Dog won't listen outdoors: why it works at home and not outside

Why does my dog listen inside but not outside?

Because your dog learns a cue together with the place he learns it in, and because outside the competition is far bigger. At home you are the most interesting thing in the room. In the park there are smells, other dogs and birds, and you are someone he sees every day. A squirrel wins easily.

The US animal welfare organisation Best Friends explains the first part well. Dogs are very good at telling things apart, but less good at taking something learned in one place and applying it in another. Your dog knows the front door is different from the back door, but may not at first recognise an unfamiliar door at the neighbours' as a door. While learning, dogs take in their whole environment. When that environment changes, they are no longer sure what you are asking.

The UK charity Dogs Trust describes the second part: chasing a squirrel or playing with another dog can be more exciting than coming back, and your dog may simply be unsure that you want him to return. Battersea, the London rescue centre, gives two reasons a dog doesn't come back reliably: he doesn't understand the cue yet, or the reward isn't motivating enough.

You're far from alone. The University of Bristol asked owners of young dogs at 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months which behaviour they found undesirable. At every point, recall problems, barking, jumping up and pulling on the lead were among the behaviours mentioned most often.

Most of what follows is about recall, because outdoors that matters most. The same build-up works for 'sit', 'down' or 'look'. If your dog also pulls, read dog pulling on the lead.

Which cause fits your dog?

Usually it comes down to one of these seven. Don't look at what your dog does when he ignores you; look at when it goes wrong: only around other dogs, only at the end of the walk, or as soon as you step out of the door. That moment points to the cause, and each cause needs its own fix.

Is your dog suddenly listening much worse although nothing has changed, or does he seem mainly tense or scared outdoors? Then a better reward is not the answer. Have your vet take a look first. A dog that is anxious outside needs a different approach; our guide on walking an anxious or reactive dog covers it.

How do you teach your dog to listen outside?

By practising the cue again in each new place, in small steps. Start where your dog can already do it, then make it a little harder each time: more distance, more distraction, a new place. Change only one thing at a time. Move on to the next step only when it works there about eight times out of ten.

Those two rules come from Best Friends: change one thing at a time, and only make it harder once your dog gets it right about 80% of the time in that situation. The Australian animal welfare charity RSPCA uses the same threshold for going off the lead: coming back at least 80% of the time on a long line, even with lots of distraction. The order below follows Dogs Trust and the RSPCA.

Practise every day if you can, even briefly at home. Keep sessions short and stop while it is still going well. Have someone else give the cue now and then, or give it yourself while sitting down: to your dog that is a new situation too. The RSPCA calls recall a lifelong training skill.

Which reward works best outside?

A reward that beats whatever is happening outdoors. A piece of kibble that does the job at home won't win against a rabbit trail. Outside, use something your dog really wants and doesn't get every day. For some dogs that isn't food at all but a toy, or the freedom to go back to sniffing.

Between them, Best Friends, Battersea and the RSPCA give these tips:

• Tastier than at home. Use something worth more as soon as distractions come in, and be generous with treats and praise when he gets it right.
• Something special. A reward your dog doesn't get all the time, ideally one you use only for recall.
• A toy that only comes out for training. If your dog isn't keen on food, use his favourite toy, and don't leave it lying around.
• An extra-large reward. Did he come back against the odds from something exciting? Give a generous handful instead of one treat.
• Being free again. Call him, reward him, then let him go again. That way he learns that coming back doesn't mean the walk is over.

As things improve, Dogs Trust says you don't need to give something every time. Do keep rewarding him every so often so it stays worth it. If his recall starts slipping, go back to basics and reward more often and better.

What do you do when your dog won't come when called?

Stay calm and don't keep calling. Give your dog a few seconds after you call. If he doesn't come, calmly go and get him, or walk away from him instead. Reward him once he is with you, then practise somewhere it does work. These steps come from Dogs Trust and the RSPCA:

1. 1Only call when you expect him to come. Wait until you have his attention, not in the middle of an exciting smell.
2. 2Call once, in a happy voice, and wait at least five seconds. Don't call again if you think he won't come anyway: that teaches him not coming back is fine too.
3. 3If he hasn't come after two calls, go and get him. Don't turn it into a chase, and practise somewhere easier afterwards.
4. 4Does he keep dodging you? Walk away from him. Most dogs will follow, because they don't want to be left behind.
5. 5Is he on a long line? Guide him in gently with the line, but never pull him towards you. Or walk over to him.
6. 6Praise him when he gets to you. Even if it took ages.

Does rewarding work better than correcting?

Yes, if you look at the best study we found. In a UK study from 2020, dogs trained with rewards responded to the first command more often than dogs wearing an electronic collar, and they responded faster to 'come'. Not obeying at all was rare in every group, and on that the groups did not differ.

The study is by China, Mills and Cooper, published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. It involved 63 dogs referred to a trainer for off-lead problems such as poor recall or chasing livestock. They were split into three groups of 21 dogs and received up to 150 minutes of training over 5 days.

• One group was trained with an electronic collar, by trainers nominated by the manufacturers.
• A second group was taught by the same trainers, without an electronic collar but with a mix of food rewards and, for example, lead pressure.
• The third group was trained by trainers who work with rewards. That group responded more often to the first 'come' and 'sit', and responded faster to 'come' than the electronic-collar group.

Be clear about what was measured. The training was given by experienced professional trainers, not by the owners themselves, and the researchers looked at how often and how quickly the dogs responded during those training days. So it doesn't tell you how things go on the beach a year later. The RSPCA cites this study as one reason it recommends teaching recall with rewards.

Where can you practise in Wassenaar, on and off the lead?

Inside the built-up area your dog must be on a lead in public places, except in places the municipality has designated. Playgrounds, sandpits and play lawns are off-limits even on a lead. So you practise the on-lead steps close to home; for the last step you need an off-lead area.

In Wassenaar the beach is such an off-lead area, except on the cycle paths. There is one exception: from 15 May to 15 September, between 09:00 and 19:00, your dog may not be on the beach between beach posts 91.50 and 92.75. Outside those hours and that stretch, the wide beach at a quiet time is a good place to practise off the lead, far from the road.

On the Backershagen estate all dogs must be on a lead from 1 March to 1 August, because of the breeding season. Which other off-lead areas there are and what applies there per season is in our guide to off-lead dog areas in Wassenaar.

• Never off the lead near a road. However reliable your dog's recall, the RSPCA advises against letting him off near a road or other dangerous place: you can't control the environment.
• No such thing as a hundred percent. A dog that always comes back doesn't exist, the RSPCA writes. A bang or an attack by another dog can make any dog bolt.
• Does he keep running off? Keep training on a long line attached to a harness, and, as Dogs Trust advises, only let him off in secure areas.
• Always an ID tag with your details. On the road in Wassenaar your dog must wear a collar or other ID that clearly identifies the owner.

If your dog goes out with a dog walker during the week, tell them which word you use and how you reward. That way he hears the same cue on every walk. Whether a group walk or a private walk suits your dog better is covered in private vs group dog walks.

When should you get help?

Our rule of thumb: if a few weeks of consistent practice bring no improvement, get help. Dogs Trust recommends a qualified trainer or behaviourist when training isn't improving. Choose someone who works with rewards, and ask beforehand how they deal with a dog that doesn't come back when called.

• Never choose a trainer who uses punishment, startle devices or an electronic collar.
• Is your dog mainly scared or tense outdoors, or has his behaviour changed suddenly? See your vet first.
• Does he go after sheep, deer or cyclists? Then it's a safety problem. Keep him on the lead and don't wait to get help.

Frequently asked questions about a dog that won't listen outdoors