Set Your Dog Up for Success
It's always important to try to set your dog up for success in training, but it's of utmost importance in training a reliable recall. Don't put your dog in the position to make the wrong choice by calling him if you have no way to back it up. If your dog is allowed to fail to come to you when you call even a few times before he's reliably trained, he might always think that the recall is optional, rather than required. The dog needs to know that the first time you call, every time you call, he must come to you.
Failure Is Not an Option
There are a couple of ways that you can make sure your dog doesn't fail. The first is not to call him if he has the option not to come to you, especially if you already have the idea that he might make a choice other than coming to you. The second part of the equation is making sure that when you do call him, you have a way to enforce your command, like a leash or dragline.
Until he's in the habit of coming to you, no matter how far away he is, or what distractions are going on around him, don't give him the freedom to fail. If he's in the position to “flip you the paw” when you call, don't waste your breath or dilute the power of your command by calling him repeatedly. Every time you call and your dog doesn't come, it reinforces his idea that the command is optional.
If you're so addicted to leaving your dog free in your yard that you can't give it up for recall practice try this: every time your dog is out in the yard (or in the dog park, or anywhere else that you might have him off leash), call him for cookies at least five times for every time you call him to bring him in. If he's already in the habit of ignoring you when you call, spend a week or two approaching him and giving him treats, and also giving him treats every time he approaches you.
Slow Is the New Fast
Don't be in a hurry to get your dog unencumbered by his leash or dragline. Spend a few months getting him reliable before giving him too much freedom outdoors, even in your own yard. Freedom outside is no different than freedom in the house; it's a privilege to be earned, and he probably hasn't earned the privilege of that much freedom yet. He'll earn more freedom depending on his response to your commands.
If he responds promptly and reliably on a long dragline 10 feet away, give him 20. If he's doing well at 20 feet, give him 50. If he's doing well at 50 feet, no matter what the distraction, drop the leash. If after two or three weeks he's still responding promptly and reliably with the leash dragging, it's time to gradually wean him off the leash by cutting a foot or two off the length every week until you're down to nothing attached to the snap.
If at any time his training backslides, and he doesn't comply with a recall command, don't hesitate to put him back on a held line for a couple of weeks before weaning him off again.
