Why Your Dog’s Recall Falls Apart Around Distractions (And How to Fix It)

 Does your dog suddenly forget how to come when you call them the moment another dog or bird appears?

It's like they have never heard their name before?

Or worse, they look at you and then dart off? And let’s be honest, it kind of looks like they are grinning as they do it.

Zander recalling at the beach

Well, you’re not alone.

It’s a comment I hear almost daily from clients. “He comes really well when we’re alone together, but as soon as he sees something interesting, it’s like I don’t exist.”

But what most dog owners don’t understand is that your dog most likely isn't being stubborn on purpose.

So what is it that’s going on in that moment?

Why Your Recall Doesn’t Work Around Distractions

One thing that most dog owners don’t realise is this.

Just because your dog will come when you call them in the house, it doesn’t mean they’ll be able to do it in the yard. Or if they can do it in the yard, it doesn’t mean they’ll do it at the park, beach or your friend’s house.

Dogs don’t generalise well. And until you have taught it. Practiced a lot. And then moved gradually into other environments, they simply don’t know how to do it.

Then, add distraction, and you have a whole different ball game. 

At home, you might be the most interesting thing there, but that’s not likely to be the case in new environments. So, practising with a lot of different distractions, gradually, is important. 

Too much too soon, and you're throwing your dog in the deep end with no swimming skills. What interests, distracts, and motivates your dog? Birds, smells, people, or other dogs. Start small. Practice with each one separately for best results.

Add the owner-related factors

Alaska the Golden Retriever working on his recall

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Most recall problems come from a mix of dog factors and handler habits.

For example:

💁‍♀️  Not formally teaching what is required and what is not ok

💁‍♀️  Lack of consistent practice

💁‍♀️  Poor or no ability to follow through when the dog ignores a recall

💁‍♀️  You accidentally poisoning the recall

Add any or all of these, and we have the ideal situation for inconsistent or non-existent recalls from the dog.

What Not to Do

The most common mistakes are often the easiest ones to delete from your repertoire if you want to begin improving recall.

❌ Don’t use their name when they are in trouble and then expect that they’ll be happy to come to you when they hear their name

❌ Don’t keep repeating the cue louder and more desperately. Every time you use their recall command, and they don’t end up back with you, they grow stronger in their belief that they don’t have to come back. And that you can’t or won’t do anything about it.

❌ Don’t call your dog to come to you for something that they would see as a negative, like putting on the lead or whilst holding the nail clippers, to occur

❌ If they have made a mistake on something, don’t call your dog back to you and then punish the dog if he comes back. They’ll only associate coming with being in trouble.

❌ Don’t only call them when it’s time to go home or the fun ends. If recall always equals I get put back on lead and taken home, of course they won’t want to come back to you when you need them to. Or ever probably.

What Actually Works

✅ Start small and start at home. Do formal practice. Show them what you DO want and what reward you are offering. And show them what you DON’T want and what happens when they ignore it. Practice around mild distractions first and build it up gradually.

✅ Use a lead to begin with, and later you can use a long line. This will ensure your dog is challenged but safe. And that the recall outcome you want is always achieved, even if you have to prompt them.

✅ Be unpredictable in your practice moments. Call them when it doesn’t matter, not just when it does. But treat both situations as equal in importance. If you can’t call them back from grabbing a stick, then you certainly won’t be able to call them back from grabbing a snake. To you, there is probably a massive difference in the urgent nature of one of these situations. But to your dog, there is no difference.

✅ If you're the owner at the park calling and calling, and they don’t come, stop calling them. Simply walk over to them and clip the lead on.

✅ And a big one for me is that I reinforce my recall with more than just food. I use praise. Freedom. Access to fun. Big butt scratches. Or a whopping good time together. But I want to know that I’m not reliant on something that I might not have with me one day. You can certainly use whatever rewards that motivate your dog, but make sure you’ll always have that motivator at hand if you do.

Mindset Shift: You vs the Distraction

You won’t always need to be more exciting than the distraction, but you do at this stage. And you’ll always need to be relevant and trusted. If your commands or rules on simple things are ignored by your dog. Things like jumping up. Staying on their mat when asked to do so. Or lunging on the lead. Then wanting them to come when called is not even a possibility.

Recall and respect for the handler go hand in hand.

And when I say trust, most people misconstrue what I mean. I don’t mean that your dog needs to trust you not to assault them or be abusive. That’s a given. What I mean is that if your dog doesn’t place utmost trust in your ability to keep them safe. To deal with things that scare them, make them anxious, or even overexcite them. Then they are certainly not going to turn to you in that moment of recall.

Recall is all about trust, leadership, and consistency.

Recall practice at home is super important

Practical Practice Tips

💁‍♀️  Practice recall on lead around everyday distractions, gradually building them up

💁‍♀️   Practice recall on lead, gradually getting a little further away

💁‍♀️   Don’t do any off-lead recalls where they are able to succeed in ignoring you

💁‍♀️  Have your reinforcement ready to go

💁‍♀️   Repetition, repetition, repetition

💁‍♀️   Don’t throw them in the deep end without teaching them how to swim

Ready to Get Real Results?

Improving your dog’s recall is a process, but it’s worth it.

And if you’d love some guidance and support while you build those skills, I’ve got something exciting coming up…

My “Come When I Call You” 5-Day Challenge is launching soon.It’s free. It’s fun. And it’s designed to help you build a stronger recall, even around distractions.

Each day, I’ll guide you through one small task—something you can actually do, even if life is busy. You’ll get support, practical feedback, and real progress.

If you’re interested, message me and I’ll make sure you’re among the first to know when it goes live.

About A New Leash on Life Dog Training

Zander, Keryn, Jaffa & Miki

Because I use a balanced approach to dog training if you choose to train with me, we will be using positive reinforcement and rewards, but we will not be using food. I prefer not to rely on food because I don’t want to take food with me every place I ever go, I don’t want my dogs to learn to ignore me if I have no food or run out, and I don’t want to end up in a situation where I might still be of less importance to my dog, even with food, than the dog he's playing with or bird he’s chasing etc. Additionally, I do use the word no, and I do teach a consequence process for ignoring me or for an unacceptable behavioural choice, but without resorting to fear, intimidation, or pain.

So, for me, I train my dogs the way that I feel aligns with my belief system – rewards for listening and good behaviour but without food reliance – consequences without violence for inappropriate choices.

What do you believe in?