Simple dog training tips: recall

If you struggle with recall with your dog, maybe this simple training tip could help sharpen up their responses.

I’m sure we have all experienced those times where our dogs use selective hearing to ignore our recall command.

At the root of this problem is that quite often over time we become more and more lenient with regards to what recall means. The lack of consistency confuses our dogs.

When you first started recall training with your puppy they had to come back and get a big hug and congratulations.

Then as we see that they come back more often they just had to come back to within a few metres of us.

Over time the boundaries and rules are are tested and extended without the dog particularly trying to manipulate the given situation.

The simple trick is that the recall command should involve the dog returning to you and touching the palm of your hand with it’s nose.

Only once this is completed do you reward with praise, a treat or throwing an object.

Here is a quick video example:

I am fully aware that the purists out there will note that on the second recall I used the command twice instead of breaking it up with a “no”.

Personally I am happy to repeat a command once in case for dog’s attention was not fully present. I would not hesitate to throw in a “no” if I felt that she was ignoring the command.

Anyways if you are interested… do try out this little training tip and I would love to hear some feedback.

The better your dogs are at listening to and responding to our Walkers, the more freedom we are able to give them on the adventures.

Doggies: Ellie, Trassel, Lucy, Milli and Lucy