Training Your Dog to Come When Called

Michael Baugh CDBC

Coming-When-Called (verb)

In response to a cue, the dog quickly decreases the distance from where they are to where you are, usually in a straight line, ending in front of you.

Reinforce this behavior every time it occurs.

Avoid asking for additional behavior, such as a sit, before reinforcing. Reward the come first. Everything else can wait.

The Sacred Promise

Many people tell me, “My dog will come if I say, ‘Treat!'”

Of course he will.

When you say “Treat,” you’re not lying to your dog. You fully intend to give him one.

So why not create that same certainty around the word “Come”?

Say, “(your dog’s name), Come!” Your dog runs to you. You give a treat. Every single time.

Come → Your dog comes → Treat.

That’s it.

The word Come should always mean the same thing: If you come to me, I’ll give you something.

Every time.

It’s a sacred promise.

And that’s the beginning of teaching a truly reliable come-when-called.

Simple, right?

Single-Rep Sessions

Throughout the day, randomly call your dog from another room.

Say, “(your dog’s name), Come!”

When your dog arrives, reinforce the behavior with a treat.

For best results, carry treats with you. If you don’t have one in your pocket, simply walk with your dog to where the treats are after he comes. That’s perfectly fine.

Then wait at least twenty minutes before calling him again.

Avoid practicing several repetitions in a row. Instead, teach in single-rep sessions scattered throughout the day.

Increase the Challenge

Once you and your dog are succeeding indoors, begin practicing outside.

Again, call once, reinforce. These are single-rep sessions.

If you’re not in a securely fenced area, use a long leash for safety.

The pattern never changes:

Come → Your dog runs to you → Treat. Every time.

Continue reinforcing this behavior throughout your dog’s life.

The goal isn’t to wean your dog off food reinforcement.

The goal is to build a recall so strong that your dog chooses you over squirrels, smells, other dogs, and every other competing motivator the world has to offer.

Few things in dog training are as satisfying as watching your dog sprint toward you full speed, eager, and joyful.

You’ll probably feel proud.

You’ll certainly feel more in control.

But my hope is that you’ll feel something even better: a deep connection with your dog.

That’s the best feeling of all.

That’s what you’ve been practicing for all along.

Micheal Baugh teaches dog training in Sedona, Arizona, Houston, Texas and online everywhere. He specializes in aggressive dog training.

Dog Training – Active vs. Passive Learning

Michael Baugh CDBC

A new client in his early 30s stood in his driveway, his large dog sitting calmly by his side. His dog’s behavior intake form mentioned some aggression issues. This dog didn’t look aggressive, not at the moment anyway. I got out of my car, not nervous; let’s just say I was extra aware. (You don’t want to be creepy about it. It can spook the dog). The man released his dog to say hello, and it was all wags and nuzzles; the dog didn’t even jump.

“Who did you train with?” I asked the man later.

“I watched videos,” he answered, listing a few well-known positive reinforcement trainers.

You might think that trainers like me would be worried. Potential clients can get a flood of information about dog training any time they want online. AI will even help them refine their searches. I’m not worried. I’m glad. Watching videos helped my client and his dog. I made my job easier.

The problem isn’t dog training videos. It’s passive learning. A learner who is just a viewer doesn’t have to do anything. Yes, there is some retention of information, but that declines significantly if the learner is scrolling through videos. More is not better. Active is better.

A lot of positive reinforcement dog training videos are great. Books and podcasts are too. But research on learning consistently shows that participation and feedback improve retention far more than passive consumption. That matches what I see in dog training every day.

My client watched one video at a time. He paused and practiced. That’s not passive. It’s why he did so well. There were gaps and areas for improvement. But he’d gotten us to a great starting point.

When I’m working with a client, I teach a concept, demonstrate a skill, and then observe while my client tries the new skill with his dog. The process is dynamic. My clients’ active engagement solidifies the learning.

The more active the learner becomes by practicing, asking questions, and even handwriting notes, the more the information sticks.

Videos, podcasts, and reading all have their place. My client had a great deal of knowledge when I arrived on that first day. He and his dog had an open line of communication. My job was to show him how to leverage all that learning to remedy the occasional aggressive outbursts. After just two visits, far fewer than the number of times I typically see clients, the man smiled and said, “I think I got this.”

I nodded, “I think you do too.”

The foundation was already there. Dog training is experiential. If the information is good, putting it into action is the most sensible next step.

Michael Baugh CDBC specializes in aggressive dog training in Sedona, Arizona and Houston, Texas. You can see his online dog training videos on YouTube.

Starbucks and Aggressive Dog Training

Michael Baugh CDBC

I savor victory every time I pass a Starbucks. It had a tight grip on me. Every day, I pulled into the drive-thru and pulled out my phone with the app. I smiled, paid, took what the big-bucks boss called my “luxury experience,” and drove off. The trouble started with lattes: grande, then venti, two percent, soy, oat milk. Always iced. Things got worse with the occasional piece of coffee cake or pumpkin loaf. The habit grew expensive. I grew fatter. It had to stop.

My personal journey kicking fast-food coffee reminds me a lot of my clients. Our dogs get into bad habits: barking, lunging, and biting. Things escalate. We grow frightened and weary. Of course, we want it to stop.

Our behavior seems random. Same with our dogs. Habits, aversions, quirks — how do they form? Our dogs’ aggressive behavior works. It creates distance. Scary things retreat. My Starbucks routine worked, too — caffeine, sugar, ritual, relief. Different behaviors, same mechanics. Short-term payoff. Long-term costs.

Here’s how I kicked my Starbucks habit with parallels to curbing aggressive behavior in our dogs. It’s simple. But it takes some grit to pull off in real life.

Block access to the unwanted pattern of behavior.

Starbucks: I deleted the app. Since I stopped most often on my way to client appointments, I left just in time to get there (none to spare at the drive-thru). In the early days, I also changed my route so I would not pass the location nearest my home.

Aggressive dog training: Avoid aggression triggers. Walk when there are fewer dogs and people out if that’s your problem. Safely confine the dog out-of-sight of visitors if it’s a stranger aggression issue. Keep dogs that fight separate. Manage toys and food if the dog is a resource guarder.

Create new patterns of behavior.

Starbucks: I make my own iced coffee at home and take it in a tumbler. It actually tastes better. Eating before I leave certainly helps, too. I call my best friend on the way to clients. He knows I’m a recovering consumer.

Aggressive dog training: Train calm, predictable patterns of behavior. Introduce the triggering stimulus gradually, from a distance, with very little activity or distraction. Teaching a relaxation protocol is a great idea. So is casual observation of a trigger in a non-stimulating setting.

This works. But behavior change is still hard. I still think about stopping. And I still notice every Starbucks sign, no matter where I am. The process works with our dogs as well. Stick with it. Remember, I said this takes grit. I meant that. The long-term payoff? It’s absolutely worth it. Like a cold brew with oat milk from my tumbler on a warm day, it’s worth it.

Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Sedona AZ and Houston TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training.