Every dog must learn the vital skill of Coming When Called. It is one of the most essentials skills that a dog can learn, both of the dog's safety and welfare, and for those around the dog.

If your dog is disobedient and refuses to come immediately when it is called can have tragic consequences.

The dog can be hit by a car, get in the way of machinery, get into a fight with another dog, or get into a multitude of bad experiences. A well trained, obedient dog that comes when called can be taken to a local dog park, on the beach, or anywhere that dogs can be safely and legally let off the leash..

Training the dog to Come When Called is fairly easy, and involves providing the dog with his favorite small treat and much praise when he get it right.

Before beginning any food or treat based training make sure that the dog is properly motivated and ready to respond. Testing the dog is simply a matter of taking a piece of his regular food or treat and waving it in front of the dog’s nose. If the dog shows enthusiasm, he or she is ready to start the training. If not, wait until the dog is in a more receptive mood.

The treats or food that work best for treat based training are cut up quarter inch or smaller pieces of chicken, cheese or liver. Something your dog already loves. It is best to use small pieces to avoid overfeeding the dog during training.

Turning training into a game is one of the best ways to motivate both the dog and and family. It is important to keep sessions from becoming routine and boring, which leads to apathy on the part of the dog and the handler.

Do keep regular sessions with your dog. Don't skip a week and expect that the dog will remember. Remember that repetition, including daily sessions, is the key to dog training. Make the training such fun that the dog will look forward to the training as much as you do.

After the dog has mastered these basic come when called training exercises are mastered, there are a number of fun exercises that can be introduced to challenge the dog and pique its interest.

One great game for you and another family member or friend to play with your dog is simply back and forth recall. This is a great exercise for teaching your dog to come whenever it is called by a member of the family. Dogs often learn to only respond to one person, and this can be a problem when other people are watching the dog. That is one reason why professional dog trainers always insist on working with the owner as well as the dog. A well trained dog must learn to respond to whoever is in charge, not just the owner or usual handler.

In the back and forth recall game, two or more people stand approximately ten yards apart, in a safe place like a fenced in yard. One person calls the dog and asks him to sit and say until another person asks the dog to come. When the dog responds to the command to come, it is rewarded with a treat. Most dogs respond wonderfully to this exercise and love playing this game. When playing the back and forth recall game, it is important that only the person who called the dog be allowed to give the dog a treat.