Ask Honey #5: Training tips for good Recall

So sorry for the long delay in answering this question – I know Nova and her human have been waiting for over 2 months! But I like to answer questions as comprehensively as I can and in this case, I wanted to film & edit some videos illustrating what I was saying – so it has taken a long time to put this post together. ~ Hsin-Yi

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Hey Honey! I was wondering if you could give me advice on recalling my puppy Dane. Just regular recall since she is a pup but I dont know what to do…. I have tried “charging a word” and working on “teaching her her name”… I was wondering if your human did something specific to get you to come to her? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you Honey and her Human Mommy!

(From Nova the Great Dane & her human)

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* NOTE: There are lots of different ways to teach Recall – the following are simply what I believe to be important and effective, based on my own experiences and the advice from trainers I have worked with and/or interviewed. I have hesitated to call them “Golden Rules” (even if they are for me) because many people who teach Recall differently may disagree – so I have called them “Big Honey Dog Rules” instead.

I know that in many places, people favour teaching Recall “formally” from the beginning (place dog in Sit & Wait/ call to come into perfectly straight Sit position between your legs, ie. a lot of focus on achieving the Sit position in front of you) – especially for later use in Obedience competitions - but I personally believe in always teaching commands first for “real life” (especially for pet dogs) and focusing more on reliability under all distractions. Once you have that, it is easy to add the “extra polish”, such as specific positions, later.

Certainly this has been the way I have trained Honey – always making sure she actually DOES the command first, before worrying about HOW she is doing it. (I have been shocked several times to meet dogs in the park who hold advanced Obedience titles and yet have no Recall at all in the “real life situation” of the park). Anyone who has seen Honey heeling or doing a formal Obedience recall can see that despite teaching it this way round, she has still learnt all the correct “positioning” necessary.

However, please don’t think that I’m saying teaching Recall ‘formally’ first isn’t also effective and I’m sure trainers who do it that way also have great success.

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“Come” was actually one of the commands I didn’t teach Honey from young – I just didn’t have any confidence in how to teach it and so I just opted out and didn’t teach it at all!   Because of this, we didn’t dare let Honey off-leash in parks until she was nearly 1 yr old and we found our great trainer, Flip Calkoen at Flip’s Top Dog - and he showed me how to teach her the ’Come’ command properly. 

This was bad in a way because I missed out doing a lot of the things that you should do with young pups to encourage a good Recall (see “Recall Games” below) – however, this was also good in a way because we did do ONE thing right and that was not “use the word in vain”, which would have ruined it, ie. we didn’t do what most people do – which is let their pup off in the park and then when he runs off, chase after him yelling “Come here! Come! Come!” – because in those cases, the pup quickly learns to ignore the command and it becomes very difficult to unlearn.

I’d read somewhere that whenever you’re not sure you can enforce the Recall, you’re better not to call your dog – otherwise they learn to ignore you. So I was very careful not to ever use the “Come” word – which meant that when Honey finally learnt the word at about 1 yr (yes, that late!!), she didn’t have any previous associations with it and didn’t have to “unlearn” any bad habits.

Big Honey Dog Recall Rule #1 – Keep your command sacred

So that is the first thing I would say – decide what word you’re going to use (eg. “Come!”, “Here!”, “To me!”) and then keep this word sacred. Don’t throw it around at home or when your pup is out and about – don’t ever use it – unless you can enforce it, ie. you KNOW she will definitely come or you can “make” her come (eg. by using a long line – see below). Don’t ever give her the chance to learn to ignore this word. If she has already started ignoring a word you’re using to call her, then choose a completely new word. Trainers often do this when dogs have learnt bad habits with one command – just start again with a totally new word. And try to always say this word in the same way/tone of voice.

