Teaching reliable dog recall is one of the most important skills you’ll develop with your dog. A strong recall keeps your dog safe, gives them freedom to enjoy off-lead exercise, and strengthens the bond between you. Whether you’re starting with a puppy or retraining an adult dog, this guide provides the expert methods, tools, and troubleshooting strategies you need for success.
At Company of Animals, we’ve spent over 40 years at the forefront of dog behaviour and training. Founded by Dr Roger Mugford, world-renowned animal psychologist, our Pet Centre in Chertsey, Surrey has been a hub of expertise since 1979. Under the directorship Dr Emily Mugford, a veterinary surgeon with extensive experience in the pet industry, we continue to advance positive reinforcement techniques through hands-on training, behaviour consultations, and rehabilitation work with hundreds of dogs each year. Fiona Whelan, head behaviourist at our Pet Centre, developed the recall training protocols in this guide based on modern behaviour science and real-world results.
Enriching pets’ lives – Devoted to the physical and mental wellbeing of companion animals.
Understanding Why Dogs Ignore Recall
Dogs aren’t being deliberately disobedient when they ignore your call – they’re simply responding to competing motivations. The environment offers powerful rewards: exciting smells, other dogs to play with, wildlife to chase, or interesting objects to investigate. From your dog’s perspective, these immediate, tangible rewards often outweigh the uncertain value of returning to you.
Breed characteristics influence recall difficulty. Working breeds developed for independence (like terriers, hounds, and some pastoral dogs) were bred to make decisions away from handlers. This doesn’t mean recall is impossible with these breeds, but it does require more consistency, higher-value rewards, and realistic expectations. No breed will achieve 100% reliability in all situations, but most dogs can learn excellent recall with proper training.
Early experiences shape adult behaviour. Dogs who’ve been allowed to self-reward during adolescence (chasing wildlife, ignoring recall, playing with dogs without permission) have learned that independent decision-making is more rewarding than checking in with their owner. Breaking these learned patterns requires patience and a structured training approach that makes returning to you the most valuable choice available.
Essential Tools for Recall Training
The right equipment supports effective training whilst keeping your dog safe during the learning process.
Training Lines for Control and Safety
Long training lines are fundamental to recall training. They provide freedom whilst preventing self-rewarding behaviour that undermines your training. Choose between:
- Standard Coachi Training Lines (10m or 5m) for general use in open spaces. • 10-metre lines are preferable for medium to large dogs (spaniel size upwards) • 5-metre lines may be more manageable for smaller dogs and puppies
- Coachi Waterproof Training Lines for wet conditions or water work
- Shorter lines for smaller dogs – sometimes referred to as a house line or puppy training line.
Attach lines to a well-fitted harness rather than a collar to distribute pressure safely across your dog’s body. This is particularly important when your dog hits the end of the line or if you need to apply gentle guidance.
Long lines serve multiple purposes beyond basic recall training. They’re essential for teaching stay at distance, preventing chase behaviour, and supporting training in environments with moderate distractions whilst maintaining control. Never use a line when other dogs are present, as it creates a tripping hazard and can cause tangling during play.
Whistles for Distance Communication
Dog whistles provide consistency that human voices can’t match. Everyone in your household can create identical whistle sounds, preventing confusion that arises when different family members call with varying tones and volumes. Whistles also carry further than voices and cut through environmental noise like wind or traffic.
The Coachi range includes several options:
- Standard single-tone whistles for straightforward recall
- Two-tone whistles for teaching multiple commands
- Adjustable frequency whistles if your dog shows preference for particular pitches
Establish one specific whistle pattern for recall and stick with it. Many trainers use a long blast (three seconds) to mean “come immediately.” Keep your whistle accessible on a lanyard during all training sessions and outdoor walks.
Clickers for Precision Timing
Clickers mark the exact moment your dog makes the correct decision – the instant they turn towards you, not when they arrive. This precision accelerates learning by clarifying exactly which behaviour earned the reward.
The Coachi Whizzclick and standard training clickers work equally well. The Whizzclick offers adjustable volume, useful in noise-sensitive environments or if your dog finds standard clickers too sharp.
