Teaching your dog a reliable recall is up there with one of the most important skills that every dog owner should prioritise. Not only is it essential for your dogs safety, but it also opens up a whole world of opportunities for new and exciting off leash adventures that you can embark on together. Whether you’re at the park, the beach, or simply in your backyard, being able to call your dog back to you is a command which should not be overlooked. Many people spend hours teaching their pup to shake hands, hi-5 and roll over however the essential and potentially life saving skill of a solid recall should not be missed!
Keep reading to find out our top 5 tips on how to improve your dogs recall.
1. Use a leash
It is common for many dog owners to rush into letting their dog off leash well before they are truly ready. However, until you can confidently put forward 2 weeks of your hard earned wages that your dog will return to you when you call in any environment and under a high level of distraction (yes, that includes recalling away from other dogs, birds, and people!) I strongly advise to keep them on a leash.
This allows us to teach a bullet proof recall which will give you peace of mind and keep your dog out of harms way. Not to mention saving you the embarrassment of watching your dog as they sprint over to another dog they’ve spotted in the distance, while you attempt to call them back to no avail, resulting to frantically shouting those all too familiar words ‘Don’t worry, he’s friendly!’ across the park.
It is important to remember that not every dog is friendly. Some may be nervous, in training, or their owner simply wants to enjoy a stroll with their buddy without being interrupted by other dogs. This means that it is your responsibility to have your dog under full voice control should you choose to let them off leash.
Using a 5-10 metre long leash allows you to remain in control of your dog and prevent them from ignoring your recall cue whilst also giving them extra freedom to explore and the ability to burn off some steam.
2. Reward your dog for check insAs a general rule, the more we acknowledge when our dogs do something we like, by using food, praise, pats or anything that your dog finds rewarding, the more likely it is that your dog will choose to repeat that behaviour.
Keeping this in mind, when you are next out with your dog, try rewarding them each time they decide to voluntarily check in with you. This may be coming back to you or simply looking back in your direction without being asked. Soon you will find that your dog naturally will start to gravitate to you rather than looking into their environment for reinforcement.
3. Build value in you
Having a good relationship with your dog is imperative in order to develop a reliable recall. Hand feeding your dogs meals through training and simply getting out and playing with your dog is a great place to start in order to foster a strong bond between you and your furry friend.
Rather than feeding your dog directly from a food bowl, place their food into a treat pouch and practice your recall reps, try out some fun food chasing games, or work on some general obedience or tricks!
Find out what kind of games your dog likes to play. Do they enjoy tug? Chasing after a flirt pole? Tap into your dogs natural desires and use this to build up your relationship together.
4. Be mindful of distractions
As we have already discussed, in order for your dog to earn off leash freedom, they must be able to recall back to you under high distraction in many different environments. However, just like when we teach our dogs any new skill, we must build up the distractions slowly. First starting in a low distraction environment such as your back yard (remember to still use your leash to ensure your dog comes back and doesn’t ignore your cue!) and then incrementally increasing the distraction level by visiting more challenging environments.
Be sure to include scenarios such as recalling away from people, other dogs, birds, livestock and any other situations you can think of. The more scenarios we can train for, the stronger your dogs recall will be, should you encounter these situations when they are off leash.
5. Avoid repeating your commands
When you call your dog back to you, be mindful that you are not repeating your commands over and over. For example, “Fido, come!” “Fido…Fido..FIDO!!!…FIDO COME!!!” Sound familiar?
What this does is teach your dog that they do not have to respond until the 5th or 6th time you ask and that in fact, recall is optional. However, recall is definitely not negotiable and as such we want to ensure our dogs respond promptly, the first time we ask.
Start by conditioning a very strong response from your dog when they hear their name. What we are looking for is them to look in your direction the first time you say their name. It is important that whenever possible, we do not use their name and recall command in a negative tone to avoid a negative association being built.
Once you have your dogs attention, you can then start to follow up with a recall word such as “come” or “here”. Again, we want to be only using this word once. Initially it will be challenging to break the habit of repeating commands however, stick with it and be consistent and you will soon see your dog returning to you on the first time you call. If your dog doesn’t begin to come back after giving the cue, try moving backwards and gently encouraging them back to you by using their leash if needed.
In conclusion, building a bullet proof recall requires patience, time and dedication. However the benefits are endless and definitely worth taking the time needed. I hope you found these tips useful, let us know in the comments how they have improved your dogs recall!
