Recall Games

I use Round Robin and Hide and Seek.  Details available at a later date if you would like...I can post or you can send a PM.  Your choice, got to get ready for work at the moment.

 Ping Pong Puppy, aka Pinball Puppy

 This is for dogs that are already succeeding at some of the more common exercises:

Have a friend stand nearby.  Then throw a tennis ball so it lands near your friend.  Call your dog as soon as you make the toss. If the dog goes for the ball, your friend picks it up before the dog gets there, and no amount of begging, pawing or whining will get the ball - your friend should just ignore the dog completely and look away.  When the dog gets around to getting to you, you can pat, but don't make a big deal.  Repeat and if the dog comes to you on the first call, get out the roast beef and party hearty!  The dog should always think that getting to his or her human is the best thing since sliced bread, and wayyyy better than tennis balls;-)

Round Robin works on recall and name recognition.  You can have all people with treats (especially important with multiple family members or with only owner having treats).  Set up in a fairly circular group.  Dog's name is called one time, with a bit of hand movement if necessary.  Dog goes to person and is given a treat when standing or sitting quietly.  Another person calls name and procedure is repeated.  Usually play the game only a few turns to keep novely high.  Stop the exercise, do another activity and return to the game one more time.  I usually control the time by the number of treats available for any given session.

 Another thing you can try is "restrained recall".  You hold two dogs at one end of the hall, side by side.  The owners show the dogs some stinky treats, then they quickly back up away from the dog - the dog really, really wants to get to the owner who should be cheerleading the whole time.  You tell them "call your dog" and let go of the dogs (try to be sure the dogs are still looking at their owners at that moment), and they call.  Most dogs get to the owner like a rocket, whereupon the owner feeds the dog tiny, tiny soft treats for a full twenty seconds!  (You'll have to coach them, most people don't reward long enough - the dog will think he died and went to heaven, and it cements the "human is the best thing since sliced bread" scenario.)  As they get better at it, you can dispense with the lure at first, and just have the owners back up and go further back.  Another variation is to have the dogs run opposite directions instead of side by side.  Dogs that don't go to their human can watch while their person feeds the other person's dog that DID come to its owner.  Then re-run them.  Hint: You can give the first owner some of the other owner's treats in case their dog is bored with their own, or supply a bit of liverwurst that the slow dog's owner can use to make the point once he gets there:-)

These seem kind of similar to stuff I already do.  Round Robin is similar to my "puppy come" game.  I have the family go in their living room or backyard and take turns calling the dog and giving treats.  I do a restrained recall, too, by holding the dog while the owner runs away.  Thanks for the help, though!  :)