The Importance of Recall

Recall, to come back when they are called, is one of the more important things to teach your dog and it could save their life one day. However, it is also one of the things we seem to give up on easily. I see so many dogs running off lead with no intention of going back to their owner who is shouting their name from the other side of the park. This blog will go into detail of why recall is so important and how to teach it

Why is it important?

Recall is important in so many situations and for many reasons. It can protect your dog, protect you and protect others.

The obvious reason is if your dog has gotten loose or is off lead near a busy road, if they know their recall really well then they will come back to you and are less likely to get into a accident. Similarly, if you are walking your dog off lead they may want to chase a rabbit, squirrel or even sheep which could lead to them getting lost in a unfamiliar field or in trouble with a farmer. Calling your dog back when they are chasing something can be difficult as they are likely to be more interested in the chase than in you. However, with practice we can teach our dogs to come back to us no matter what they have seen, this is a sign of a really strong recall and what we should all aim for.

The other reason we should teach our dogs recall is because of other dogs. I hear so many owners shout "don't worry, he's friendly" as their dog bolts up to mine. He might be friendly but other dogs may not and him running over full speed is likely to be worrying for others. Imagine you were walking quietly in the park and a stranger starts shouting at you and then runs over so fast they nearly run into you, then imagine they begin sniffing your bum when you are clearly uncomfortable! This would likely cause many anxieties in you, and it's the same with our dogs. Consider if your dog runs over to another who is anxious or scared of dogs, it could lead to someone getting hurt. Your dog may get bit, the worried dog may try to run away and get tangled, they may run away and get lost, the owner could get bit if the dog is scared and so on.

We may love to let our dog run off lead in the park, even if they don't have recall, but we have to consider how other dogs may feel as well. I have worked with many worried dogs and have made great progress but this can all be undone by one off lead dog without manners. The practice and confidence they have built can be undone by one stressful experience. I believe socialisation is really important for all dogs, especially young pups, but it is important we choose the dogs they are meet carefully so to avoid any negative feelings on either side.

For more information on choosing the right dog for socialise and keeping it positive please read by socialisation blog post.

How to teach Recall

Training your dog to come back when called is not difficult but takes a lot of practice. It is really important to start with your dog on the lead, this may seem odd but if you call your dog back and they continue to run away then the work "come" (or whatever the command) will end up having no meaning and they won't learn recall as quickly or efficiently. Starting on the lead gives you control of how far away they can go which will help with training and keep them safe while they are still learning. However try not to use the lead to pull your dog back or get them moving in your direction, this is more likely to make them pull away from you. They need to decide on their own that they want to come back.

Start in a quiet and familiar area with no distractions, such as in the house or garden. Your dog will need to know their name to teach recall and you will need to have lots of their favourite treats or toy to use as a reward. The aim is for them to think coming back to you is always fun and you are more interesting that whatever they were sniffing or chasing. Choose a command to get them to come back, something like come or here. You will use their name to get their attention and then the word to ask them to come to you.

Start with your dog close or next to you, say their name and the command and then take a step or two backwards. Praise and reward them if they follow, if they don't follow then try showing them the tasty treat you have to encourage them. Make recall practice really exciting by having their favourite rewards but also by being upbeat and excited in your voice and body language. Try running backwards to encourage your dog to chase you or throwing some treats on the ground for them to find. As your dog begins to learn to come from short distances you can start gradually increasing the distance and then trying in different areas with more distractions. Remember to take it slow and continue practising in quiet areas as well. You can buy long leads for practising longer distances or in public parks, when you are ready to try off lead recall I suggest you leave the lead on at first and allow it to trail on the ground so you can get hold of it if you need to. Reward them when they return, no matter how long it took, but reward and praise heavily is they come back quickly. When your dog returns to you try to keep them with you for a few minutes with some treats and strokes to avoid them running off again straight away, you want to be able to get hold of your dog and put them on a lead if you need to.

Overall

Practice is the most important thing and the key to a strong recall. Start small and gradually building up the distance with lots of praise and reward.

Dogs love to run off lead and explore, but without recall it can be dangerous. While your dog is learning you can still give them freedom and distance on their walks by using long leads. You can buy long leads of all different lengths so you can allow your dog to run and explore but still have a line on them if you need to stop them from running after a squirrel or up to another dog. Once they have a strong recall they can run off lead again and you can walk them without worrying about how to get them back.