Dogs Dunne Right

Training a reliable recall can save your dog's life. No matter how careful we are, accidents and mistakes happen -- dogs get off leash, dogs get out of yards, dogs slip through accidentally left open gates. Teaching your dog to come when called is the most important tool you can have to keep your dog safe.

The thing I see most often that makes me cringe is people who scold their dogs when they come to them or yell at them to get them to come. Think: If there are going to be negative consequences when a dog returns, what motivation is there to come back?

There are several steps in training a recall, but the first and most important that you can do right away is praise and reward your dog EVERY TIME the dog comes to you. Five feet away? GOOD DOG! Ten feel away? GOOD DOG! Start small and build up, but start, start, start. GOOD DOG!

Great advice and easy to follow steps:

Teach Your Dog to Make Eye Contact | Whole Dog Journal If your dog doesn t already know the value of eye contact with humans, you can easily teach her. This is an operant conditioning/positive reinforcement exercise your dog learns her behavior can make good stuff happen.