There's nothing worse and patience draining than calling your dog and then watching it run off barking into the distance. In public the dog seems to just sit there sometimes and stares at you leaving you look a complete fool. Do you end up chasing the dog around the local park desperately calling it's name and pleading with it to stop? The answer is simple - you need to teach your dog to come to you when you call it.

You need to get your dogs attention - full stop! If you manage to get eye contact with the dog then you are halfway there. Don't try teaching the dog this in a park, use a quiet room in your house instead. Make eye contact then call the dog, when it comes to you reward it with a pat and a treat. You will need to provide the dog with some sort of reason to come to you. Try to act excited and use you hands when calling the dog - the dog will notice this and come to you to find out what all the fuss is about.

If you are using dog treats as the dogs reward then it is advisable to randomize the amount of treats it receives when doing something correctly ( coming to you when called ). If you do this then it will help keep the dog interested in the training session as he will constantly be wondering how much of a reward he will receive.

Obviously, I have made this sound a lot easier than it actually is when carried out. Remember not to give in and keep on practicing with the dog. Even if the weather is fine outside you should probably start the training indoors where the are no distractions. After the first few days then try the technique outside, this way you are adding distractions gradually. When the dog becomes settled training in the garden you can try out the technique in a local park, again, patience is the key. When at the park let the dog off the leash and at first call him back every ten seconds or so. When he returns at once start letting it roam for longer before calling it back.

As I've mentioned earlier the key to this training is patience, do not lose hope. You will have a few dodgy incidents at first and you will look a complete fool at times. Stick to it, don't lose your temper and in very little time you should have a dog that comes to you when called.