“FENTON!… FENTON!… JESUS CHRIST!”

If you know, you know.

For the rest of us, it’s one of Britain’s most famous examples of a dog deciding that deer were far more interesting than their human.

Whether your dog disappears after a squirrel, spots another dog across the park, or suddenly develops an overwhelming interest in absolutely anything except you, reliable recall is one of the most valuable skills you can teach. It’s the reason we spend so much time working on recall in our Puppy classes, Life Skills courses, one-to-one training sessions and dedicated recall workshops here at SkellyWags.

Because good recall isn’t about obedience.

It’s about safety, trust and giving your dog the freedom to enjoy life off lead.

Why Is Recall So Important?

If I could choose just one behaviour for every dog to learn well, recall would be right at the top of the list.

A reliable recall isn’t there to impress other people in the park. It isn’t about proving that your dog is perfectly trained or showing everyone that you’ve cracked the secret to dog ownership. It’s about giving you options when life throws something unexpected your way.

Dogs don’t know which roads are dangerous. They don’t understand the risks posed by chasing wildlife, cyclists, discarded food or simply chasing a leaf in the wind. They simply respond to what’s interesting in front of them.

A good recall gives us the ability to call our dogs away from situations before they become problems. More importantly, it allows them to enjoy the freedom of being off lead safely. Ironically, the dogs with the best recall often enjoy the greatest amount of freedom because their guardians trust them to make good choices.

At SkellyWags, that’s what we’re aiming for. We don’t teach recall so dogs lose their freedom. We teach recall so they can enjoy more of it.

Why Dogs Don’t Always Come Back

One of the biggest misconceptions in dog training is that dogs ignore us because they’re being stubborn, dominant or naughty.

In reality, dogs are constantly making choices based on what they find most rewarding in that moment. Dogs do not see it as being good or naughty that is a human concept.

Imagine you’re halfway through your favourite meal, your football team has just scored a last-minute winner, you’ve bumped into your best friend or found £100 on the floor. At that exact moment, somebody calls your name from across the room.

Would you immediately abandon what you’re doing?

Probably not. Your dog is making exactly the same calculation.

If chasing a squirrel, greeting another dog or following an incredible scent trail feels more rewarding than returning to you, they’re naturally going to choose the option that offers the biggest payoff.

Our job isn’t to become louder. Our job is to become more rewarding.

The Science Behind a Great Recall

Dogs learn through consequences. Behaviours that lead to something enjoyable are much more likely to be repeated in the future. Behaviour scientists call this reinforcement, and it’s one of the foundations of modern, ethical dog training.

Every time your dog chooses to return and something wonderful happens, whether that’s food, a game, praise, a favourite toy or even being allowed to continue exploring, you’re strengthening the neural pathways associated with that behaviour. Over time, your dog begins to predict that running back to you is almost always worthwhile.

This is also why punishment rarely creates a reliable recall. If your dog eventually returns and is met with frustration, grabbing their collar or telling them off for taking so long, the emotional association with coming back starts to change. Instead of thinking, “Great things happen when I return,” they begin to wonder whether it’s actually worth the risk.

Dogs don’t learn from lectures. They learn from outcomes.

Why We Start Recall in Puppy Classes

One of the very first skills we introduce in our puppy classes is simply teaching puppies that paying attention to their guardian is rewarding.

We’re not expecting military precision from an eight or twelve-week-old puppy. We’re building habits.

Every successful repetition lays another brick in the foundations of reliable recall. Every game of “come”, every celebration when they choose us, every reward they receive helps create a positive emotional response to returning.

The earlier we begin building those habits, the easier they often become as puppies grow into adventurous adolescents who suddenly discover that the world is a very exciting place.

Of course, older dogs can learn brilliant recall too. It simply takes consistency, patience and practice.

Becoming the Fun Police

One of the quickest ways to weaken your recall is to accidentally become what I often jokingly call the Fun Police.

Picture the scene.

Your dog finally comes racing back to you, you clip the lead on, the walk ends, you head home. Repeat that pattern often enough and your dog quickly learns that coming back predicts the end of everything enjoyable.

Instead, regularly call your dog back, reward them generously, have a little celebration, then simply send them off to explore again.

You’re teaching your dog that coming back doesn’t always mean the fun is over. Sometimes it’s exactly what earns them more freedom.

That one small change can make an enormous difference.

The Rewards Matter More Than You Think

Not every dog is motivated by the same things.

Some dogs would sprint across a football pitch for a tiny piece of roast chicken. Others would happily ignore food if there’s a toy involved. Some absolutely adore tug games, while others simply want praise, fuss or permission to continue sniffing.

Think of it this way.

