Coming When Called
About Coming When Called
Nothing is scarier than your dog running off without having a way to get them back. This is where “come”, or a recall, comes into the picture. Whether you’re out for a walk or at a dog park, having your dog come when you call for them is an important skill.
Not only is a reliable recall a life-saving skill, it also allows you to give your dog more freedom because you know how to get your dog to return and your dog knows what to do when they hear you call for them. You’ll be able to let your dog roam more freely and they get to explore as much as they want!
Class information
Available classes @ Newton
Assigned trainer: Izzy Gärdin
- 9 March 2024 — 2.30 PM @ Newton campus
- 16 March 2024 — 2.30 PM @ Newton campus
- 23 March 2024 — 3.00 PM @ Bishan Park
Available classes @ Namly
Assigned trainer: Ang Wei En
- 9 March 2024 — 2.00 PM @ Namly campus
- 16 March 2024 — 2.00 PM @ Namly campus
- 23 March 2024 — 3.00 PM @ Bishan Park
Age eligibility
- Any age, as long as your dog knows the following foundational cues:
- Sit/down, and some level of being able to come when called
Class size
- Two to four dogs per class.
- One trainer is assigned to every two dogs!
Campus location
- Newton Campus — 182 Bukit Timah Road; or
- Namly Campus — 78 Namly Place
Price
- 3 one-hour lessons — S$327
More about Coming When Called
What will your dog and you learn?
As a risk-management strategy, you will learn how to look and discern the situation around you and what could happen when you’re out with your dog.
As the intensity of each situation differs, you will be also learn how much guidance to provide your dog.
With this, you’ll be able to anticipate and manage problems with a level mind, instead of doing damage-control after.
Since every dog have different preferences, finding what your dog likes is the first step. Understanding what motivates your dog is key to helping them learn faster and improve behaviour, all while keeping them engaged and interested during training.
Your dog will learn how to:
🐾 “Come” and “Stay” by your side; and
🐾 “Come” with distraction (such as food, toy, objects, and other dogs).
You will also learn how to solve problems and prepare for the outdoor class in the last session.
Teach your dog how to come when you call for them in a controlled, indoor environment, before practicing it outdoors!
What's Coming When Called about?
Coming when called is also known as recall. It's a essential skill to learn as it's one you will use for life. Learn how to work with them in a fun way that keeps them coming back to you.
In Coming When Called, you will learn how to develop situational awareness in regards to your dog. Being able to read the situation correctly can help you make effective decisions that will keep both your dog and you safe.
You will also find out what motivates your dog and how you can use them to reinforce the behaviours you want. Together with your dog, you will learn how to fortify their recall so they will come when you call at a higher success rate!
As this class focuses on having your dog return when you call for them, it is recommended to take other topic-based classes to complement the skills they have learnt in this class. If there are other specific areas you wish to work on with your dog, you may take a look at our Puppy Life Skills or Teenage Life Skills private classes, where the training curriculum can be adjusted to meet your needs.
This class is great for anyone who wants to learn more about how to get their dog to come when called, or even to simply strengthen their dog’s recall. After all, recall is a skill for life, as well as one that will be practiced for life!
Your dog is also a living being with their own agency, so remember that there will be times where they don’t respond to your recall. This is where situational awareness comes in: recognising the environment you’re in and possible distractors that makes it difficult for your dog to respond; and what you can do in such situations.
By practicing regularly in various places with a variety of distractions, you’ll gradually be able to use it in your daily life like second nature. Continue their recall training throughout their lifetime and you’ll keep their recall skill strong.
As the science in canine behaviour, ethology and neuroscience continue to advance, we come to understand our canine companions better. Thus, allowing us to formulate better ways to connect with them. Whether you’re a first-time dog parent or not, our curriculums are always evolving, ensuring you have the latest knowledge on canine behaviour.
Situational awareness
Being situationally aware gives you a major advantage of the environment you’re in, because you’ll be more well-informed and able to make decisions that will keep your dog and you safe. Aside from learning how to discern the situation, you will also learn: the different ways to guide your dog, when to guide your dog, whether to increase or decrease your judgement of the situation, and how to set your dog up for success in different situations.
Understanding motivation and reinforcement
Finding out what motivates your dog makes it easier to keep them engaged or focused on the training session or task at hand. It is paired with a reward to reinforce the desired behaviour you’re teaching your dog.
“Come” and “Stay” by your side
Getting your dog to come when called is actually a series of behaviours, else they would just continue on with their business after they get to you. This class teaches you how to chain “Come” with “Stay” when you call for your dog to come.
“Come” with distractions
Once your dog gets the hang of recall, we add distractions to fortify their skill. Gradually, your dog will learn to turn away from something they find interesting towards you when you call for them.
Problem solving
Learn how to figure out why your dog is doing what they do from their perspective. This way, you’ll be able to apply the appropriate positive training methods to right the issue.
Preparation for outdoor class
The last class is a field trip where you get to practice what you have learnt in the first two lessons in a controlled environment. Our trainer(s) will guide you along and help you fine tune your skills.
The Coming When Called group class is designed to teach dogs to come when called in various scenarios.
It is not designed for dogs with existing behaviour issues such as excessive barking, leash reactivity, over-excitement, aggression anxiety, extreme fear or other issues that is beyond the normal dog behaviour. Should there be any existing behaviour issues, please take a look at the classes offered for Behaviour Modification!
Who can enrol in Coming When Called?
- Dogs who have completed either Puppy Life Skills or Teenage Life Skills private class.
- Dogs with an understanding of basic cues, such as: sit/down, and some level of being able to come when called.
- Friendly dogs with updated annual core vaccination (Parvo, Distemper & Adenovirus) or annual titer test (showing immunity on Parvo, Distemper & Adenovirus).
- No serious behavioural issues or leash reactivity.
