Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have.
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1. Avoid calling your dog to give them a correction. Practice only calling them when something great is going to happen next.
2. Daily rewards for random check-ins. Provide a reward, whether it’s in the form of a treat or simply your excitement and joy whenever your dog checks in on you.
3. Practice getting your dog to come to you first by using a leash first. Once you say your dog’s name, you can use the leash to encourage your dog to walk towards you. If you feel as though you need to pull them to come to you, this means that the environment you’re working in is too challenging and you need to practice in a calmer one first. Like in your bedroom, your living room, your backyard, etc.
4. If your dog repeatedly doesn’t come after you call him, take into consideration if you're in a distracting setting, and if so, practice again but with a leash. And after you call your dog, make sure that you start walking your dog in the direction you were, to follow through and help your recall associate itself with your dog coming to you.
5. Practice and master your dog’s recall in the easier environments where you feel there is no doubt he will do well with you, before adding little obstacles and distractions like a toy, or food, prior to moving onto more challenging and distracting environments. Remember: Your voice is the most rewarding treat!