How to Train a Husky to Come When Called

If you are just starting to work with your Husky to come when called, start with this method to get the basics down. Make sure you bring some high value rewards to your first training session. Start in a familiar, low-distraction environment.

In the first stage of teaching your dog to come, you want her to be running at you already before issuing your recall command, 'come'. In order to do this, try running away from your dog, who will most likely be instinctively triggered into chasing you. Once she catches up with you, go ahead and touch her collar, then give her a big reward. Repeat 10-20 times.

Start adding some distance between you and your dog as she is ready for the challenge. You can also stop running every time, using that tactic only if she fails to come immediately. If your Husky is really on the ball, try calling her from another room and reward very generously if she comes right to you!

You can take your Husky outside and use the long line to safely work with her in an unfenced area. This way you can add plenty of distance without worrying that she may run away on you. Make sure to keep touching that collar before rewarding. Repeat over the course of the next few weeks, a few times a day.

Eventually you will need to decide that it is now time to add a consequence for failing to come when called. You should only do this once your Husky has lots of experience being successful with coming when called and really understands what is expected. Once you add the consequence, you have to be consistent and do it every time she fails to come when called. A good suggestion is a 3 minute “time out” for every failure to come when called.

You are now ready to move on to the more advanced 'Proofing' method offered in this guide.

One of the secrets to success when teaching recall is to keep the tone fun and playful. You want your dog to associate recall with having a good time! Have a few friends help with this so that you can create a small circle. Make sure everyone has a some treats your Husky really loves.

Alternate who calls your Husky using their recall command. Have them say it in an inviting tone, and only once. It is okay if your dog needs a little extra encouragement or a bribe at first to figure out how this game works.

Before she is rewarded, make sure the person that called your dog touches her collar. This will help her get used to having someone reach for her collar which will come in handy in an emergency situation.

Make the circle larger when your Husky is ready for a bit more of a challenge. If he is really picking it up, try calling him from different rooms to make the most of this game indoors.

If you want to really add some distance, you will need to move this game outdoors. Use the long line for safety if you do not have a secure fenced area. Keep the tone fun, and remember to touch the collar before rewarding.

If you have already followed the 'Recall Basics' method then your Husky has the basics of recall down. However, if you want him to come when called in higher distraction environments, you will need to do what trainers call “proofing” the new behavior. This means that you will deliberately and carefully add different kinds of distractions under controlled conditions. This gives you a chance to heavily reward a strong recall when your Husky ignores other stimulus.

The first way to add distraction is to take your Husky to new places to work on recall drills. Use her long line so you can keep control, and be sure to start close, adding distance as she gets more confident.

New people are another way to add some variety to the recall drills and proof her recall. Ask friends to help do some back and forth recall drills so she knows that no matter who calls her, going quickly can end with a big reward.

At some point, once you have started proofing, you will want to be more selective with rewarding only the top 10-20% of the recalls from your dog. Make sure that you always reward in a new situation, but in more practiced environments, you can start to look for only the fastest returns to reward.

At some point, once you have started proofing, you will want to be more selective with rewarding only the top 10-20% of the recalls from your dog. Make sure that you always reward in a new situation, but in more practiced environments, you can start to look for only the fastest returns to reward.

Finally, at some point in training a good recall with your dog, you have to draw a line in the sand and begin to enforce the recall every single time you use their primary recall command. If you are not going to enforce it, don’t use it. Instead, try to lure your dog with a whistle and some treats if it is not a critical recall. Every time you let your dog ignore the primary recall command, you are allowing it to become a less powerful command.