Last week I wrote about (one of) my most embarrassing moments, when Gus refused to come back when I called and instead caused considerable bother to another dog and his owner.
Have you ever felt helpless, frustrated and mad as your dog runs circles round you, or disappears off into the distance while you shout pointlessly into the wind? Or perhaps you’ve left the door open and your dog has vanished down the road?
Like me, I’m sure you’ve all seen, or been, that person yelling and screaming at their dog to come back in the park or on the beach. You probably sniggered at that viral video of Fenton chasing deer while feeling guilty that it could have been you.
Teaching your dog to come back is one of the two most important things you can teach your dog. But it’s one of the hardest things to teach so that it’s reliable in just about every situation.
It’s worth spending time teaching your dog a rock solid recall. Your dog can have much more freedom when you’re confident they will come straight back to your side when you call and that feeling of smugness when they do is one of life’s guilty pleasures.
I know Gus well enough to know when his recall isn’t 95% perfect, which means I can confidently know when I can let him off lead and when I need to be more careful, such as when there are horses cantering on the beach.
What about your dog? Perhaps their recall is fine when there are no distractions, but as soon as another dog appears you have no chance of getting them back.
Yet.
Keep training and keep safe,
Carol