Teaching recall with a clicker: Call your dog using your chosen recall cue (verbal or whistle). The moment your dog turns their head towards you, click immediately. Continue encouraging as they move towards you. When they arrive, slide one hand gently into their collar while delivering the treat with your other hand. This sequence marks the initial response decision (head turn), rewards the approach, and creates a positive association with collar contact.
Practise this in a quiet environment before progressing to areas with mild distractions.
Treat Pouches and High-Value Rewards
Convenient treat access makes the difference between perfect timing and fumbling whilst your dog’s attention wanders. Coachi treat pouches attach securely to your waistband, keeping rewards instantly accessible.
Stock your pouch with genuinely high-value rewards. What counts as “high-value” varies for each dog. Test your dog’s preferences: offer several options simultaneously and note which they choose first. Common high-value treats include cooked chicken, cheese, sausage, or liver, but your dog might prefer different options.
Reserve these premium rewards specifically for recall training rather than using them for everyday behaviours. This maintains their special status and ensures your dog finds returning to you genuinely worthwhile, even when distractions are present.
Training Through Play with Toys
For toy-motivated dogs, play can be more powerful than food rewards. Interactive toys from the Coachi Tuggi range create exciting, rewarding outcomes when your dog responds to recall.
Choose toys specifically for training and keep them special by only bringing them out during training sessions. Dogs quickly learn that coming when called leads to an exciting game of tug, making recall itself a gateway to fun rather than the end of freedom.
Allowing constant access to training toys reduces their value as rewards. Keep training toys special – they appear during training sessions and then get put away, maintaining their status as high-value items worth working for. Your dog can still have access to their regular everyday toys; it’s specifically the training toys that should remain special and separate.
Training toys work particularly well for:
- Recall training – a favourite toy as the reward for coming when called can be more motivating than food for toy-driven dogs
- Redirecting mouthing and chewing – giving puppies an appropriate outlet prevents unwanted chewing on furniture or hands
- Building engagement during training – teaching reliable eye contact and focus through play
- Motivating dogs who aren’t food-focused – if your dog shows minimal interest in treats, a quick play session can provide the motivation needed for effective training
Training toys create positive associations with training itself. Rather than viewing training as boring repetition, dogs who learn through play develop enthusiasm for training sessions, approaching them as opportunities for fun interaction rather than compliance exercises.
Step-by-Step Recall Training Method
Successful recall training follows a systematic progression from controlled environments to real-world challenges. Rushing this progression causes setbacks – patience during early stages creates faster long-term progress.
Think about your walking locations and grade them in order of distraction level:
• Low-distraction environments (quiet gardens, empty fields early morning, enclosed areas with good visibility and few other dogs or wildlife)
• Moderate-distraction environments (quiet parks during off-peak hours, areas with some wildlife and varied scents, moderate dog activity)
• High-distraction environments (busy parks during peak times, areas with significant wildlife or high dog traffic, locations with multiple competing stimuli)
Start training in low-distraction environments and only progress to moderate and then high-distraction locations once your dog responds reliably at the previous level.
Stage 1: Foundation Building in Quiet Spaces
Foundation Building in Quiet Spaces Begin in your garden or another enclosed area with no distractions. Attach your training line to your dog’s harness. Allow them to wander a short distance away (3-5 metres initially). Use your dog’s name to get their attention, then give your recall command once (verbal or whistle) while opening your arms wide. Back away from your dog as you encourage them towards you. Movement is naturally attractive to dogs – backing up creates chase-like motivation. If your dog hesitates, gently use the training line to guide them towards you.
Don’t drag or pull harshly, and don’t repeat your recall command – just provide gentle guidance while making encouraging sounds. When your dog reaches you, immediately reward with an appropriate-value treat or a brief game with a toy. Slide one hand gently into their collar while delivering the reward with your other hand. This creates a positive association with collar contact, preventing collar-shy behaviour.
Practise 5-10 repetitions per session, always ending on success. Keep sessions brief (10-15 minutes) to maintain enthusiasm. As your dog responds consistently at 3-5 metres, gradually increase the distance to the full length of your training line before moving to more distracting environments.
Stage 2: Introducing Mild Distractions
Progress to quiet parks or fields during off-peak hours when few people and dogs are present. Continue using your training line – this isn’t the time to remove it. The line provides safety if your dog chooses investigation over recall, preventing self-rewarding experiences that undermine training.