Even now with Honey, although she has a very reliable Recall, I am careful about the situations I use “Come!” in – I only save it for when I really, really need her to come ‘properly’ and I have the time & inclination to see it through. So for example, if we’re at home and I call her – if I’m not that fussed about whether she comes quickly or not, I actually don’t use the word “Come” because that command is never negotiable – once I give it, she must ALWAYS come immediately and I must always check to see that she does it, even if I have to wait her out. (eg. if she is lying down, it may take her a while to collect herself and get up – and if I’m in a hurry and don’t really need her to come right to me, I won’t use the “Come” command because otherwise I’ll have to stand there until she gets up and comes right up to me)

So if I’m in a hurry or just can’t be bothered to “see it through” and it’s not that important, I’ll call her using “Come On”  or “Come-Come-Come!” – I know they seem similar but I use a very different tone of voice (high-pitched) compared to when I call “COME!” in a deeper, authoratitive voice and Honey recognises them as different (remember dogs respond to tone much more than to the words themselves. The same word said in 2 different tones can actually be taught as 2 commands). These are our ‘casual Come commands’ if you like – when she hears them, she knows she doesn’t really have to come if she doesn’t want to or she can dawdle a bit.

This is like the equivalent of your mother saying, “Darling, don’t do that”…”Johnny, stop that now”…”Jonathan, come on, stop that”…and then, in that scary voice, “Jonathan Carter, stop that this instant!” And we all know that when our mothers use our names in a certain way, she means business and we’d better listen. This is sort of the same principle I apply in my training with Honey. I actually let her have a lot of leeway when the situation isn’t that important – and give her very clear, consistent signals that she can be a bit “relaxed”, through the words I use – so that when things ARE important, she will obey instantly because she knows a certain word is only used when things are ‘serious’.

But remember, that certain word can only be seen as important and ‘serious’ if you can always enforce it – so that your dog will understand that when you say that word, you ‘mean it’. No negotiations. No exceptions. (same with kids really! )

Big Honey Dog Recall Rule #2 – Distinguish between the Recall command & the dog’s name.

A lot of people just call their dog’s names and expect the poor thing to just be able to know which command they’re supposed to do through telepathy!

I personally don’t like to use the dog’s name for Recall because there are too many instances where you call the name and the dog doesn’t have to come – and therefore again, you’re laying yourself open to teaching your dog to ignore Recall. Besides, it’s unfair on the dog – if you sometimes expect him to come to you when you call his name – and sometimes expect him to just look at you (eg. for the camera!) – and sometimes expect him to Sit or stop jumping up or fetch ball or take the treat from your hand (or the million other things people expect their dogs to do without clear instructions)…how is the poor dog supposed to know which thing you want him to do when he hears his name?

Remember, successful dog training is all about consistency.

So I use Honey’s name for one thing only: to get attention. When she hears her name, she just has to “check in” with me – usually look at me, if she’s in the same room. She doesn’t have to actually come right up to me if she doesn’t want to – like if she is across the park, she can just raise her head and look at me. If she is out of sight (eg. another room in the house or round the bend at the park), then her name means “Find me” – so she will seek me out and come close enough to get eye contact. Her name means “Pay attention to me – I have something to tell you” and if I want her to do something, I will then follow her name with a command.

So it is good to make a very clear distinction between a dog’s name and the actual Recall command and be consistent in your expectations. Of course, I do sometime use Honey’s name when I recall her – but what I say is, “Honey – COME!”

Big Honey Dog Recall Rule #3 – BABY STEPS! Don’t set your dog up to fail.

This is probably the most common mistake people make when teaching Recall. They start trying to teach it in too challenging a situation and so of course, the dog doesn’t come – which frustrates them and they get mad at the dog – which makes the dog even more reluctant to come next time – which makes them madder…vicious circle!

If you were teaching a child to swim, you wouldn’t just throw him into the middle of the Pacific Ocean and say, “Just kick!” or expect him to swim the English Channel first time – would you? No, you would probably take him to a shallow swimming pool, clutching a flotation device, and help him get used to the sensation of being in the water first and then sticking his head under, holding his breath, gradually moving into deeper water…so why wouldn’t you do the same for your dog?

