My three-year-old female Labrador just ignores my recall command when we're out walking. She chases after other dogs or gets her nose stuck sniffing around in the bushes. I've tried treats and affection, but nothing works. Is there some tried-and-tested method to retrain her?
The problem is that for your dog, the interest in smells or other dogs is stronger than the motivation to come back to you - regular treats just don't compete. Start by retraining the command in a calm environment with no distractions: at home or in an empty area where nothing catches her attention. Call her only when you're sure she'll come, and reward her generously with something truly valuable to her - meat, cheese, something really tasty. Once the command works in calm conditions, gradually increase the difficulty: add light distractions, then harder ones. During regular walks, call her frequently over a long period and reward her so that "come here" doesn't get associated with the end of fun and heading home - otherwise your dog will resist even more.
The main thing is don't call your dog with the command if you're not sure she'll come. Every time she ignores you, you're reinforcing that exact behavior. It's better to first work on the command in a safe, boring environment where there's nothing to distract her.
The thing is, you need a sequence: at home or in an empty area, you practice "come here" with a super-valuable reward (not just a treat, but something really tasty and unexpected for the dog). You do this in short bursts, several times a day - five minutes each. The dog needs to catch the pattern: hears the command → runs over → gets something amazing. Once it works nine times out of ten in a calm setting, you start making it harder: add small distracting factors, then walks in busier places.
On the street with an adult Labrador, it makes sense to keep a long leash for a while - not as punishment, but to physically control the situation while you're retraining her. And the key thing: call her rarely, but when you do - make absolutely sure she comes, even if you have to go over and grab her collar. Over time, the command will become more reliable.
Try practicing the command while she's already moving instead of standing still - call her when she's already running toward you or playing nearby, so she understands that "come here" means the fun continues, not the end of the walk. And here's the key thing: don't reward with just one treat, give her the whole "jackpot" - pull out treats in portions right as she's approaching you, so coming back to you is way more exciting than any bush.
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