Is Your Recall Word Broken? Here’s What to Do First

Why your dog’s ignoring you—and how to rebuild recall that actually works.

The Recall Word You’ve Said a Thousand Times…

You say it, they pause, maybe even glance at you…

Then they turn around and run the opposite way.

You’re left red-faced, arms flailing, calling louder and louder until you’re not even sure who you’re trying to convince—your dog, or yourself.

I get it. I really do.

When Miku was younger (she’s 5 now), she had this charming habit of happily trotting off with complete strangers—dog or no dog. I’d be calling her name over and over, totally ignored, while she gleefully followed someone down the path like she’d just found her new family.

Eventually, I gave up shouting for her and started shouting at them—“Please stop! Let me get my dog!” It was absolutely mortifying. I swear she’d have packed a bag and moved in with someone else if given half the chance.

That’s when I realised: the word I was using meant nothing to her. It was broken.

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What Does It Mean When a Cue Is ‘Poisoned’?

If your recall word has been overused, ignored, or only associated with ending the fun, it stops working. We call this “poisoning” the cue—basically, your dog hears it but no longer finds it relevant or rewarding.

Think of it like this:

If every time someone called your name, it meant the end of a party, you’d probably stop turning around too.

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How Do You Know If Your Recall Cue Is Broken?

Ask yourself:

• Do they only respond at home, not outside?

• Do they glance at you, then choose to do something else?

• Do they run toward you, or away from you?

• Do you find yourself saying it 2, 3, 5 times… louder each time?

If you answered “yes” to any of those, it might be time for a fresh start.

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Step 1: Ditch the Old Word (with Love)

It’s hard—I know. But if your recall word has lost all meaning, the best thing you can do is retire it completely. That means never using it for recall again.

Instead, choose a brand-new word that your dog has no emotional history with. Some of my favourites (and ones I’ve used with Miku) include:

• “Here!”

• “Quick!”

• “What’s this?!”

Pick something short, positive-sounding, and easy to say when you’re flustered.

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Miku Moment: When “Come” Stopped Working

With Miku, I originally taught her to respond to “Come.” It worked well… for a while. But slowly, I noticed her response getting slower—even at home. Outside? Forget it.

At first, I blamed her “stubbornness.” Thought she was just choosing not to listen.

It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realise the word itself had become poisoned.

I’d used it too much, in the wrong moments, or when I was frustrated—and she’d stopped seeing it as something positive.

So, we started fresh.

Now her everyday recall word is “Quick!”—something fun and upbeat. And for emergencies, I use “What’s this?!” It’s saved for high-stakes moments and always means something super exciting is coming.

Switching those words gave me a clean slate… and gave Miku something worth responding to again.

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You’re Not Starting Over. You’re Levelling Up.

If your recall word is broken, it’s not your fault. It just means it’s time to hit reset and approach it with a new lens.

You’ve got this. Your dog’s not ignoring you because they’re stubborn, dominant, or disobedient. They just need a cue that makes sense again.

Start fresh. Build it right.

And watch your dog actually come running.

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👉 Next up: How to Build Engagement Before You Even Say ‘Come’

Before your dog can respond to a recall cue, they need a reason to want to connect with you. In the next blog, we’ll look at how to become the most exciting thing in your dog’s world - through name response, attention games, and rewards that actually work for your dog. Connection comes first. Cue comes later.

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