The recall command

Most important dog obedience tip training.

However you choose to train your dog, if you want to be a responsible dog owner or you just want to keep you dog safe, then your dog must always come to you when called.

He must learn to come to you under any condition or distraction. He should always come without hesitation.

I started dog obedience training with Smash when I first brought him home as a cute little puppy. I wanted him to always associate coming to me with a pleasant experience. If I had to scold him, I always made sure he knew what act he was scolded for and I never scolded him after he came to me on a recall command.

Now that he has reached adolescence, he is trying to assert his alpha dog nature. I am having to formalize the obedience training on the recall command to make sure he understands that there is no question about whether he can choose to obey or not.

He must learn to come when called both on leash and off.

One dog obedience training tip I can offer in recall training is to drop to a kneeling posture when calling the dog. I am not sure what this body language means to the dog but it sure improves his response to the command.

Always give lots of praise to your dog for coming to a recall command no matter why you called him to you. And never ever punish a dog for coming to you when called.

Dog obedience training is always based on your dog trusting you. Make sure coming to you when called is always rewarded.