recall, and she could run for a whole hour as long as she was running toward me when I called her. No recall = game over.

I'm sorry, could you elaborate on that, sounds like some drooly freak I know.

I'm also dealing with a stacked deck.  We have a dog that has zero prey drive.  Rabbits can jump over his body and he wouldn't know it.  He stands 20 yds. away from deer and groundhogs in our backyard and just barks.  Apparently, the animals don't feel threatened because they just look at him and go back to eating.
 
He comes when I call him with a whistle.  He is a scaredy dog and would stay with me if possible.  Now, this is in the fenced yard I'm whistling and he's coming.  I don't take him off lead anywhere, so I can't say he's 100% with other dogs and people around.  But, he loves that whistle for some reason.  I just started it and he came.  Our Saint was the same way.  He came to us at 2-3 yrs. of age and he always came with Kato to that whistle. 
 
I know HOW to teach a dog to come following all the steps, but I haven't had to actually do it for real.    

Sure. The only time this dog was allowed to run was if we were practicing recall. So I would go to the ballpark, shut the gates, put her on a 30' lead and do this:

1. Put her in a sit-stay.
2. Walk away and ask her to come.

If she ran over to me, then she got a quick game of tug and was allowed to run again. Another sit-stay, another recall practice. Repeat until attention waned, time was up, or whatever.

If she didn't come when I called her, I picked up the 30' lead, reeled her in and we went home. I set her up for success by practicing this inside the house and the hallway a lot first and starting with very short distances outside. The first outside recalls using this method were from a very short distance and the reward for coming when called was GIGANTIC: she got to chase pigeons every single time she recalled successfully from like 3 feet.

Very quickly she figured out that more recalls = more running, and that was a serious motivator. Soon, we were recalling from sit-stays from very far away and repeating it for a long time--like an hour.

I would say that Dodger has solid recall, obviously mistakes happen but I think its pretty good. I am always on guard for the big distractions and as such I can usually react before Dodger "blocks" me out.  When I'm caught off guard and he's in full take-off mode, he's ignored "come" twice out of 10 or so times[:-]
 
Dodger was introduced to formal recall training in OB classes where you line up with your dog from across the room, call into front position, touch the collar and then into heel position.  At first this was all we did and he was bored, so I made it harder for him and used food.  In Dodger's eyes, food is equal to hunting so having him walk over a hotdog to get to me, really proofed calling him off the hunt.
  
Dodger was allowed off-leash from day one in an enclosed area at first (eventually working up to where we hike now).  I never called him because I looked at the walks as his free-time but if he made the choice to come back to me, it was party time! I'd also hide on him, particularly when he was engrossed in a scent or was getting too far ahead so he learned that tracking me was just as fun as tracking a deer.  I didn't follow the rules of recall training but since I was working with a breed that shouldn't be off-leash, doing things backwards made sense at the time****[].   By having daily off-leash time from an early age, freedom was a given and was nothing to get excited over or ignore me for.
Dodger's breed is suppose to roam and he definately has no sense of "oh I am 50 feet away, maybe I should go back" (so I get jealous of velcro dogs or dogs that know they shouldn't go further than that). Had I tried to control his roaming instincts as a puppy, I think he would have bolted any chance he got because it wouldn't be excessive free time (when you get "too much" of something, it doesn't become as desirable anymore).  Now I can remind him he's too far and he responds out of habit but as a young pup, the constant interruptions would have frustrated him so he'd have just blocked me out.  I avoided "drilling" recall into him as a youngster, it was his choice but was party time when he made that choice (when making the right choice was easy, party time became praise and the occasional treat). And when he was mature enough to handle recall drills, that's when we tackled them and started perfecting the little things.  I also never use "come" unless I mean get over here now - I use "closer" or "this way" when he's too far away or taken the wrong trail. 
Lastly, something that I think is underestimated is the power or tiring out your dog hysically and mentally.  The mental aspect is particularly important because they learn that working with you is fun, the bond (trust and respect in articular) increases and as a result, the dog naturally becomes more attentive IMO. 
 
And Anne, I know you recommend RRR by Leslie Nelson, I had to order it and it's arriving Monday so I can see what all the hype is about[]. I'm hoping it will be there for those out-of-control moments when Dodger's recall is off!
 
**** For anyone reading this, I certainly wouldn't recommend doing things "my way" (the wrong way!!) because in theory the end result should have been disasturous****

I'm definitely watching this thread - Lucy's recall isn't that great, but it's 10x better than it was when we got her this spring.

