Recall Training Puppies - Instantly Teach Your Puppy To Come

In an ideal world, recall training puppies should be a walk in the park.

I mean, from a young age, puppies will typically follow you wherever you go, making it the best time to unleash your puppy and allow him to explore the big wide world.

On paper it sounds simple, however making this behavior stick can become a challenge as their natural sense of curiosity and wonder can make it difficult to train them.

Even for the savviest puppy owner.

So in this long and detailed post, I’m going to be taking you through the how’s, why’s and what of the best recall training advice you will ever hear…

…EVER

So pull up an easy chair and grab a snack while I take you deep down the rabbit hole of recall training puppies.

And by the way, if you wanna skip the fluff and get straight to the meat an potatoes of puppy training then I highly recommend you take a look at The Online Dog Trainer Video Membership Site.

This Video Reveals All…

Click Here To Visit The Online Dog Trainer

Best Age To Start Recall Training Puppies

Now, most puppies will instinctively remain close to a member of a family when they are on unfamiliar territory.

So in the early stages, you should utilize this behavior to your advantage by training your puppy anywhere after 8 weeks of age.

Make sure you take your puppy to an unfamiliar but safe place without any other dogs, such as a paddock, a fire-trail, a park or a large garden.

Then, when all is secure, simply remove your puppy’s lead and walk away without paying attention to him.

In this potentially dangerous and unfamiliar place, you’ll be conditioning your canine friend to pay attention and follow you.

When To Let Your Puppy Off The Leash

When you are certain you have a strong recall, you may be tempted to let your pup off the leash most of the times.

It can be quite liberating and exciting at first, and some of the best moments are had off the lead, but other times it is not worth the risk.

Regardless of how well you think a dog is trained there are some specific situations where your puppy might take off.

Some puppies will find going after a squirrel or a rabbit pretty irresistible, while others may take off if they get spooked by a car or motorbike.

And it goes without saying that you should never ever walk your puppy in traffic without a leash.

In time, you’ll be able to gauge the distraction threshold of your puppy and with enough practice, you’ll know when it’s good to keep them on the leash.

Instead of setting a situation where they might run into unsafe conditions or won’t listen.

And if you are not sure about the reliability of your dog, it’s better to keep him leashed to prevent potential dangers.

What Not To Do

If you call your canine companion several times and he doesn’t come back to you, avoid reprimanding him when he returns later.

It can be really annoying when your puppy ignores you, but when he eventually returns, and you get angry, he might not respond when you call him the next time.

And by no means should recall training involve using any type of shock collar regardless of the circumstance.

If possible, avoid chasing your puppy unless it’s an emergency. Puppies love playing chase and this will more than likely just excite them further.

Recall Training Puppies – A Step By Step Guide

Step #1 – Setting Up For Success

So first things first…

Probably the most important aspect of recall training puppies is looking for an environment that is quiet and free of any distractions.

You can do it in your lounge or even in your backyard at home.

Either way, the place you choose will be utilized for a great deal of this training so make sure you’re happy with the location.

Now before you begin, make sure your puppy loves the food treat you are offering for training.

If he doesn’t like it, then it’s not a reward, and you have to figure out what he does wants.

So to begin, start with your puppy on a lead, ensuring that you hold a delicious treat to his muzzle.

Next, say the word COME with a clear and enthusiastic voice. Keep in mind that you want your puppy to recognize this command later amidst distractions and at far distances.

Now slowly move backward.

If your puppy is hesitant to move in the beginning then you’ll need to repeat this as many times as needed until he understands that he must follow you.

In most cases, there will be a significant variation in the first responses so be patient and take as long as you need to get this first step down.

Praise And Excitement

Once you are moving backward and your dog is following, make sure you respond with and praise and excitement.

This excitement will be incredibly contagious to your puppy and help him develop a positive association with the training.

Once you can get your puppy to successfully follow you for anywhere from 3-5 meters, stop and then reward your dog as he remains seated.

Keep the focus of your dog on the treats, rewarding him for staying in the sitting position before you give the release command, FREE.

Once you give the FREE cue, insist your puppy leaves the sitting position. If he remains seated, throw a ball or another treat away from yourself while reconfirming the cue FREE until he starts to understand.

Repetitions will easily strengthen this association, but remember that early training will be greatly enhanced by utilizing the lead to block any incorrect response attempts, like moving towards any distractions.

Step #2 – Opposition Reflex

Once you’ve got step one down to a tee, it’s now time to come up with a creative scenario where your puppy desperately wants to come close to you.

This is where we can use opposition reflex to our advantage.

