Calling all dog recalls!
It’s vital as a dog owner to impart a reliable recall for your dog — for their safety and the safety of the public. A good recall is arguably one of the most important dog training skills they can learn, but it can be tough to establish since the world around them is bountiful in enticing scents!
Need a good recall for your dog? The Vet Set spans traditional vet care in Carroll Gardens and loves educating dog owners on how to best care for their pooch! Take a moment with us and learn more about reliable recall training.
Reliable Recalls
Most understand a dog recall as a command given to your dog to get them to stop what they’re doing and return to you. This is exactly right. A dog recall command is you calling to your dog and always — always being the keyword — expecting them to respond.
Each time a recall is used, we’re asking our furry friends to stop what they’re doing — whether they’ve found an interesting street treat, smell, or person. This helps you keep your dog safe and it reinforces to them that it’s fun and rewarding to be near you.
Why is a reliable recall important?
A reliable recall is important because, as we’ve mentioned, it keeps everyone involved safe. It’s also a great skill to implement because it allows your dog to roam off-leash and gives you the ability to call them back if they get excited or spooked and dart off.
Learning Off-Leash Regulations
Once you establish a solid off-leash recall, it’s also integral as a dog owner to respect leash laws — even though you trust your dog, there is a time and place for letting them off-leash. Look into any trails and make sure they allow off-leash dogs, in addition to city laws regarding being in public and at the park.
The Recall Cue
Creating a reliable recall cue is probably the most important aspect of the training. If you already use a cue like “come,” it will be hard to establish this cue because it’s essentially been poisoned and carries no weight.
Some other cues people use are “here” or “close.”
Warming Up to a Reliable Recall
A reliable recall doesn’t happen overnight — it takes a great deal of training, patience, and practice. Let’s get started! Once your dog has an idea of the recall, help secure it with a game.
You want to create the idea that being near you is the most fun and exciting thing that can happen to your dog. Begin this training by making everything fun.
Follow – One way to begin is training your dog while on-leash. When you’re walking (make sure you have their attention) start running and use your cue. Slow down or stop and reward them for following the cue.
Hide and Seek – As the recall begins to strengthen, play a game of hide and seek. Hide in another room and use the cue for them to come and find you. Once found, give them plenty of praise, treats, and pets.
Treat Play – Have two people with high-value treats stand near each other and call your dog (one at a time) using the cue to get their treat. Reward your dog with the treat each time they go to the right person while obeying the cue.
How to Train a Reliable Recall
Below are some recall tips to help you get started.
Don’t repeat – It’s important that you avoid repeating the cue — it begins to lose its value with your dog and they learn that it’s not as important as what they’re doing. It could also be the environment — if they’re new to the cue, it may just be too distracting. Start slow in an easy, controllable environment and work your way up.
Praise eye contact – Any time your dog gives you eye contact and wants to be near you, reward them with praise and treats. It may seem like you’re rewarding them a lot in the beginning, but it’s teaching them that being near you and paying attention with eye contact is a positive thing.
Don’t punish your dog for wanting to be near – Your dog loves to be around you and while you may not always love your dog being like velcro in the kitchen while you’re trying to cook, it’s important that they’re never punished for it. Praise them for taking the time to come to you.
Practice consistent reliable recall training – The one major thing about recall training is it needs to be consistent, which means practicing it at least a couple times a day. Begin with easy, controllable environments and work your way up to difficult environments with more distractions. And remember: always reward the recall to reinforce that being near you is awesome!
Don’t chase in an emergency – If it’s an emergency — for example, your dog slips past a gate or gets loose in public — it’s important to use your cue and wait. Don’t chase after your dog because this can signal to them that it’s a game. You can do the opposite — run away from your dog and allow them to chase you.
If you haven’t created a reliable recall with your dog, now is a great time to start! A reliable recall gives you the ability to call your dog to you in almost every situation and it creates a lasting bond.
Keep everyone safe with a reliable recall for your dog.
To learn more training tips or to schedule an appointment in our Carroll Gardens vet office, connect with us today!