Recall is the most important thing you can teach a dog — and the most commonly taught incorrectly. Most dogs learn that "come" means the fun is over. Harold's approach teaches them the opposite.
"A reliable recall takes time to build — but it's built on trust and positive association, not fear or correction."Get Harold's Free Guide Practical help — straight to your inbox.
Harold's approach: "Never chase your dog. Always make coming to you the better option."
The most common reason recall fails is that coming back has been associated with negative outcomes. The dog comes back and the lead goes on, the fun ends, or they get told off for taking so long. They quickly learn that "come" is a word that ends good things.
The second most common reason is inconsistency — the dog is called 10 times before the owner does anything. The dog learns that "come" is optional and that the real command is the frustrated version that comes after the tenth call.
If your dog has learned that coming back ends the fun, recall will always be unreliable.
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Never call your dog to do something they dislike — lead on, bath time, going home. Go and get them instead, or go to them and do the unpleasant thing there. Keep "come" associated with wonderful things only.
When practicing recall, make yourself worth coming to. Crouch down, open your arms, run away from your dog playfully, use a happy excited voice. Be the most interesting thing in the environment. When they arrive, make it a celebration — big rewards, genuine warmth.
Make coming back the best thing that happens to your dog all day.
Practice recall on a 10-metre training lead in open spaces. This lets your dog experience freedom while giving you the ability to gently guide them back if needed. Never punish a dog for coming back slowly — always reward the return, however long it took. Build the habit in low-distraction areas before expecting it to work at the park.