Teaching a reliable recall!
Come Fluffy! Come! Come! Come!!!!
Teaching a reliable recall can sometimes be tricky, but making it fun for you and your dog can make it easy!
Turn training into a game rather than a chore!
You want to start your dog in a low distracting environment and have plenty of high value rewarding treats or toy.
Start out by showing your dog that you have a toy or a treat in your hand that you know they are going to really want, once they start to move in your direction, praise them all the way until they get you. Once they get to you “Mark” and reward. Give your dog a piece of a treat or play like crazy with their toy.
Once your dog has had many repetitions of this exercise you can then start to name the behavior. “Come”.
Recall Games
A great way to teach your dog a reliable recall is by playing a game with them.
Catch Me!
This game is a favorite of many!
While your dog is on a long line or in a fenced in area, drop a small treat in front of them. Once they notice the treat and you know they are going to eat it right away, you run away from your dog. Once you know that your dog has consumed his treat call him “Come!” while you’re still running. Once he starts running towards you slow down or stop. Once your dog has finally reached you, start again. Drop the treat and Run!
Restrained Recall:
This game is easy, and requires two people. In a fenced in area one person will hold the dog while the other person runs away waving a fun toy, and shaking a treat bag. (We recommend acting as silly and foolish as you can) Once you are a fair distance away you call the dog, the first person then releases the dog, and once the dog is to the person at the end, lots of praise, food/ toy play! This help for exciting fast recalls.
Ping-Pong:
This game is a favorite of young kids in the house! To start have your family get in a circle and make sure every person has a high rewarding treat or toy. Each person will then take turns calling the dog, and rewarding the dog once they get to the person that called them. Between two people the dog will look like he/she is ping-ponging between each person. To excel, once the dog understand that he/she is going to receive a treat once he gets to a person, you can then spread the people out, and eventually be calling the dog from person to person from different rooms or different parts of the yard. You can even then mix the Catch Me! game into ping-pong as well!
Tips to a Reliable Recall!!
Do not repeat yourself multiple times
“Mark” and reward efficiently, quickly and consistently
Always be as happy as you can when your dog finally gets to you, even if you are frustrated
Never chase your dog, always run away
Practice makes perfect!
