Why won’t my dog come back when called?

A typical question we get asked is: “Why is it that when I try to call Homer, he only comes back to me when he feels like it?”

The scenario could be at a dog park where Homer, distracted with other dogs, is being called repetitively by his owner: “HOMER come here, I said, HOMER, HOMER will you come here right now!” Eventually, the owner ends up chasing or playing a form of tag with Homer.

The recall command can be a tough command to learn. To get a reliable off leash direct recall, takes time and it would be easier to start with basic dog training which is on a six-foot leash. Also, having a Professional Dog Trainer guiding you with the recall command would simplify the routine.

An example of helping your dog to come to you is to motivate the dog by tapping your legs. Once the dog comes to you, even though it might be an automatic reaction, never scold him. By doing this, he’ll think twice before coming back to you the next time. Instead, always give the dog lots of praise when he comes back to you. Also, always make sure to keep the dog and yourself safe by having good control over the leash.

Providing a positive and motivational reinforcement approach to a daily training obedience routine will help modify this behavior problem.

Professional Dog Trainer

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