Not Coming When Called
Make the recall as fun as possible for the dog.
A reliable recall can head off any number of circumstances that could have an unpleasant outcome otherwise. The recall may potentially be the single most important command you can teach your dogs.
Recall games can be fun and exciting for the dog
Do you remember how you felt the moment you heard the music from an ice cream truck, while playing with your childhood friends? My recollections are feelings of excitement and an overwhelming sense of urgency to beg, borrow, or steal some change and catch the truck before it would disappear until who knows when. This sense of excitement and urgency is what I want our dogs to feel when they hear us calling for them. We have to become the ice cream truck.
To teach a recall I typically start with a very high-value treat. By high value, I mean something that is very special to the dog. Something like rotisserie chicken or another piece of meat that they wouldn’t otherwise receive. Initially, the training area should be free of things that distract the dog, and the dog should be hungry. You can use a leash to begin this exercise if necessary.
Begin by enticing the dog with the treat. Don’t give it to them yet, just briefly tease them by holding it at nose level in a partially closed fist. Once they are very interested, immediately take a few quick steps backward, excitedly giving the recall command to the dog. As the dog follows you, immediately pause then reward with a treat and praise. Repeat a few times.
Once the dog is figuring out that the faster they get to you the faster they get the treat, start increasing the length of distance between you and the dog before recalling. We are making them work a little harder, but not too much. We still want to quickly walk backward away from them when calling them. We pause when they give us their maximum level of commitment to getting to us, hopefully, they are running toward us with excitement when we pause for them. The reward again comes immediately when they get to us.
Recall games can be fun and exciting for the dog, as well as for the family. For example, family members can stand at a reasonable distance apart from each other and call the dog back and forth between them. This can be very exciting for the dog and build the recall foundation significantly.
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Your dog stays with us for their training where we will accomplish a lot of training in a short period of time. We then train owners with their pets in both private and group sessions that are included with each package.
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A few pictures from Saturday's group class. This was the first group class for many of the dogs who attended. Several of them in this group have a history of dog reactivity. Everyone (dogs and people) did fantastic! Some dogs will never become dogs that play well with others, but with training and consistency, they can learn to better control their impulses to react inappropriately. During training sessions, pet owners learn how to interpret the way their dogs communicate and how to respond appropriately. Aggressive behaviors, whether directed towards people or other animals, are a driving factor for many who reach out to me for training assistance. Once a training foundation has been established, I believe that attending structured group classes is a fantastic opportunity to desensitize dogs to situations that would have previously overstimulated them and provoked undesirable behaviors. These classes can benefit all dogs. If you are interested, please let me know.
