A dog who won’t come when called isn’t just frustrating — it can be dangerous. Reliable recall can prevent accidents, stop risky behavior, and give your dog more freedom safely. That’s why teaching recall the right way is one of the most important skills any dog should learn. In this post, I’ll lead you directly to the training your dog needs to come when called every time.
Professional Dog Trainer and Behavioral Specialist, Doggy Dan (owner of the dog training website, TheOnlineDogTrainer.com) has worked with thousands of dogs throughout his career.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission (at no extra cost to you). I donate 10% of my profits to animal charities.
Are You Terrified to Let Your Dog Off the Leash?
A dog who won’t come when called isn’t just frustrating — it can be genuinely dangerous, depending on the situation. One missed recall can put your dog at risk of traffic, wildlife, other dogs, or getting lost altogether. When you don’t trust your dog to come back to you, off-leash freedom stops feeling fun and starts feeling scary. That’s why reliable recall training is one of the most important skills you can teach your dog.
4 Most Common Reasons Why Dogs Won’t Come When Called
Dogs usually don’t ignore recall cues out of stubbornness or defiance. In most cases, recall problems come down to gaps in training, communication, or trust. Understanding the most common reasons dogs fail to come when called is the first step toward fixing the issue and building a more reliable recall.
Four of the most common reasons dogs won’t come when called are:
1. Too many distractions
2. Leadership issues
3. Lack of consistency
4. They’re afraid of you
It’s Probably Not Your Dog’s Fault
Most dogs aren’t being intentionally defiant when they ignore a recall cue. In many cases, recall problems are the result of miscommunication between a dog and their human — not stubbornness or a lack of intelligence. When expectations aren’t clear or training hasn’t been built step by step, dogs simply don’t understand what’s being asked of them, especially in distracting or high-energy situations.
Watch My Video: Dog Recall Training
Why Most Recall Training Methods Fail
Any fear-based training method is ultimately going to fail because those methods will make them actually try to get away from you instead of coming to you.
Recall training with treats only works in a perfect situation. If there are distractions, your dog likely won’t be interested in a treat. For example, if you’re in the park and your dog sees a squirrel, he’s going to care more about the squirrel than a treat!
And if you don’t happen to always have treats available, this recall training method won’t be useful.
Dog Recall Training
If you’re struggling with recall, don’t give up just yet!
The trick to getting your dog to come when called (or getting your dog to do most anything, actually), is to communicate with your dog effectively. And by effectively, I mean in a way your dog will actually understand.
You can watch a video of Doggy Dan discussing this here.
The Dog Calming Code
Doggy Dan has developed a dog training program called, The Dog Calming Code. This program addresses each of the four common reasons why dogs won’t come when called.
More importantly, the program focuses on building a relationship with your dog in a kind and gentle way. This builds trust for your dog, so they’ll come when you call them.
The Dog Calming Code is a program that addresses the root cause of your dog’s behavior. So no matter where you are or what’s going on around you, your dog will ALWAYS come when called.
Are you ready to have a dog that will listen in any situation, even if there’s something as tempting as a squirrel or another dog nearby?
Check out this training program and see how it can benefit you and your dog, not only with recall issues, but with dog training issues of any kind.
Who is Doggy Dan?
Doggy Dan is the creator of the dog training website, TheOnlineDogTrainer.com. Read more about Doggy Dan here.
More Help with Dog and Puppy Recall
- Getting Your Dog to Come When Called
- Dog Recall Training
- Puppy Recall Training
- Dogs That Won’t Listen
I Donate to Animal Charities
Thank you for visiting my website! If you purchase a product or service using various links on my site, I will receive a small commission. I donate 10% of my profits to animal charities.
You can see a list of the charities I donate to here If you like this website, please share it with your friends and family who have a pet. Thank you! Debra
