Why Won't My Dog Come When Called?

An ineffective "recall" is probably the most common training complaint that I get from clients. The scenario below is one example of what can go wrong with this important cue. I had a client call me a couple of years ago and their biggest training issue was the recall. They lived in a rural area with no other houses nearby and their dog preferred to be outside. The dog didn't leave the property, he just liked being outside better than being inside. So, they just let him hang out outside. Like most people, they have to go to work, or do errands and other human things. When they call the dog to bring him inside, the dog ignored them. They call again and again and now patience starts to run thin. They get frustrated. They raise their voice. They try to go to the dog and the dog retreats. They offer the dog food; the dog won't take it. Now they're late for work, and you get the picture. The only way they could secure the dog was to open their car door. The dog would reliably jump in because it meant that he was going along and not being left alone. They would then leash the dog and take him inside. The car was a good fail-safe for now, but that too would fall apart eventually. So, let's unpack this. Dogs are simple in some ways and in other ways they have superpowers. One of their superpowers is connecting events. In training lingo this is called "respondent" learning or "classical" learning. Something happens, and what happens next? Dogs are learning this way 24/7. Think about this. When do you call your dog? Most people call their dog when they need to control the dog in some way. Maybe you have to go to the store, and you need the dog to come inside, or you need to secure the dog in a crate, or put the dog in the car, or take something away from the dog. These are all valid reasons to call your dog but think about it from the dog's point of view. All these examples have negative consequences for the dog. What the dog learns is that the recall is a predictor of something negative. They think, "Nope, not doing it," and the dog avoids coming to you. Dogs think of the world in black and white. Is it safe, is it dangerous and do I benefit? What is in it for the dog? People often tell me that their dog really "wants to please". Is this true? The truth is that dogs want to please themselves and pleasing you is simply the fastest way to accomplish this. In the above scenario, the dog had learned that responding to the human's recall resulted in negative consequences. It was a predictor of being shut up inside and being left alone. The cue had been poisoned. It had become a negative to the dog. "But my dog should come when I call anyway because I want them to!" Is this realistic? Dogs are hardwired to find the pathway to reinforcement (something they want). They are also hardwired to avoid the things that they don't like, things that are dangerous. These are your two options. Punish the dog for not coming or reward the dog for coming. It is black and white. For me, the punishment option is off the table because I know there is a better way. So, let's look at the reward option. Positive reinforcement training is building motor patterns in the dog's brain through repetition and reward. Each time you give the dog a cue and reward the dog, that cue is getting stronger. This is called the reinforcement history. How many times has the recall been cued and reinforced over the dog's lifetime? One hundred times is a start, a thousand times is better. A cue is only as strong as its reinforcement history. A great recall is built by giving the dog's formal recall cue many, many times and always following it up with a reward. I start this with puppies at 8 weeks old, making games out of it so that I can practice many repetitions. By the time the dog is an adult, that cue has a deep reinforcement history attached to it. Make sure that you reward your dog each and every time you call them so that the emotion attached to it is a good one. Call your dog often and at different times, under different circumstances. Reward and release. Soon your dog will be racing to you when you call. Noel Hoffmann Dog Training and Behavior Consulting. www.noelhoffmann.com Copyright 2023 Noel Hoffmann