Environmental distractions now compete for your dog’s attention: new smells, different surfaces, distant movement. Accept that responses will be slower than in your garden. This is normal and expected – you’re building reliability across varying contexts, not expecting instant perfection.
If your dog ignores your recall, use the training line to guide them back to you without emotion or frustration. Then immediately create an easier scenario – call when they’re already looking at you, or reduce the distance before calling. Set your dog up for success rather than repeatedly failing in situations beyond their current ability.
Practise at this level until your dog responds within 3-5 seconds in most situations, with occasional glances at distractions but consistent choice to return to you.
Stage 3: Working With Real-World Challenges
Real-world environments present significant challenges: other dogs, wildlife, exciting smells, people, vehicles. These environments require your dog to choose you over genuinely compelling alternatives.
Continue using your training line throughout this stage. Many owners remove lines too early and discover their dog’s recall wasn’t as reliable as they believed. When starting off-lead work, choose quiet environments at times when your dog is calmer – typically towards the end of a walk rather than at the beginning when energy and excitement are highest.
Never call your dog away from something exciting and then provide nothing of equivalent value. If you’re calling your dog away from another dog or an interesting smell, have exceptional rewards ready – multiple high-value treats, exciting play, or anything your individual dog finds genuinely compelling.
Environmental rewards management is crucial. If your dog loves meeting other dogs, use this as a reward: call your dog away from a distance, reward heavily, then release them to return to play. They learn that recall doesn’t end fun – it’s a brief interruption that leads to resuming enjoyable activities.
Building Reliability Through Recall Games
Games make training enjoyable whilst building the automatic response you want. Incorporate these into daily life rather than treating them as formal training sessions.
Hide and Seek
During everyday activities, disappear behind a tree, door, or piece of furniture. When your dog notices you’re missing, call your recall cue as they search for you. Reward enthusiastically when they find you. This builds active attention – your dog learns to monitor your location and check in frequently.
Progress to hiding in different rooms of your house, in the garden, or behind obstacles during walks. The element of surprise and the reward of “finding” you creates strong positive associations with responding to recall.
Chase Recalls
Run away from your dog whilst calling your recall cue. Most dogs instinctively chase movement, making this highly motivating. When they catch you, reward heavily with treats, play, or both. This builds speed of response and creates excitement around returning to you.
Keep the game simple and consistent – run away, call your recall cue, and reward when your dog catches you. This clear pattern helps your dog understand exactly what behaviour earns the reward.
Recall Race
With two people and one dog, practise calling the dog between you. Keep distances short initially. When the dog reaches the person who called, they receive a reward before the other person calls them back. This rapid-fire recall practice builds reliable responses through high repetition in a fun, game-like format.
Gradually increase the distance between people. Introduce mild distractions – practice in different rooms, in the garden, then in quiet outdoor spaces.
All games should be fun, fast-paced, and heavily rewarded to build positive associations with coming when called.
Common Recall Training Mistakes
Avoid these pitfalls that undermine even well-planned training programmes.
Using Recall to End Fun
If recall consistently means clipping the lead and leaving the park, your dog learns that coming when called ends enjoyable experiences. Instead, practise recalls multiple times during walks without ending the activity. Call your dog, reward, then release them to continue exploring or playing. Occasional recalls should lead to going home, but these should be far outnumbered by recalls that precede continued freedom.
Inconsistent Reinforcement
Variable reinforcement schedules eventually strengthen behaviours, but only after establishing the basic response with consistent reinforcement. During initial training, reward every successful recall without exception. Once the behaviour is reliable, you can begin varying rewards – sometimes treats, sometimes play, sometimes just verbal praise – but never completely eliminate reinforcement.
Punishment After Successful Recall
If your dog finally returns after being called multiple times, never punish them, even if you’re frustrated by their delay. They’ll associate the punishment with the act of returning rather than the initial failure to respond. Every recall that results in your dog reaching you must be rewarded, regardless of how long it took or how many times you called.
Poisoning Your Recall Cue
When a recall cue has been used repeatedly without reinforcement, or followed by unpleasant experiences, it becomes “poisoned” – your dog learns to ignore it because it predicts nothing rewarding. If your current recall cue is ineffective, choose a completely new one. With puppies or young dogs with limited training history, standard cues like “come” or “here” work well. For dogs with poisoned cues, select something novel: a whistle pattern, a new word, or even a distinctive sound.