Use opposition reflex where a helper gentle restrains your puppy or dog by his collar or lead. As if they were pulling your puppy away from you.

By doing this, your puppy’s opposition reflex will kick in automatically giving him the urge to pull towards you.

Tease your puppy with tasty food treats as your helper gently restrains him.

But before you give him any treats, quickly turn your back and retreat to a distance between 5-10 meters.

Turn and face your puppy and say COME. while signaling your helper to release their grip on your puppy’s lead or collar.

After saying COME, give your puppy plenty of praise/attention and remember to keep it exciting.

And again, make sure the puppy is in a sitting position before rewarding him. Giving additional treats for maintaining the position.

Use the cue, FREE to release your puppy, throwing a ball or treat for him to fetch to help him understand to cue.

Repeat as many times as needed until your puppy gets the idea.

Step #3 – Increase Timing

For this step, you can go ahead set-up exactly the same way you would for step two.

Only this time, as you run away from your puppy, turn around to face him and count 5 seconds before you call COME.

And again, use lot’s of praise/attention after calling COME and keep it as exciting as possible.

Make sure your puppy is sitting before rewarding him and give more rewards for maintaining position.

Having around five to ten effective repetitions of this step will make your puppy believe that COME refers to a special term that gives him what he desires most at that moment in time.

Step #4 – Remove The Initial Treat

In the same way set-up you would for step three and two, but in this case, you won’t tease the puppy with the food treat before you leave.

The food should be in your pocket or treat pouch and your hands empty.

Slowly increase your distance when running away before you saying COME.

And as always, remember to use plenty of praise and attention after calling COME and keep it exciting.

Make sure the puppy is in a sitting position before you reward him.

Repeat as many times as needed before moving to step five.

Step #5 – Stay Out Of Sight

Set-up in the same way as step four without any food tease.

Only this time, you will run out of sight where your puppy cannot see you.

Now, depending on the training location this isn’t always possible.

If this is the case you could always move to a different location or even hide in a different room, or even behind your kitchen bench or any other place.

Try and vary the location each and practice, practice, practice.

You understand the drill!

If you’re feeling confident you can also slowly reduce the amount of praise and attention you show your puppy each and every time he’s successful. Only giving him a treat and praise occasionally.

Step #6 – Make It A Game

Next up you should start adding a little fun into the training by turning it into a game and increasing the challenge.

For this to work, you can hide behind a door, behind the couch, in the bushes, in a wardrobe, under a bed, behind the shed, or any other place.

Call COME and remain silent.

If your puppy finds you, reward him with an exciting play such as rolling with him around the floor, belly rubs or a retrieve or tug game using a toy.

Step #7 – Add Distractions

By now your puppy should strongly associate the COME cue with a feeling of praise, attention, and rewards.

So the next step is to add in some much-needed distraction to see if your puppy responds appropriately.

Look for a moderately distracting training place like a park with a few or no other dogs.

A secure park or safe walking route would be ideal.

If he looks stressed or uncomfortable, then you should avoid any training and address this issue first.

If he seems happy then you’re all good to go.

You can now go ahead and practice steps two to six, increasing the challenge or difficulty only when you feel your puppy is confident enough to do so.

If your puppy fails to respond promptly, then revisit the previous steps until your puppy feels confident enough before moving on to the next step.

It’s also a great idea in these situations to obtain a long-line.

This can be a retractable lead, a horse lunge-lead, or even just a long dog lead five to ten meters in length.

This will make absolutely sure that your puppy will not run away and in some cases make them feel more relaxed in their surroundings.

Step #8 – Further Training

By now your puppy should be very responsive to both the COME and FREE commands and react accordingly whenever you give him instructions.

To further enhance his training, set up different situations to continually improve the learning experience.

For instance, consider creating scenarios where it’s essential for your puppy to come such as whenever someones at the door or you accidentally leave your front gate open.

Attach a retractable lead or long-line while you’re trying out these methods though as the last thing we want is your puppy running out the front gate never to be seen again.

Final Thoughts

Training your puppy to come whenever called is an incredibly basic command that every owner should teach.

This training will not only promote polite behavior in your pet, but it can also save the life of your puppy as well.

Inquisitive puppies typically get into trouble most times without constant supervision.

A teasing squirrel or even an unfriendly dog can potentially lure your puppy to run into oncoming traffic before you have a chance to react.

Puppies are pretty fast and attempting to chase them down is a race that you will never win.

However, by teaching your puppy the recall, they will remain safe, happy and most importantly, within reach even without the use of a leash.

Do you have any more ideas about recall training puppies? Let me know in the comments below…