5 Tips for Great Recall

I recently posted a video on Instagram explaining why dog trainers go on and on about the importance of recall. For me, it is THE most important command and in my opinion, no dog should be off-lead without being able to come back when called. Having this ability can be the difference between life and death for your dog. Here are five tips that can help you train a reliable recall.

Tip 1: Small & Simple

The principles of great recall are the same whether in the park or your living room, but the difficulty level increases with more distractions. Start your training in a low-distraction environment to increase the likelihood of success. Aim for a short distance - 1 meter is fine - and build up from there. Don't add more distractions until your dog is reliable at this level.

Tip 2: The Recall "Position"

You can think about recall as a position, much like "sit" or "down". For example, we might want the dog close and in front of us looking for instructions. This approach reduces variability in the behaviour and helps build a consistent and repeatable picture for the dog. Define what you want your recall "position" to look like and try to keep it consistent to help your dog learn.

Tip 3: Bullseye!

Turn your hand into a target for the dog to aim at. To do this, hold a tasty, high-value treat between your thumb and your palm. As the dog comes towards you, show your palm to the dog and have them target that with their nose. Once they make contact, you can release the treat. Over time, you won't need to hold the treat but you can still show your palm. This turns recall into a long-distance version of the "touch" game where the dog gets rewarded when they "boop" your hand with their nose.

Tip 4: Docking Complete!

To avoid a situation where your dog comes to you only to grab the treat and run off again, try this approach: delay releasing the treat, until your other hand has taken hold of the dog's collar. This secures the dog and prevents them from running away immediately, giving you time to give a new command or just release the dog.

Tip 5: Catch & Release

If you only recall your dog when you want to take them home or stop them from exploring, the command might take on a negative association for the dog. To avoid this, frequently practice a "catch and release" approach, where you recall the dog for no reason and then immediately release them back to what they were doing.