Training Without Adequate Control
Off-lead training before reliability exists creates the exact self-rewarding experiences you’re trying to prevent. Use long training lines until your dog demonstrates consistent response across various environments. This takes weeks or months, not days.
Understanding Individual Differences
Not all dogs learn at the same pace. Factors affecting recall progress include:
Age and Development
Puppies under six months have short attention spans and limited impulse control. Keep training sessions brief (5-10 minutes) with frequent success. Adolescent dogs (roughly 6-18 months) experience hormonal changes and increased independence. Recall often deteriorates during adolescence even in previously reliable dogs. Maintain training consistency and avoid reducing reinforcement during this challenging period.
Adult dogs with no previous training history require patience whilst establishing new behaviours. Dogs who’ve spent years successfully ignoring recall need to unlearn established patterns before new behaviours can emerge.
Breed Characteristics and Drive
Sighthounds bred for independent chase may never achieve the immediate response of biddable breeds like retrievers or collies. This doesn’t mean recall training fails – it means adjusting expectations and maintaining management (using lines in areas with wildlife, for example).
Terriers developed for independent pest control may find environmental investigation more compelling than social interaction with owners. Again, realistic expectations, consistent training, and appropriate management create safe, enjoyable off-lead time without unrealistic demands on breed-typical behaviour.
Previous Experiences
Rescue dogs may have learned that humans are unpredictable or untrustworthy. Building reliable recall requires first establishing a foundation of trust through consistent, positive interactions. Dogs from kennels or breeding facilities with limited human contact need socialisation alongside recall training.
Dogs who’ve experienced punishment-based training may have generalised fear of training situations or specific cues. Rebuilding confidence requires patience, consistency, and absolutely reliable positive reinforcement.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
When progress stalls, systematic problem-solving identifies solutions.
Dog Responds in Garden But Not Outside
This indicates insufficient progression through training stages. Your dog hasn’t generalised the behaviour beyond familiar environments. Return to Stage 2 (mild distractions) and build more foundation before advancing. Use higher-value rewards outside than you use in the garden.
Dog Comes Most of the Way Then Stops
This pattern often develops when owners move toward their dog to deliver rewards. The dog learns that approaching to about 2-3 metres is sufficient – the owner will close the remaining distance. Solution: remain stationary when your dog is approaching. If they stop, back away several steps whilst encouraging. Only reward when your dog reaches you fully.
Dog Returns But Won’t Let You Take Hold of Collar
This indicates either previous negative experiences with collar-taking, or inadequate positive conditioning. Practice collar-touching in non-recall contexts: repeatedly touch your dog’s collar and immediately deliver a high-value treat. Incorporate this into every recall – your hand slides into the collar as you deliver the reward, creating positive associations.
Selective Reliability Based on Distraction Level
All dogs show reduced reliability as distraction increases. The question is whether the reduction is manageable. If your dog responds 90% of the time in quiet environments but only 30% around other dogs, continue building reliability at lower distraction levels before progressing. Use management (long lines) in high-distraction environments until reliability improves.
Tips for Distracted Dogs
Some dogs struggle more with distractions than others. Certain breeds (sight hounds, scent hounds, terriers) were developed specifically to focus intensely on prey or scents, making recall training more challenging.
Working below threshold
Every dog has a threshold distance from distractions where they can still respond to cues. Closer than this threshold, they become too focused to process what you’re asking.
Identify your dog’s threshold for various distractions. For other dogs, this might be 20 metres. For wildlife, perhaps 50 metres. For food on the ground, maybe 5 metres.
Always train below threshold initially. If your dog fixates and cannot respond to any cue, you’re too close – increase distance and try again.
As training progresses, gradually decrease threshold distances, but never push so hard that your dog repeatedly fails to respond.
Training Across Life Stages
Recall training needs evolve as your dog matures.
Puppy Recall (8 Weeks to 6 Months)
Puppies under 16 weeks naturally stay close to their owners – exploit this tendency. Build strong recall foundations during this critical period through frequent, heavily rewarded practice. Use exciting verbal encouragement and back away from puppies to create chase motivation.
