# What word do you use for recall?



## goldengirl09

I have to choose a new word b/c we ruined "come" by not enforcing it. I'd love to hear what other people use. Thanks!


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## aerolor

goldengirl09 said:


> I have to choose a new word b/c we ruined "come" by not enforcing it. I'd love to hear what other people use. Thanks!


You could try "to me" or "here" as a substitute for come. To me is better than here. I think you can get more expression into it especially if you make it sound like one word and don't use the dog's name with it. You could also try a dog whistle.


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## Summer's Mom

Our informal recall is her name, her formal recall (with sit in front position) is "come".. You could also use "here" which is my backup word.. 

I do believe you can bring meaning back to "come" if you want to.. Just reinforce it many many many times in boring/easy situations..


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## Ljilly28

I have several degrees of come. "ALL DOGS" is for hiking, when the dogs go right but the humans want to go left or if another hiker is approaching and the dogs need to reel in and sit. "COME" is more for competition or one dog situations. This is a dead serious command and may not be ignored. To recall one dog among several, I use name & "front". "Tally, FRONT". That means you come as fast as you can, sit straight in front of me, and watch me.


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## AmberSunrise

I also have several cues for my dogs.

'Come' is competition serious, along with 'Front'
'Here' is more informal and means get in to my general vicinity (play, agility, field etc)
'Hey, lets go' or just ''Let's go' is a still more informal cue.

But all of these cues are trained and enforced - if one of my dogs is eying that mud puddle and I want them to stay clean my 'Let's go' will result in either my dog coming and being rewarded or some corrective action being taken, so I too believe you can retrain the 'Come' command


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## OriJames

Uh oh...we're not supposed to use their name for recalls? Hmm, may have to phase it out for Ori then. I usually use "come" in addition to his name usage. 

Jasmine however, gets "come here", without the name for some reason. Usually because she's trying to go off doing something she's not supposed to. :doh: Oh, if only I didn't have to wait so long for her obediance classes. I'd like to use that tone a little less.


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## Joanne & Asia

I use "right here" for n informal command and "come" as the formal command where she knows I mean business and the expectation is that she comes and sits at my feet looking at me. That said, for Asia the come command does need reinforcing and touch ups once in awhile especially with distractions. I think it is by far the most important command to keep them safe and it has saved her hide at least twice so I am always working on it to keep it as consistent as I can. I agree it is importnt to not overuse it so another informal one is used most of the time.


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## Megora

In informal settings I just call his name and he comes.  

For comp obedience it is front - and that specifically means coming fast, straight, and instantly sitting directly in front of me in a very straight sit within my reach but not bumping me. <- In other words, I avoid using the command unless I'm ready to reinforce exactly what I want in addition to him coming running. 

Because I use his name as a "come" command, it essentially is a permitted double command when I use my "Jack-Front" command.


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## momtoMax

I have had someone tell me that too - not to use their name after I'd been using it. It's turned out well for us though - I call "Max" and he sees it as come to me. He expects the come, I guess, and he always does listen. Now, if I say Max, come, he gets that I really really mean it since I'm using 2 words but he doesn't always respond to just the word "come" which makes it harder for other people to call him because they don't realize that.

It's a super important thing to teach them though - I think there are only a few dogs around here that have recall at all as my neighbors are so impressed that he doesn't run away should he get out (such as a few days ago, our under the deck and out the neighbors stairs incident - they don't have a fence right now so when he came into their yard, my neighbor was beside herself thinking he'd run off and was amazed that everytime I called him he kept coming to me until I reached our gate.) Some of the best advice I got here was to teach him recall and I am so glad I did! Don't give up on this command!


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## Jige

Oh boy I use lots of different words all for the same thing. "Let's go", "come", "here", their name. Are all used for recall. I also click my tongue and my dogs come running. I think I invented the clicker as I have been using my tongue clicker since the late 70"s I even had my rabbits trained to come when I did that.


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## Angelina

I was taught to say their name first so they know a command is coming and then if I want her to come I say "lets go!". If she is retrieving something I'll say "bring" or "to me". The people who had her before me ruined "come"...she also learned from them she could evade them (they used anger in their methods so I make sure never to do that). It took her a while to trust enough to come period. I have to always be diligent with her and keep her on a leash, or have a leash dragging unless we are in the yard. She is getting better but definately not 100 percent recall...


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## goldengirl09

Thanks for all the advice. I think everyone has different ways so as long as it's working for you, it shouldn't matter if it's the "right" way but what i was doing was not working. Harvey was turning into a cat that would come when it pleased him so we're taking a recall class. I ended up using "come" as an informal command and then our serious recall word(s) are "here boy". I just found it easier to say two words b/c it's easier for me to sound happy and excited saying that command. So far, it's going well. *fingers crossed*


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## turtle66

I use for my 'really reliable recall' "Lilly Pronto" instead of "Lilly Come" which was obviously an option for her but not an order. I really try to use "lilly pronto" just in delicate situation. (She wants to jump up after retrieving a ball in the park to great other human, she goes down the street after letting her out of the car etc. etc.). So far it does work nearly 100% with the really reliable recall method. (Which means I called her that way a lot of times in a low distractive environment and she got premium treats and lots of reassurance whenever called for at least 20 - 30 seconds). We did this over months and when I had the first event at the doggy park where she wanted to jump up to greet a young woman, she actually turned around while I recalled her and ran to me. That was great!!!

Heike and (turpal) Lilly


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## Wyatt's mommy

I use "Wyatt come". If for some reason he is trying to test me I simply say "now". and he comes instantly: I have always used name first. Use whatever works best for you.


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## tippykayak

We use the name for attention. I train them to give me eye contact if I say their names, and then that's followed by a command. "Come" means come right to me, close enough for me to grab your collar (or touch my palm if hold it out). I've never trained formal obedience fronts, but I've started that, since I like how it looks.

I also have different whistles I do, one for attention (a falling minor third for attention, a series of rising tweets for "come"). I also did a little training with a dog whistle, but I didn't follow on that.


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## Muddypaws

Wyatt's mommy said:


> I use "Wyatt come". If for some reason he is trying to test me I simply say "now". and he comes instantly: I have always used name first. Use whatever works best for you.


This is Darby, for some reason he word "now" has impact and I have never trained it, just said it once out of frustration... dogs! 

Kirby's is just her name and "come" said at a high pitch and kinda "perky".


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## Oaklys Dad

Having had dogs with selective hearing in the past I knew to keep the word "Come" as sacred. Since they were pups I only used it when I was pretty sure it would work and we practiced every single time they are off leash. I have also been working on a STOP command for them to stop in their tracks when we are walking off leash. I use this for intersections in cemetaries and when we meet people on trails. This is still a work in progress.


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## Deb_Bayne

tippykayak said:


> I also have different whistles I do, one for attention (a falling minor third for attention, a series of rising tweets for "come"). I also did a little training with a dog whistle, but I didn't follow on that.


I can't whistle, but DH can and Bayne immediately responds to that faster than the 'Bayne, come' command. He is getting better but only when there aren't distractions. Like when he runs up to someone and they WON'T STOP PETTING HIM when I'm trying to get him to come back to me. I guess I need a command for humans too. lol


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## dexter0125

we use "here" -- "come" simply doesn't work for him. hasn't from the beginning.


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## JDK

We're trying to use "come" but I think we should switch it to "here" before it's to late. The word "here" travels a lot further then "come".


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