If your employer offered to pay you in broccoli instead of money, you might not be particularly motivated to go to work.

Rewards only work if the individual values them.

Your dog’s reward should also match the difficulty of the challenge. Coming back from sniffing a hedge might earn a small treat. Choosing to leave a group of dogs or ignore a squirrel deserves a much bigger celebration.

Common Recall Mistakes

Most recall problems aren’t caused by dogs refusing to learn. They’re usually caused by perfectly understandable human habits.

One of the biggest mistakes is repeatedly calling a dog when we already know they’re unlikely to succeed. If your dog has just spotted deer disappearing across a field, that probably isn’t the moment to test whether your recall is reliable. Instead, train around distractions your dog can cope with and gradually increase the difficulty over time.

Another common mistake is repeating the cue over and over again.

“Buddy, Buddy, Buddy, Buddy, Buddy!“

By the fifth attempt we’ve accidentally taught the dog that the first four don’t really matter.

One clear cue is enough. Then help your dog succeed.

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of your own body language. Standing still whilst shouting across a field isn’t particularly exciting. Movement encourages movement. Run away. Clap your hands. Celebrate when your dog reaches you. Make yourself someone worth catching.

Practise Before You Need It

One of my favourite sayings is that we should train for the situation not in it!

The middle of an emergency isn’t the time to discover whether your recall works. Practise in the garden, practise in quiet fields, practise on long lines, practise around gradually increasing distractions.

The more successful repetitions your dog experiences, the stronger and more reliable that behaviour becomes.

Think of recall as making deposits into a savings account, every successful repetition adds credit.Every time the cue is ignored without us helping the dog succeed, we make a withdrawal.

The aim is to keep the account comfortably in credit.

Easy Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Recall

Building a reliable recall doesn’t require hours of training every day. Short, successful sessions are often far more effective than one long session.

Reward every successful recall, even if it feels like something your dog “should” already know. Use a long line while you’re building reliability, particularly in new environments, and don’t be afraid to let your dog return to exploring after they’ve come back to you. This helps prevent you becoming the Fun Police.

Above all, keep practising in different places. Dogs don’t generalise learning particularly well. Just because your dog has a brilliant recall in your local park doesn’t automatically mean they’ll understand the same cue on a beach, in woodland or during a family holiday.

Training in lots of different environments helps your dog realise that “come” always means exactly the same thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won’t my dog come back when they’re playing with other dogs?

Because other dogs can be incredibly rewarding. Rather than expecting your dog to ignore the greatest party they’ve ever attended, gradually teach recall around lower-level distractions before increasing the difficulty.

Should I tell my dog off when they finally come back?

No. Never.

However frustrating it may feel, if your dog eventually returns and is punished, they’re far less likely to hurry back next time. We always want coming back to predict good things.

Can older dogs still learn recall?

Absolutely. Dogs continue learning throughout their lives. While puppies often build recall habits more quickly, adult dogs are perfectly capable of developing reliable recall with patience, consistency and the right reinforcement.

Should I use a long line?

Yes. Long lines are brilliant training tools because they allow your dog to enjoy freedom while preventing them rehearsing running off. They’re not a sign of failure. They’re simply part of good training.

When is my dog ready to be off lead?

There’s no magic age or number of training sessions. Every dog is an individual. We earn off-lead freedom by building consistent success across lots of different environments and distractions.

Final Thoughts

Reliable recall isn’t built by having the loudest voice in the park.

It isn’t about being the boss.

And it certainly isn’t about expecting perfection.

It’s about creating hundreds of tiny moments where your dog learns that returning to you is one of the best decisions they can make.

Some days you’ll feel like you’ve cracked it. Other days your dog may have what we might politely describe as a “Fenton moment”.

That’s okay. Progress in dog training is rarely a straight line.

Keep practising. Keep rewarding. Keep making yourself worth coming back to.

Because every successful recall isn’t just another training exercise.

It’s another step towards giving your dog the freedom to safely enjoy the world.

And that’s something worth investing in.

Need Help With Your Dog’s Recall?

Whether you’ve got a brand-new puppy, an adventurous adolescent or an adult dog whose ears seem to switch off the moment the lead comes off, we’d love to help.

Our Recall Workshop on the 8th August held at our training field in Old Romney, Kent is all about creating a fun positive recall using games and easy to follow training. To Book or find out more about our recall workshop.

Recall is a key part of our puppy classes, Life Skills courses, one-to-one training sessions and dedicated workshops because we genuinely believe it’s one of the most important skills any dog can learn.

Our goal isn’t simply to teach dogs to come back.

It’s to help them want to.

That’s the SkellyWAGS way.