Lola's Training Tips: Recall

Lola’s Training Tips: Recall

Introduction

As part of our experience gathering to become dog trainers, we want to publish a series of articles about the techniques for common behavioural dog problems. We hope this will allow us the opportunity to process what we are learning in our courses, as well as, provide everybody with the means to work on their own dog training at home. We say, ‘training starts with the owner’, therefore our articles won’t just contain tips for the dog. We hope you learn a thing or two from Lola’s Training Tips.

Why is recall important?

Recall is the term used by dog owners/trainers to describe a dog’s ability to return to their owner at the sound of a whistle or noise when off lead. For some owners, who only walk their dog on lead, recall training might not be appropriate. However, being able to let your dog off lead can make for a very liberating walk, as well as a very tired dog afterwards. Off lead dogs can stretch their legs a lot more on a walk as well as experiencing more new smells. All of this equals a tired dog when you get home. Secondly, it can prove to be a very useful piece of training (if implemented correctly) for when your dog is in danger, or you need their attention. An example of this came with our dog Lola many years ago at the park.

Lola has a good recall; however, she is a Cocker Spaniel, so a big group of birds is always going to be exciting. We once let her off without realising there was a flock of birds sat on the grass. Of course, Lola ran at them. However when they flew off, they flew towards the main road. Lola initially headed that way to chase them (typical Cocker). Luckily Chloe was there to call Lola and implement her recall training before she got close to the road. We are certain she would have continued to follow the birds straight onto the road, if she didn’t have a good recall. That is why we believe following the information outlined in this article is worth any dog owners time and could even save your dog’s life.

The Training Process

As with any training you do with your dog, it can be very intimidating to begin with if you do not know how to. This especially applies when it comes to recall as you do not want to let your dog off lead unless you are confident that they will return to you. That is why recall training should ALWAYS start on lead, preferably a long lead of some description. We usually use a 10-metre line when we train recall with any dog.

Choose your recall word or command (this can be a whistle as well). We use ‘Here!’ as it does not sound like any other common commands (e.g., sit, down, bed, etc).
This step is best to do this at home at first. We want to combine using your command with a treat or praise. (Each dog is different, and it is best to figure out what motivates your dog the most). Start by saying your command “Here!” and giving your dog a treat or praise. This step is allowing your dog to couple the term, “Here!”, with a good experience so when they hear it at the park, they will want to come back.

3. Once your dog has learnt their new command in the house it is time to move to the park. You will need your long line and your treats (if using praise, leave your treats at home). Start by allowing your dog to explore on the long lead. When you want to execute the recall command, use your command, followed by a quick pull on the lead towards yourself. Now this is the key piece of information, you need to play into your dog’s natural instinct to chase. Therefore, after you have pulled the lead, you want to jog/run backwards (while always facing forwards) so your dog runs towards you.

4. Usually when you train a dog a new trick or command you want to stay calm. That goes out of the window with recall. You are competing for your dog’s attention in the middle of a park full of sights and smells. Therefore, you need to be excitable and loud. Wave your arms, shout your command, make it exciting for your dog.

5. If they listen and execute the recall, make sure to give them their treat and lots of praise. You want them to know they have done correctly.

6. Repeat these steps on every walk and keep using the long lead until you are confident that your dog will come back to you when only using the verbal command. Slowly cut back the pull on the lead and the excitement until your dog recalls on command. (You don’t want to have to act like a lunatic every time you want your dog to come back).

7. After several days of training, it might be time to try recall off lead. If you wanted to be safe, we would recommend this part in an enclosed dog walking field which you can hire for ~£10/hour. When your dog is off lead, don’t become disheartened if they ‘forget’ all their training. This is a learning process, keep attempting your command and make sure to praise if they recall correctly. Good boy! Good girl!

8. If you are having trouble, try a high reward treat like a piece of cooked chicken. If you are having further trouble, get in touch!

Practice makes Paw-fect

Recall is not a piece of training you can do with your puppy and forget about until you need to use it. To get the most out of recall training, you should use it on every walk where your dog is off lead. Consistency is key when it comes to training your dog recall and therefore, we recommend using recall every 20-30 seconds when your dog is off lead, so they never get too far away from you. Not only does this make for a very safe walk but it gives your dog a very clear boundary that is easy for them to follow.

When is a good time for your dog to be off lead and when on lead?

Finally, we want to finish on a key point that can be very confusing for lots of dog owners, especially if you are new to it. When is it okay to let your dog off lead? Now, everybody will have a different answer to this. The Law only states ‘it’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere such as: in a public place, in a private place or in the owner’s home’. The guidelines on what constitutes an out-of-control dog is even more confusing. We call for an update to this legislature which we believe is very outdated and inconspicuous.

Therefore, we follow these 3 easy steps whenever it comes to letting our dogs off lead.

Open spaces only – parks, fields, and other open green spaces are a great place to let your dog off lead. However, only if the other criteria are fulfilled too.
Does your Dog know the place well? – We NEVER allow any dog off lead in a place that they have not been to several times ON LEAD before. New places are very exciting for dogs, and they can easily catch a smell and want to go and explore that new smell. That is why is it always best to walk around the park on a few separate occasions on lead before thinking of letting them off.
Are there any triggers at all, nearby? – Triggers can be lots of different things: other dogs (on lead or off lead), a flock of birds, bodies of water, children, to name a few. It is important to always have your dog under control and on lead if any of these triggers are present. We do not know how other dogs are going to react, including our own. That is why safety is paramount. If you see one of these triggers while your dog is off lead, it is a great time to execute that recall and put them back on lead until the trigger is gone.

Written By Jack Fairclough

Published on 29^th April 2023

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