Jetty - we use a variation on your method now! We don't have a fenced yard, so we take Lucy to my in-laws farm 2-3 times per week. At first she ran like she hought she would never be allowed to run again. I only sat and watched her from the top of the hill and gave her goodies every time she would come to me. She was too excited at first to come unless she was exhaused, but after a couple weeks, she realized that running was something she would get to do often and became more interested in me. Then I started calling her name and giving her goodies or playing games when she came. It's been a few months now, and I was even brave enough to let her go off-lead at an unfenced off-leash area when we were camping with my Dad and his dogs. When we called the dogs in because we saw another dog coming toward us - I was amazed that Lucy was the first one in! She still doesn't come EVERY time I call her, but I do trust her to stay in sight when we go out to play in rural areas.

We got Lucy at approx age two from the local shelter. She knows not to run out the door now, but when we first got her the kids would let her out and she would take off (I've now got the kids trained, too!). The first time, it took me over 30 minutes to catch her, and when I did, she dropped to her belly like she was expecting a beating even though I only called her with a happy tone and was waving a whole pack of hot dogs as bait. I'm pretty sure whoever had her before would punish her for running away once they caught her. (How stupid are people? Would YOU come to someone who was planning on punishing you for obeying them?????)

Anyway, she got loose in town a few more times, but each time she was easier to catch. The last time she got loose (about a month after we got her) she came right to me after she got done saying hello to the dogs one block over. It's been slow, but I'm in no hurry!

ORIGINAL: jenhuedepohl Jetty - we use a variation on your method now!  It's been slow, but I'm in no hurry!

 
YAY its working for you too![] It sounds like you and Lucy are well under way and I imagine her age was/is an extra challenge.  I have no doubts that her recall will continue to improve!!
I think your last sentence is and admiral mantra to follow!

With Dingo, our heeler mix, recall is 100% every time. It helps very much that he always has to have you in his line of vision. I don't think we taught formally a reliable recall. Tootsie, the corgi, has a 99% recall, with me.She is a total mommas girl, so always is near me. Sammy, our min. pin. mix, is really bad. He will sit and stay , so I can get him though.

I am really interested in this thread..My dogs recall sucks!!..it use to be pretty good till one day DH called her and she didn't come for him..So he told her off when he caught her..Now she will look at me and take of the other way..How ever she is only loose in the back yard..I have been working on it putting her on a leash and running backwards telling her to come...Any other suggestions would be great thanks

Blizzard, Drizzle, and Petro are solid in their recall command.  As puppies, Blizzard and Drizzle went through obedience training and with the guide of a Trainer went through the method described by Fisher6000, reward based.  etro I got as an older dog and he did not go through formal obedience training.  He got it through my interaction with the older girls and repetitive behavior.  This has also worked well with the fosters that come to my home and for my needs it is good enough.  Every time and I mean every time a dog comes to me I give the dog a pat on the head and say its name and come.

To me the come command instructs the dog to immediate stop what its doing and run walk or crawl to me.  As I think about it I use various cues to accomplish this.  I say the word come or I hold the back door open or I show them the bright red milkbone box or bang the dog dishes together as a dinner bell.  Drizzle is very responsive to voice commands.  Blizzard is deaf so I need to give her visual cues and this was taught by touching.  Blizzard has learned to always look my way if there is a distraction.  She sees a cat outside the yard, she runs to fence, gets excited, barks, and then looks my way.  I give a hand signal and she is at my side, absolute solid.  With Drizzle, she is solid with recall but does not sustain it for long.  I have to follow up with a sit, down, or stay.

I agree with the OP that a good recall helps keep a dog safe, and out of trouble.  It is also such a convenience that any investment would be worth it.  I also think the "go” command is important but not as important.  By the go command the dog is instructed to leave your side and go about its business somewhere else.  Drizzle would come to me, she would get a pat, and then she would stand and stare.  It then became a waiting game.  David's patience versus Drizzle getting bored from being ignored.  I don't know how she got it but maybe by me saying GO in different tones did the trick.  Now this a command known to all my dogs.  For Blizzard it is a gentle touch.  Pat on the head followed by an elbow touch to the cheek.

When Blizzard and Drizzle were young, I inadvertently left the gate open while doing my gardening.  When I noticed them missing I looked for them and saw them down the alley and out of ear shot.  I got in my car and when I spotted them they parted with Drizzle turning around toward home while Blizzard kept going forward.  I choose to follow Drizzle and drive home because there was more traffic in that direction.  When I got home she was sitting at the gate distressed that she could not get in.  Once Drizzle was secure, I jumped back into my car to retrieve Blizzard.  I heard sirens and saw police cars so I went in their direction.  The police found her and cornered her.  I pulled up, open my car door and give the hand signal to come.  Blizzard responded immediately and she was now safe.  The police told me they received several calls about a white horse loose in the neighborhood.