DON’T  do what a lot of people do, which is take their pup down to the dog park or beach for the first time, let it off to run madly around with other dogs or busy following some scent – and then start shouting “Come!” and expecting it to come instantly. Usually, they end up chasing the dog around the beach or park, yelling threats, until they finally manage to catch it. Not only has their dog learnt that they can get away with ignoring the Recall command but they’ve also learnt that running away from their humans is a great game! But then these people repeat the whole thing again next time. And next time. And next time. And then when I meet them, they tell me that they just can’t teach their dog Recall. Hmm…I wonder why?

Recall is one of the hardest commands to get your dog to obey, especially when he is out in a fun, distracting environment - it requires a LOT of sacrifice from the dog, to give up his fun and come to you. So make it easy for him! Set your dog up to succeed.

1) Start teaching it in a really boring place – like your living room or back garden. Get the dog used to the idea that when they hear the Recall command, they must ”drop everything and go to you” – but FIRST in a boring, familiar place with no distractions.

As I said above, I train the ‘real life’ way – so to teach Recall, I don’t put the dog in a Sit & Wait and back away from him. Instead, I let him loose to wander and wait until his attention is preoccupied by something – and then I call him to come to me, using first the command followed by lots of squeaky voice encouragement, crouching down, patting thighs and general excitement. I try to replicate real life as much as possible – and you’re much more likely to need to call your dog when he’s got his nose buried in something than when he’s sitting pretty waiting for you across the room! You can even do this while watching TV at night or when you’re out doing work in your garden…just wait until your dog has wandered a bit away from you and is busy sniffing something and give the Recall command, lots of excited encouragement, followed by treat reward.

It’s a good idea to arm yourself with treats (and I’d advise setting aside some ’extra special treats’ which are only used for Recall training and the dog never gets at other times) – put some in your pocket while out gardening or keep a bag by your TV remote.  This is why I say start in a really boring place – so that whatever they are sniffing isn’t likely to be too interesting and therefore you will easily win the battle for their attention.

When your dog finally comes to you, crouch down  (or bend down if you’re on the sofa) and make a HUGE fuss of them – cuddles, pats, praise & treats. You can’t over-reward for a good Recall.

So how do you get your dog to “drop everything” and come to you? Make sure that it is ALWAYS really worth their while to come to you – so especially in the beginning, always have a REALLY yummy treat in your hand before you call them. Preferably some high value ’human food’ that they never get at other times. You won’t have to do this forever but in the beginning, when you’re introducing the Recall command, it really helps to set up strong positive associations. 

Another easy way to do this is to always use your Recall command to call your dog to his dinner. Most dogs get very excited at dinner time and you’re pretty sure that he will definitely come so take advantage of that situation!  If you have a dog that ‘knows’ when you’re going to the kitchen to prepare dinner and already follows you there, see if you can get him to stay in another room (or get a family member to help hold him there) while you prepare his dinner – and then call “Fido, COME!” really excitedly just as you’re going to serve it – get your helper to release him – and he will come pelting through to get his dinner. Repeating this every night will imprint in his mind the state of anticipation & excitement he gets waiting for his dinner which is rewarded when he hears the Recall command and then the satisfaction he feels eating it - it’s a very powerful conditioning exercise.

If you have a dog who’s not food-orientated, you can do the same thing but using his favourite toy instead. So - say you have a ball-obsessed dog – well, never just take his ball out to play with him. Always wait until he is distracted or wandered off – and then suddenly call, “Fido, COME!” and instantly produce the ball – as soon as he’s running towards you, throw it with great excitement. Again, it sets up a habit of the dog getting very excited and rushing to you when he hears the Recall command.

Be creative. I’m sure you have a good idea of what excites your dog, what he loves more than anything else – so use that in your favour when teaching Recall. The best is to find something that can be repeated every day (like dinner time) because this gives you the best chance of conditioning. Of course, don’t only use your Recall command at that time – use it in other situations too – otherwise your dog might start to think that “Come” is just another word for “Dinner”!

2) Only when your dog is coming well in the ‘boring place’ do you raise the bar. You can do this in 2 ways:

• - either introduce some distractions in your boring, familiar place (eg. packet of crisps on coffee table? New toy on the floor? A visitor on the sofa?) 