Keep training sessions extremely brief. Puppies learn through everyday interactions – you don’t need formal 20-minute training sessions. Instead, practise recalls 10-15 times throughout the day in normal activities. Call your puppy for meals, for play, when they wake up, when you move between rooms. Each successful recall receives enthusiastic praise and rewards.
Introduce the Coachi Puppy Training Line early to establish boundaries whilst maintaining safety. Start with 5-metre lines in gardens, progressing to longer lines as your puppy grows and develops more independence.
Adolescent Training (6 Months to 18 Months)
Adolescence brings increased independence, confidence around environmental distractions, and sometimes deliberate testing of boundaries. Recall may deteriorate even in previously reliable dogs.
Dogs need more freedom during this phase to develop, but they still need to respond reliably. Continue using training lines in challenging environments, increase reward value, and maintain consistent training even when progress seems slow. This temporary regression requires patience and consistency, not reduced expectations or giving up on training.
Adult Dog Maintenance
Once reliability is established, maintain it through ongoing practice and occasional high-value rewards. Dogs who receive rewards for recall only during formal “training” sessions often show degraded responses over time. Incorporate recall into everyday life – recall before meals, before play sessions, during walks before allowing investigation of interesting smells.
Periodically return to foundation training with high-value rewards to prevent deterioration. A few weeks of intensive reward-based practice annually maintains strong responses even in dogs with excellent reliability.
Management strategies
While training progresses, manage situations to prevent practising unwanted behaviour:
- Keep your dog on a training line until recall is truly reliable
- Walk during quieter times when fewer distractions are present
- Create distance from known triggers while building skills
- Use visual barriers (trees, hills) to reduce stimulation when needed
Management isn’t a failure – it’s responsible training that prevents your dog from practising ignoring you while skills develop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to train reliable recall?
Most dogs develop basic recall within 6-8 weeks of consistent daily practice, but achieving reliability across all environments takes 6-12 months. Factors affecting timeline include your dog’s age, previous training, breed characteristics, and consistency of practice. Adolescent dogs may temporarily regress regardless of training quality.
Can all dogs learn reliable recall?
With appropriate training, nearly all dogs can develop functional recall suitable for their individual circumstances. However, “reliable” means different things for different breeds and individuals. A spaniel might achieve 95% reliability in all environments, whilst a husky might achieve 70% reliability requiring ongoing management in high-distraction situations. Both represent successful training adjusted for realistic expectations.
When can I let my dog off lead?
Remove the training line only after achieving consistent response across multiple environments over several weeks. Test reliability by dropping the line (letting it drag) rather than removing it entirely. If your dog responds reliably with the dragging line across various situations for 2-3 weeks, try short off-lead sessions in enclosed spaces. Build gradually, returning to the line if reliability decreases.
How do I train a dog in noisy, busy environments?
Never start training in busy environments – this sets your dog up to fail. Build reliable responses in quiet, low-distraction environments first (gardens, empty fields during off-peak hours). Progress to moderate-distraction locations only after achieving 80-90% success rate in quiet environments. Approach high-distraction environments (busy parks during peak times) only when your dog responds consistently in moderate locations. Even in busy environments, use higher-value rewards than in quiet spaces, and don’t expect the same speed or reliability you achieve in calm settings. Management and realistic expectations are key.
Should I use a whistle or verbal cue for recall?
Both work effectively. Whistles offer advantages including consistency across handlers, emotion-free sound, and superior distance capability. Verbal cues allow more flexibility in public spaces where whistle use might disturb others. Many trainers use both – whistles for distance work and verbal cues for close-range recalls. Choose based on your training environment and personal preference, then remain consistent.
How can treats improve recall response?
Treats must genuinely compete with environmental distractions, but what counts as high-value varies for each dog. While many dogs love small pieces of cooked chicken, cheese, sausage, or liver, you need to discover what your individual dog finds most rewarding. Some dogs prefer toys, play, or praise over food. Create a reward hierarchy based on your dog’s preferences: lower-value rewards for easy recalls, highest-value for challenging situations. Deliver treats immediately when your dog reaches you – delay weakens the association between returning and reward. Carry treats in a waist pouch for instant access, and occasionally give “jackpot” rewards (multiple treats at once) for especially quick responses.