There are three key parts to having a great recall. These are:
1) Reward EVERY time
2) Practice, practice, practice – make it a habit
3) Gradually (and successfully) build the difficulty
I get asked very frequently “When do I stop giving my dog treats for coming back to me?”
The answer is – Never. You need to reward your dog every time he comes back when you’ve called him – every time.
Practice is vital. Recall needs to become a habit for your dog. Use his meals to practice recalls at home, as we teach you in our PerfectPet courses. I recommend you practice 20-30 recalls on every off lead walk, so you give your dog loads of practice at coming back, getting a great reward, and then being allowed to run off free again. Only calling your dog to put him back on lead is the best way I know to ruin your recall.
If your dog comes back to you at home, he won’t understand to come back at a busy park or beach. You need to build up the difficulty of his recall gradually by introducing distractions in each situation – count one success every time he comes back first time you call, quickly. Meandering back, or only coming when you’ve screeched a second time, doesn’t count. You’ve cracked in when you can get 19 out of 20 successes.
You need to get that level in all situations and all places – and that’s what takes the time in recall training!
If you’d like more tips, have a look at our free stuff on the website and check out the article “9 rules for a perfect recall.”
Keep training,
Carol