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• - take them to a slightly more interesting place (eg, your front garden with a view of the street as opposed to the back? An empty carpark? An empty sportsfield? The dog park at a quiet time with no other dogs?)

Remember – when you change the environment, lower your expectations. So you may need to go back a few steps compared to what you were doing in the boring place. If you could recall him from 10 metres away in your garden, don’t expect that immediately at the park – start with him back to just 2 metres away (and preferably hungry and knows you’ve got treats!), then gradually work up to 5m, 8m, 10m, etc.

As he gradually gets better and “passes each test”, you can keep increasing the challenges. Maybe go to an even more exciting place (the beach? the dog park at a busier time? when he’s playing with his best doggie friend?) or call him from further away. If your dog is too distracted and doesn’t come or struggles to pay attention to you, then you’ve probably rushed things (or you’re not exciting enough – see below) – so go back a step and practise some more.

Using a Long-Line in Recall Training

* First – a word about training tools:

You’re probably wondering how to practise in places like the park if you’re not sure your dog won’t run off. This is where certain training tools come in handy. Now, I know there can be a lot of controversy about training tools, especially those that are seen as employing some form of “correction”. Personally, I don’t like the way dog-training has turned into some kind of fascist religion nowadays with people demanding complete subjugation to one training philosophy or another.

I train using a combination of methods – primarily through positive reinforcement but I am not afraid to use ‘correction’ on the few occasions when I feel it is necessary & more effective. I’m certainly not one of the “100% positive school” where you can’t even say “No!” to your dog. I feel that if you can’t even say “No!” to your dog for fear of damaging your relationship, then you haven’t got much of a relationship in the first place. It would be like being afraid to ever disagree with your partner for fear that he might not love you anymore. I do give Honey a ‘telling-off’ or correction from time to time and as anyone who has watched us together can attest, we still have a very good bond and she does not cower in fear of me.  

I believe that different methods suit different dogs & situations – and any trainer who thinks that only one way – their way – is the answer to everything is very naïve. Just like Pit Bulls should not be judged just because of their breed but by the way they are raised – so I don’t think  you should judge a training tool  by itself, but by the way it is used. A scalpel is a very different tool in the hands of a surgeon Vs. the hands of a serial killer.

Having said all that, I do feel that certain training tools and “correction-type” training methods require greater skill to do ‘correctly’ – it is very easy to get them wrong and make the situation worse. They can only really be learnt properly under ‘real-life’, practical supervision and guidance from an experienced trainer – and if you can’t use them 100% correctly, then you’re better not to use them at all. Therefore it would be very irresponsible to promote their use over the internet, where there is too much chance for misunderstanding. So I tend to only discuss  “positive” training techniques which are ’safer’, if you get things wrong, so to speak.

But even with these methods, it is still best to have an experienced trainer demonstrate and guide you in ‘real-life’. You wouldn’t learn to drive a car just from reading instructions in a book – you need practical guidance from another experienced driver. Similarly, dog-training (especially using tools) is a practical skill and best learnt in practice.

So while I give some info about using the long-line below, if you’re thinking of using this tool, it is still best to find a trainer to show you how the first time.

Using a long-line to teach Recall follows the same general principles as I described above but just with the long-line attached to the dog so that you can prevent him running away. You can buy purpose-made long-lines in pet stores or you can make them up yourself, if you’re a DIY type, from hardware stores. You just need a length of thin nylon rope with a metal clip attached to one end (to clip into the dog’s collar) and a small loop at the other end (to clip the end of your leash into). You can start with a short one of 5m and then graduate to a long one of 10m. Shorter ones are easier to manage and untangle.

