Recall is the act of calling to your dog and having it come back to you. It’s one of the most important things for dogs to learn in training because not only does it make life easier for you - the owner - but it helps you protect your dog from potentially dangerous situations.
Recall training is a gradual process that begins on the lead. A dog who’s never learnt recall will not start responding to you while running off into the sunset, so a lead enables owners to control the environment and ensure success if always possible.
Which leads, when and why?
Introducing recall to a dog should start with a short lead to teach the recall cue and how to respond to it. Depending on how your dog is fairing, you can progress to a long lead. After time, the ultimate goal is to be able to let your dog off lead altogether, however this should be when you are 99% sure your dog will respond to you, if in doubt keep them on a lead.Despite their being a certain accolade about being able to walk off-lead - there isn’t a requirement to let your dog off lead, they can have just as much fun ON-lead. This goal could take weeks, months or years to achieve, if you aren’t comfortable or the recall isn’t reliable keep them on a lead. Being a responsible dog owner is paramount.
Using a lead allows for rehearsals. You can use recall with a lead to practice for potentially problematic (or dangerous) situations - for example, approaching roads, busy locations, when kids are playing football.
Moving through the different lead lengths helps your dog come to understand what’s required of them. You may find that you've established successful recall in an enclosed space like the back garden (or in our enclosed dog-walking field), but that if you’re out on a hike, your dog is distracted by the new environment and ignores you. Progressing to a long lead at this point gives your dog their freedom but allows you to gently remind them - with the safety of the lead - that the same recall principles apply.
The leads we’re discussing here are training leads, not retractable leads. Retractable leads are fine in certain situations, but not best for training - for more info on this topic take a look at our article on retractable leads.
Understanding your dog
As we’ve mentioned before, much of effective dog training is about empathising with your animal. As owners, we must look at situations from the dog’s perspective.When a dog is running and sniffing around in an open space or playing with other dogs, they’re happy. Just like children, they don't want to stop what they’re doing at that moment because they’re having fun.
If you always recall and cut their fun short, recall gains a negative association for them. Therefore, this won’t improve your dog’s recall, and may make it worse.
Coming back to you has to be appealing to the dog. Here at Potter Paws, we help you build a fun and loving relationship with your dog. We focus on positive recall experiences and set them up for success, so that coming back to you is the best thing in the world!
To find out more or to discuss training, get in touch with us. We’re happy to help!