Recall

[JamesGolden]

Hi my name is Theresa. I am a dog trainer myself. James and I have rescued a 2 yr. Old shepard named Mirgan. He is training exceptionally well, except for one thing! He will not recall on off lead training. He doesn't run away exactly but treats it as a game. He will take off and go explore. He will eventually come home. ( in his own time). I want him to come when I say, not when he decides.

[Adrienne]

Hello Theresa and welcome to the forums!

It sounds like you are doing a great job with Mirgan; kudos to you for training him exceptionally well! And thank you for rescuing!

So let's do a little troubleshooting of what may be going on here and see what can be done to prevent him from perceiving the recall as a game and acting reluctant to come home. In cases like this, there can be several phenomena going on. Let's take a look at several to cover several basis. 

-Finding the outdoor very reinforcing. "Time flies when you are having fun," goes the saying. It sounds like Mirgan is finding outdoor stimuli and situations very reinforcing. Whether sniffing around, chasing furry critters, eating rabbit poop or digging holes leading to China, just bein outdoors keeps him busy and happy. Just the mere perk of being able to stretch the legs and release some pent-up energy makes the outdoors super rewarding.

All these stimuli and situations draw our dogs like magnets competing against us. When we call our outdoorsy dogs when the are having so much fun, they start associating their recall with the fun coming to an abrupt end. Recall after recall, your dog therefore comes to dread being called and when you move in his direction, he may even play hard to catch because he simply doesn't want to leave to go back home. 

-A Matter of Negative Associations. With rescues, we don't know what may have happened to them before. Perhaps he was called by the previous owner to give him a bath, trim his nails, or close him in a crate before leaving for work. Therefore, Mirgan, may he have learned to associate being called with these negative happenings. Or if you have called him in the past to bring him home, and for some reason he's not too eager about that, there are chances his recall has been "poisoned." Poisoned cues occur quite often and the recall is one of the most commonly affected. Once a dog has associated being called with something unpleasant happening right afterward, they'll eventually stop coming when called and will even attempt to run away if you try to get him. 

-Playing a Game of "Keep Away" The "keep away game" is a favorite game among dogs. Indeed, the keep-away game among dogs is a game that comes naturally to them with zero learning required. You'll therefore see puppies and dogs play it with their owners and other dogs.  Requirements involve an owner willing to run a bit (or at least willing to try to) and a dog loving to be chased. Perhaps the previous owner used to chase him to grab him by the collar. Dogs love this game of "Come and get me, catch me if you can!"

-Sensing some frustration. One major cause of dogs being reluctant to come when called is because they are sensing our growing frustration. As sensitive beings dogs can readily interpret our body language, movements and tones of voice, even when we try to keep cool. When dogs sense us getting angry or frustrated, they are often intimidated by us and this only pours fuel to the fire. No dog likes to come to us when we are in this type of negative mood because it makes them think they are in trouble. 

-Falling into the "Treat Trap" It is often tempting to reach out for food or toys to lure a dog in hopes of getting him come close enough for us to clip on the leash or reach for their collar. However, with time, this method often backfires. Soon, the dog starts associated the treat with being reached for and taken away from all the fun. While the treat may initially work as a bribe, sort of like a promise that says "come close and you'll get this in exchange" soon the dog realizes it is a trap. The treat therefore no longer works to draw the dog near as he understood the trap. 

So with several possibilities covered, let's looks for some solutions to ameliorate this situation. 