Things to remember when using a long-line:

• The line isn’t used to “reel the dog in” while you just stand there. (see the video below) It is simply a form of insurance – it enables you to get his attention using gentle tugs AND it prevents him from running away, thus effectively preventing him from “getting away with ignoring your call”. BUT it is still up to YOU to motivate the dog to come to you, using the excited encouragement I talked about above.
• NEVER hold the line with your bare hands. It is made of thin nylon and when pulled taut will slice through your flesh like a hot knife through butter. I know because I’ve done it myself – I was once using a long-line on a Fox Terrier and I panicked when he took off so I grabbed the long-line with my hands and it sliced through my fingers almost down to the bone. Major Ouch. This is why your leash is always clipped into one end of the long-line and that is what you hold.
• When you decide to progress to the dog dragging the long-line behind him (unclipped from your leash), you can simply step on the line if you’re worried that your dog is getting too far away from you, rather than fumble around chasing the end of it, trying to clip your leash back onto it. Step on the line first so that your dog can’t get away & you have things under control – and then worry about re-attaching your leash.
• Don’t let the dog get to the end of the line at a full run – it will jerk him back suddenly and be a nasty shock, as well as possibly hurting him (one of the reasons I don’t like those “Flexible/Extendable Leashes”). Again, the long-line is simply there as “insurance” – you should be calling your dog back to you well before he reaches the end of the line and giving gentle tugs on the line to get his attention.  (It’s almost a bit like fishing – playing the line out and gently tugging back in, until the ‘fish’ swims in your direction willingly). If he is running really fast, then run with him so that you have some leeway and can try to get him to slow down & turn around, before he slams into the end of the line.
• The long-line is NOT ideal when dogs are playing together – it can easily get caught up and tangled around their legs and may pull tight and hurt them. However, if you have another dog who already has good Recall, then you may be able to use it because the other dog can also be called at the same time you call yours and so play stops. (you can see this in the video with Honey & Raffy – Honey isn’t called but she automatically stops playing when Raffy is. If the other dog keeps continuing trying to play with your dog, it can get very difficult using the long line!)
• Be careful if you’re bare-legged when using the long-line as well. Make sure to keep out of its way as it can whip around your legs as the dogs are running, pull tight and cut through.
• Lastly, learning to use the long-line does require a certain amount of skill so be patient with yourself. Don’t expect miracles immediately. Expect a lot of tangles in the beginning! It is not the easiest training tool to use and can be too complicated in a lot of situations (eg,. playing with other dogs, in areas with lots of trees or bushes) but it can also really help you when you’re making that transition from practising Recall in a small, contained space to Recall out in the open.

Here is a movie demonstrating how to use the long-line to teach Recall. A big thank-you to our wonderful trainer, Flip @ Flip’s Top Dog, back in Auckland for allowing me to film him working last year and using that footage now in this movie:

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Big Honey Dog Recall Rule #4 – Be your own cheerleader – make yourself exciting!

This is the other most common mistake I see people making. They stand there with a bored expression and mumble, “Come here” in a flat, impatient voice – while their dog is tearing around having a great time playing with other dogs or busily following a scent trail in the undergrowth - and then they get mad that their dog is ignoring their call. Er…hello?

Sorry to shatter your illusions but dogs don’t actually live to obey our every command. Despite what literature and folklore like to say and people like to believe, dogs are pretty selfish creatures – they will only do stuff that they find rewarding. Sure, they like to please you but that’s because they’ve been conditioned (and evolved/bred) to find your praise & cuddles – your ‘pleasure with them’ - a rewarding experience.  So your dog isn’t just going to obey a command just because you said it.

This means that when you call your dog, you are actually competing with all the other stuff out there which is also calling for your dog’s attention, whether it’s the interesting smells to investigate or other dogs to play with or joggers to chase or food scraps to scavenge… People don’t seem to realise or understand this – they think that their dogs just OUGHT to listen and obey, without them putting in any work - when actually, you have to compete for and earn their attention just as much as anything else. You have to be your own cheerleader.

So again, especially in the beginning when your dog is still learning – it is vital that you make yourself as exciting as possible when you ask your dog to come to you. Whatever it takes. This could mean jumping up and down, waving your arms, really high-pitched sqeaky voice, SMILE (not frowning face!), stamp your feet and running backwards. Act a little crazy. This is not the time to be shy. And don’t be half-hearted about it. Dogs respond to sincerity.

