Of all the things dog owners ask me, how to get their dog to listen and come when called is usually at the forefront.

Teaching a pup to come, or teaching the "recall" as dog trainers know it, is a process. I want my dogs to stop on a dime when I say their name, no matter what they are doing. Knowing that they will come when I call them has led to greater freedom for them and peace of mind for me. Here's how I do it.

First of all, I don't say my puppy's name. I want his name to be a magic word, so when I say it, it means something. Therefore, I only use it during formal training sessions.

I start out with small recalls, around the house. I have a clicker and piece of chicken ready. I wait until the pup isn't looking at me, when he is distracted or sniffing around. I say his name. If he looks up, I click, hold the treat out, and let him come and get it. If he does not respond, I wait at least thirty seconds before calling again.

After a few repetitions of this, the puppy has learned his name. We are ready to graduate to a greater distance. I wait until he is across the room, and then say his name. He should react instantly. If he doesn't, I start all over.

I never call his name more than once in the thirty second period. If I did, I would be teaching him to ignore me.

When the puppy is reliably coming to me from across the room, I call him from out of sight. It isn't long before his feet are scrambling across the floor to get to me.

At this point, I begin taking him for short walks outside in the yard, where he can be off leash. I carry treats in my fanny pack. It's helpful for the pup to be hungry, as the outdoors can be really stimulating and I want to make sure I'm more important than anything else. I wait until he is actively sniffing the ground, not watching me, and then I call his name. When he looks up, I click, squat down and hold out the treat.

If he doesn't look up, he's not hungry enough, or I haven't practiced enough indoors.

I do these random recalls as the pup gets older, gradually increasing the amount of stimulus that the dog has to overcome in order to get the treat. I can practice recalls too, on my leash walks in the park. If I say the dog's name and he looks up at me, I consider that a successful recall.

This method has led to my dogs putting on the brakes when chasing squirrels. If I call them, they will actually stop and come back to me. I can't reiterate how important it is to not say the dog's name at other times. If you constantly bombard him with his name, it will become meaningless to him. If you can't help saying it, then think of another word to use as your recall word.

It's very important to note that there is no force or punishment in teaching the recall this way. Many times I have watched an owner call the dog over, and then slap it for some perceived misbehavior. This can effectively ruin the chance of the dog ever coming when called again.

Also, if you need to do something unpleasant like give the dog medicine, don't call him to you. Go to him instead.

The reliable recall is a process that takes days and weeks to teach, but once it is instilled in your dog's mind, you will have it forever. It's great to have a dog that comes, happily and at top speed, when you call him!

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