-Provide enough exercise and mental stimulation. Many dogs run off when called because they need for exercising their bodies and minds. Ensure your dog receive a sufficient daily dose of exercise (walks, swims, hikes, play, canine sports) and mental stimulation (training, brain games, sniffing and foraging opportunities). Fun indoor activities will help increase the bond between dog and owner and create positive associations with being inside.
-Never call your dog for unpleasant things. Avoid using your recall to scold your dog or to do anything that your dog perceives as unpleasant. Also, don't use treats to lure your dog to come to you to avoid falling into the treat trap. If you need to get your dog for anything unpleasant, spare your recall from becoming a poisoned cue. Your recall needs to be perceived as music to your dog's ears.
-Rename it and refresh it. If your recall has already been poisoned, rename it and refresh it with some positive training sessions. For instance, if a dog has learned that ''come!'' often means ''time for bath time,'' you are better off teaching a whole new cue such as ''over here!'' said in a happy tone of voice and followed by some tasty treats. And of course, aim to make bath time more fun though desensitization and counterconditioning. 
-"Proof" your dog's training gradually. This needs to be done before granting off-leash freedom. In other words, work diligently and systematically on training a strong response to a recall starting in areas with little distractions and gradually exposing to more and more distractions. Start training your dog to come when called indoors in a quiet room, then progress to a room with more distractions, that move to your yard, then off leash in a fenced area or with your dog on a long line. Gradually introduce increasing levels of distance and distractions. Only once you have attained a reliably response (with your dog coming when called at least 80 percent of the time) can you then try off leash in a safe area around mild distractions. Remember: off-leash freedom is a "privilege" that a dog must earn through repeated successes. 
-Reward to impress. You want to leave a strong impression on your dog when he comes to you when called. Make sure to be generous. I like to praise lavishly and feed 5-8 pieces of small treats in a row, making the dog feel as if he struck the lottery. 
-Acclimatize your dog to collar grabs. This will teach your dog to not fear being grabbed by the collar. Touch the collar and give a treat, then grab the collar with your whole hand around it and give a treat, then grab the collar and let your dog walk one step and give a treat, and then practice grabbing the collar and letting your pup walk a few steps towards his food bowl a helper has placed on the floor. Let go and have him enjoy his meal. Do these exercises often enough to obtain what's known as a conditioned emotional response. More on this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Afterward, start practicing recalls and grab the collar before feeding him several treats. This will help change your dog's emotional response towards having his collar touch and can help prevent further instances of playing hard to catch when you're reaching for the collar. 
-Reward voluntary check-ins. This is a great bonding exercise that will provide a foundation of trust and establish a reinforcement history with you. Walk around a fenced yard and carry treats in your pocket or treat bag. Deliver a tasty treat to your dog every time he comes close and "checks-in" with you. With time, you'll see him paying more and more attention to you despite the all the stimulus package of the great outdoors. 

-Put going inside on cue and make it a fun, happy event. When you are out with your dog, randomly say something like "let's go inside!" in a happy, enthusiastic tone of voice and then let a rainfall of treats fall to the ground as you close the door.  Of course, also work on making being indoors extra rewarding by organizing fun brain games like organizing treasure hunts, bottle games, muffin games etc. Also, make sure that your dog isn't too hot indoors as some breeds with heavy coats tend to get very hot. This alone can make some dogs dread being indoors. 

-Make mental notes of failures. If your dog fails to come when called, make a mental note of exactly what may have happened. Perhaps your dog was exposed to something that was too distracting or perhaps something had a bit worried. Next time, you may want to create a set-up, where you systematically expose your dog to lower levels of these distractions to find again his responsiveness zone and restart from there.
-Preempt potential problems. When in doubt, leave it out. In other words, avoid keeping your dog off leash and calling him when you aren't sure if he'll come. Every time you call your dog and it goes to deaf ears, imagine it as if you were emptying a piggy bank in which you have diligently placed coins over time. Every time he comes to you instead you are filling it up and even getting a nice return on your investment. 
-Take off in an emergency. Finally, a little tip if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation where you need your dog to stop running away and come towards you. Try to make silly noises, move your body away and run the opposite way. Most dogs find chasing us irresistibile and this may prevent them from running off. 

I hope this helps! I am sure you are already aware of several of these phenomena and tips, but it's always good to cover all basis and they may always help other readers who may be struggling with the same problem. Training a dog to be off leash and come when called is advanced training. It's something that comes after loads of practice and it's a privilege that dogs have earned over time after showing a history of showing signs of reliability. Both my Rotties took time to master off leash skills and we had to proof in a variety of environments. It got better and better as they matured, so remember that your dog is 2 and he is in that butt-headed stubborn adolescent stage and we don't know much about his history, so you are likely dealing with a strong rehearsal history of not coming when called or never having learned a recall before! So baby steps and lots of fun training and proofing!

Happy training!