I see a lot of self-conscious people who just refuse to do anything but stand there, just yelling “Come” louder and louder…guess what? They’re setting themselves and their dogs up to fail. Of course, you won’t have to act like a cheerleader-gone-beserk forever – I now just call “Come” in a normal voice to Honey and she responds – but she has already established a good Recall habit. If you’re starting out with a puppy – or re-training an older dog who has developed bad habits ignoring Recall – then you HAVE to make yourself exciting. Even if you’re holding the yummiest treat in the world in your hand, it’s no use if your dog won’t actually pay attention to you when you’re calling him. 

Also – you’re not using a treat to bribe the dog to come - this is where many people misunderstand the use of treats. It is used to reward, not to bribe. This means the dog gets the treats AFTER he has made the decision to come – but he makes that decision based on how much YOU can motivate him through your own actions, not because of what he can see in your hand. Otherwise you”ll end up with a dog who won’t come unless he sees you holding a treat in your hand. What you want is him to come because he finds you interesting – and then to be rewarded for coming by a yummy treat.  

 So if you’re calling your dog and he’s ignoring you, there is a very simple reason: you’re not acting interesting enough.

You know all those sarcastic things people say about being melodramatic? Well, this is the time to use it. Find your inner drama queen and milk it for all its worth. You know your dog – you know what gets him going – so use it. Be creative. Think of different ways to get his attention and make yourself interesting.

*I’ve often heard one piece of advice about what to do when your dog is ignoring you – that is to lie down flat on the ground. Apparently, lots of dogs find this so weird that they’ll run back to you to investigate. Personally, I think this might work once or twice but then after that, the dog will lose interest. A lot of dogs might not even notice, so engrossed are they in the other distractions. Besides, it’s not practical (especially if you live in a wet country like UK or NZ!) nor safe, as you’re best to be keeping an eye on your loose dog all the time and you can’t do that easily if you’re flat on your back! (Also, if you’re the owner of a giant dog like me, lying down on the ground when your giant hound is galloping nearby with doggie friends is tantamount to suicide! )

I find in general that running (backwards so you can keep an eye on the dog), jumping up & down, stamping your feet loudly, waving arms, high-pitched squeaky voice or funny noises work really well. If your dog is still ignoring you, try running PAST your dog, squealing loudly. Don’t try to grab him. The point is to get him voluntarily coming to you. Most dogs find the sight of their owners running past them, squealing excitedly, irresistable and they will give chase. OK, you might look a bit silly in the park but it’s only for a short term – and it won’t be half as silly as you’d look if you had to spend the rest of your life chasing your dog, red in the face, shouting at him to come back.

Finally, help to make yourself interesting to your dog by constantly interacting with your dog when you are out. Don’t do what many owners do which is just take their dogs to the park, unclip them and then start nattering to their friends on their mobiles, totally ignoring the dog. You won’t win your dog’s heart – or his obedience – that way. Sure, if you’ve got some urgent calls to make, make them but otherwise, your daily walk with your dog is time you devote to him. So make an effort to interact with him. This doesn’t mean yelling Obedience commands at him all the time – it means playing games with him, calling him to you occasionally for random treats or cuddles, etc. Make yourself as interesting and unpredictable as the other things in the environment. And if you’re looknig for some specific games to play to help teach your dog to keep his attention on you, then look at ‘Recall Games’ below.

Big Honey Dog Recall Rule #5 – Make Recall a PLEASANT, FUN experience

Dogs are motivated by rewarding experiences. For a young pup, there is nothing rewarding about coming for an Obedience command, where you’re all serious and telling them in a stern voice to “COME” or “SIT”. So don’t act so strict when you’re first teaching Recall. I see many training classes – especially for pups – that take Recall training far too seriously. I mean, sure, take it seriously – it is a very important command to learn – but don’t teach it seriously. Make it the most fun, pleasant, rewarding experience ever. This is why I don’t favour the “formal” way of teaching Recall as I feel it makes things too serious. Recall should be taught as a game – the best game in the world! Once your dog has got it imprinted in their minds as a fun game that’s always worth playing – then you can start making it a bit more serious and asking for more from your dog.

Recall Games

As I said above, it’s really important to make yourself interesting to your dog and also to teach them to make the effort to follow you and keep their attention on you. All of this will help to reinforce your Recall.

