You call your dog…
They don’t come.

So you call again.
…and again.

Still nothing.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the Part Most People Don’t Realise

You might be training your dog to ignore you

Not on purpose.
But it happens really easily.

Because dogs don’t learn from what we say…
They learn from what happens after

Every Time This Happens…

Every time you call your dog and they don’t come… they learn they don’t have to

Not because they’re being stubborn
But because nothing follows

They keep sniffing
They keep playing
They stay where they are

And that behaviour gets reinforced

How This Links to Last Week

As mentioned last week, dogs can get completely locked onto the environment and struggle to disengage.

So when you call them in that moment… they often can’t respond

But if you keep calling anyway… you’re still teaching them that your recall cue doesn’t matter

The Common Mistake

Calling your dog when:

• they’re too distracted
• they’re too far away
• you don’t have any control over the situation

In those moments, your dog isn’t being naughty – they’re just not in a position to succeed

The Missing Piece: Management

This is where most people go wrong.

They focus on training…
…but skip management

What Is Management?

Management means setting things up so your dog can’t get it wrong

Instead of:

• calling and hoping
• repeating cues
• getting ignored

You:

• control the situation
• prevent failure
• create success

Why Management Matters

If your dog keeps getting the chance to ignore you… they’ll keep practising ignoring you

But if you remove that option… you protect your recall while you train it

What Management Looks Like

Close the distance

Don’t call from far away—go closer first

Lower the difficulty

Work in environments where your dog can actually respond

Control the situation

This is the big one…
Use a long line

Why a Long Line Changes Everything

A long line gives your dog:

• freedom to explore
• space to move

But still gives you control.

So if your dog doesn’t respond… you can follow through

No repeating
No hoping
No being ignored

What This Does for Your Training

Instead of your dog learning:
“I don’t have to come”

They start learning:
“When I’m called, I come”

Every time.

That’s how you build a reliable recall.

The Line to Remember

If you can’t enforce it, don’t say it

Want Help Training This Properly?

This is exactly what we work on inside my Online Training: Life Skills.

Because recall isn’t just about saying “come”… it’s about managing the situation and training the skill

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The Tool That Makes This Easier

If you don’t already have one… a long line is one of the best investments you can make for your training

It allows you to:

• safely give your dog freedom
• prevent them from ignoring you
• and actually follow through on your training

The Big Takeaway

If your dog ignores your recall, it’s not because they’re being stubborn – it’s because they’ve had too many chances to practise ignoring it

When you start using management to:

• prevent failure
• protect your cue
• and build success

everything starts to change!