My Dog Won't Come Back

As a dog owner, I like a lot of dog-related pages on Facebook. So many in fact, that images of Collies and other breeds drown out posts from human friends (not that I mind - I don't really need to know about your recent horrific stomach bug).

On these dog pages, I see a lot of owners stressing that their dogs have little or no recall when they let them off their leads in the park.

It's simple - no recall, don't let them off.

There, that's lesson one out of the way.

Dogs do need exercise. Some more than most, obviously. But the fact is, you shouldn't be letting them have free run if you have never even attempted recall training.

But you will be happy to know that it is quite simple to do. Depending on the stubbornness of your dog, and your dedication to training, you could have a dog with a solid recall within just a few short weeks.

First of all, if you are letting Fido off-lead without any real training, let's address some of the common behaviours YOU are exhibiting which may well make Fido keen to keep running.

Status Update: "Just out for a walk with my dog."

One problem is ignoring your dog completely. You let him off lead, take out your phone and start updating Facebook. Half an hour later you look up, night has fallen and Fido is nowhere to be seen.

This one is simple: put your phone away and pay attention to your dog. Dogs thrive on positive experiences and love to keep entertained. If you are glued to your phone screen, he is going to go off to find something better to do.

So stop ignoring him. Take a tennis ball or a new toy and encourage play. Make him see that you are fun to be with, and he'll be less likely to go off to entertain himself.

Also, if you do find you ignore Fido until it is home time, this could further impact his willingness to return ...

Let's not forget that dogs are smart. He will cotton on to the fact that you only call when it is home time. Therefore he will be keen to ignore you and run further away when he hears his name. You need to call him back regularly throughout the walk for a quick fuss, treat or game. This way he'll never know when it is time to go.

"BAD DOG! I've been running after you for half an hour!"

Well done! You have finally caught your dog, have mud all over your jeans, your hair is in disarray and your dignity is long gone.

Time to put the lead back on, making sure you scold Fido to let him know how mortified and exhausted you are. Now Fido has learned a valuable lesson - if he returns to you, he gets scolded. So he is keen to avoid that experience, and will be less likely to return voluntarily in future.

Even if you do have to change name, country and your physical appearance to avoid being recognised as the lunatic from the dog park, you should never scold your dog for coming back to you. Say nothing. Put the lead on, take him home and next time you're on a walk don't let him off again until you have actually trained recall.

When you have clipped the lead on, go ahead and give him a quick pat on the head while you're walking back to the car. He's good. He came back. He deserves it.

Oh, Fido, Please come here ...

You're standing upright, arms by your side, gesturing very vaguely with one hand to a spot a few feet in front of you. Your dog is on the other side of the field, yet you use a voice which, unfortunately, only you can hear. Your dog isn't paying any attention whatsoever.

Sound familiar?

Dogs like excitement. It riles them up and gets them ready to respond. If you are anything like the person I described above, you've got no chance. You need to be exciting. Bent down a little, arms waving around, patting your legs, shouting in a daft voice if you need to. That's what'll get your dog back. Not a voice and attitude similar to Hooks from Police Academy.

So ... How do I actually get my dog to come back?

You're still with me so far. Great! Perhaps you are guilty of one of the above, or maybe all of the above? At least you know now, and you can fix it.

Your first job is to go out and get a long line. You can find these in most good pet shops, and on Amazon for a relatively good price.

These leads are great for maintaining control and giving your dog a bit of freedom at the same time.

Begin in a quiet area. Not in the middle of the town or in a busy dog park.

For starters you only need to give your dog a small bit of leeway. Just let the lead go a little bit and give your dog a few moments to explore, and then call him back enthusiastically. By that I mean bend yourself down, open out your arms, pat your legs and call with an exciting voice. As soon as your dog comes back to you, reward. Give him plenty of fuss, a treat, a go with his favourite toy. Play fetch if your dog knows how - this is a great way to keep his focus on you, and of course great for exercise! Just be wary of how hot and tired your dog might be getting if you do opt for fetch. Some dogs don't know when to quit!

At this early stage, if you are feeling adventurous, you can start introducing a release command too ... this is useful. My own Collie is trained to lie down while I unclip his lead, and he will not budge from my side until I tell him: "Go on then!" He takes off like a jet, but wheels around to face me again - we've built that interaction on the walk from the off. It is no longer him doing his thing and me doing mine - we're in it together. It's a group activity.

Give it a go. When your dog has returned to you, give him some fuss and then say: "Go on then" before he runs off.

Keep doing this. Give your dog more and more room to work with by letting the lead out bit by bit. If you ever find he starts ignoring you, it's okay - just check you're offering enough of a reward and that you are being enthusiastic and loud enough. Reel him in a bit more and just go back a step until he responds every single time.

If you haven't already introduced the release command, now your dog is responding well it might be time to give it a go.

It is good to begin by walking your dog to the field on a normal lead. Get him to lie down, or sit, whichever is your preference (and if your dog doesn't know how to do either of these yet, we have work to do!!). It is a bonus if your dog knows "wait" too - again, if not, keep an eye out for the article telling you how to teach it.

So, get your pooch to sit or lie and give the "wait" command. Clip the long line on before you unclip the lead, just in case your dog takes off. When you're ready, give the release command. If you have no tennis ball, frisbee, or your dog doesn't retrieve, just immediately regain his attention by calling him. Remember the enthusiasm we mentioned before.

You could, if you are ready, go on to places with distractions. I highly recommend building up to this little by little though - don't go from a quiet field to a busy park. Go from no distractions to occasional distractions, and then distractions at a distance, closer distractions, more distractions etc. Don't let him off entirely until you are sure he will come back. It might be a good idea to keep the lead on him for a while, for your own peace of mind if anything, as long as there is nothing your dog can get it tangled in.

Finally, remember to keep topping up the recall. Just because he's nailed it once doesn't mean he won't revert to his habits of ignoring you - this is more likely to happen if you revert to your bad habits. You need to keep rewarding, and it doesn't even have to be treats - throwing the tennis ball for him will be a reward. A quick fuss and belly rub is a reward. Just reminding him what a good boy he is is a reward too.

Good luck human and Fido - happy walkies!