Glossary
What is a poisoned cue in dog training?
A poisoned cue is a word your dog has learned to read as bad news or as background noise. Owners rarely do it on purpose. It builds up over months of calling a dog to the bathtub, to the crate before work or to a telling-off. Here we define the term, show how one recall went sour, and explain how we rebuild with a new word.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
What poisoning looks like
A cue that predicts the wrong thing.
A cue is poisoned when what reliably follows it is something the dog would rather avoid, or when nothing follows it at all. Signs tend to be subtle at first: a slow approach, a curved path, sniffing the ground, stopping just out of reach. Some dogs freeze or turn away. None of that is stubbornness. The dog is answering honestly about what the word has come to mean.
A worked example: a family calls "come" when the dog is muddy, then towels and scolds him. They call "come" at the dog park, then clip the leash and leave immediately. Each time, the word predicted the end of something good. Over time, he hears "come" and drifts the other way. The family has not ruined the dog. They have taught the word a new meaning.
- Slow or curving approach
- Stops just out of reach
- Sniffing instead of answering
- Turns away at the word
Rebuilding the word
Retiring a sour cue and starting clean.
Rather than fight the old word's history, we usually replace it. The new cue is taught with markers and rewards first, at home, until hearing it reliably predicts something the dog values. Only then is it proofed in harder settings, and if a tool suits the individual dog, it is introduced properly and taught to the owner. Our recall-word page explains how to choose and protect the replacement.
The mistakes that poisoned the first word will poison the second. Owners slip back into calling the dog for nail trims, repeating the cue when ignored, or using it before the dog is ready for the setting. Instead, walk over and collect the dog for unpleasant jobs, and keep the new word for good news. If avoidance looks fearful rather than casual, a professional assessment is worth booking.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
How do I know if my dog's recall is poisoned?
Watch what happens when you say it. A dog who slows down, circles, sniffs, or stops just out of reach has often learned the word predicts something unwelcome.
Can a poisoned cue be fixed, or do I need a new word?
Some cues can be rehabilitated with patient pairing, but a fresh word is usually cleaner because it carries no history. Either way, the new meaning has to be built before it is tested.
Can other cues besides recall get poisoned?
Yes. Words like "crate", "leave it" or even the dog's name can sour if they keep predicting things the dog dislikes or are said endlessly without follow-through.
Is it bad to call my dog to leave the park?
It wears down the cue if leaving is the only thing that follows. Calling, rewarding and releasing back to play several times during a visit helps, and on the final exit you can simply walk over and clip the leash.
Keep reading
Is your dog's cue gone sour?
Book a consultation and we will help you work out what went wrong and which option fits, smaller ones included.
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