Here is a movie I made of some games that Flip told us to play with Honey when she was first learning Recall – they are great to play with your dog whenever you are out for a walk, especially with pups & adolescent canines who may be getting a bit confident and cocky. They also have the bonus of making your dog work much harder during a walk and really stimulating him and tiring him out.

(* this was filmed in a local park which is not actually “off-leash” but we decided to be naughty as the pathetic fenced “dog parks” here are just too small to be able to demonstrate anything properly!)

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 Finally, a few DON’T's:

• I’m sure you already know this but DON’T ever call your dog to you for a punishment or telling off or anything unpleasant (eg. a bath if he hates baths). If you have to do something “unpleasant” – go to get him instead of calling him to you. And no matter how furious you feel, never yell at him when he finally comes back to you at the park. I know, I know – I’ve been there myself with my blood boiling and you really just want to give him a peace of your mind but trust me, it will only backfire on you and make things harder in the long run. (This is one reason I always emphasise doing things in baby steps because it lowers the chances of you getting yourself into such a situation where your dog is disobeying and you’re getting mad at him)
• DON’T just call your dog to you when you’re leaving the park and going home – your dog will soon learn that the Recall command ends all the fun and he’ll start to ignore it or avoid you. Call him lots of times DURING the walk, always rewarding with a treat, praise, pats – and then “Off you go!” send him back out to play. Similarly, don’t  grab his collar onlywhen you’re planning to clip his leash on. He’ll soon learn to recognise your hand coming towards his collar as the signal of the end of his freedom! A good thing to do is to always put your hand on his collar just as you’re feeding him the treat. He’ll start to associate your hand his collar with a treat coming. You can even go through the ritual of clipping his leash onto his collar, giving him a treat - and then unclipping it again and turning him loose again. Do this several times during the walk. This way he never knows when he is really being called to go home.
• DON’T wait until your dog has come to you to start fumbling in your pocket or bumbag for treats. Take it out and have it ready in your hand before you call so that you can reward your dog as soon as he comes. Especially with pups & young dogs, you have a very short window of time before they lose interest in you and run off again – and if they keep coming and then finding that they’re not getting rewarded quickly for their efforts, they’ll get less and less motivated to come next time you call.
• DON’T let your dog just take off miles away from you when you get to the park. Especially in the beginning, keep them within a certain radius of you - keep Recalling them back to you whenever they get beyond this distance. Get them into a habit of hanging around you. Think of it as a “force field” around you where you will have more control over your dog. If you’re walking around the park anyway (which you should be for your own health!), then your dog isn’t missing out anyway – he will be able to have his freedom & explore all the park even while staying within your “force field”, because the circle will be moving slowly around the park. This enables you to respond to things quicker (eg. another dog on the horizon, jogger in the distance, child holding an ice-cream coming in your direction) and have more control over the dog, because he will be used to returning to you periodically and staying near you. If you play the Recall Games mentioned above, you probably won’t even need to keep Recalling your dog – he will automatically stay within a certain distance around you. This is what Honey does now.
• Some people feel differently about this but I personally feel – DON’T play games where you chase your dog. Always get him to chase you. So your dog never learns the fun of “keeping away” from you. Of course, once your dog has a reliable Recall then sure, you can chase him if you want but while he is young and still learning, best to always get him to follow you when playing chase games, rather than the other way around. If he grabs a toy and dances around in front of you, don’t chase him – you can still make it a game by running off and getting him to run with you, holding the toy in his mouth. This is what I do with Honey. She has just as much fun doing this as if I chase her – but the point is, she is always conditioned to move TOWARDS me and not away from me.

Well, I hope that was helpful . This can all seem like a lot of work but Recall really is something worth investing some time and effort in. Not only can it save your dog’s life but it can also give your dog a lot more freedom, because if you are confident you can always call your dog back to you immediately, you’re much more likely to let him free in more situations. And I think that anything which gives your dog more freedom will improve his quality of life – which is something we all want for our beloved pets.

Happy training!

Hsin-Yi