Six hacks to ace recall training

By Nick Jones, a dog training and behaviour expert who has recently partnered with ACME Kennels

While dogs enjoy a run-off lead, I generally advise owners to keep them on the lead until they have mastered the recall.

Owners should also use a whistle and valuable rewards to ensure the dog has a reliable recall, especially with the rise in UK dog-related incidents involving dogs not fully under control.

Owners and dogs should be able to demonstrate basic commands and a good level of basic obedience before it is allowed to be off lead and loose.

This helps to keep the dog and others around them safe and under control at all times.

With consistency and practice, dogs soon get used to the recall basics and owners can let them off the lead without anxiety in due course.

When training, there is a range of best practices, including using a whistle for a consistent signal and pitch to cut through noisy environments, avoiding punitive training methods, using a long lead to maintain control and using rewards that you know your dog will respond to.

Six hacks to ace the recall training:

1. Reward: Coming back to their owner should be a positive experience for a dog, so they must be rewarded with high-value treats, praise, or toys for a few moments whenever they correctly respond. This will ensure they associate the recall with positive outcomes and that the owner reinforces the behaviour positively and consistently.

2. Train young: Ideally, recall training should be started when the dog is a puppy because it is easier to establish good habits early on and helps the pup develop strong and consistent habits throughout their life. However, a dog of any age can be guided into a better recall with time and patience, so don’t let age put you off.

3. Use a whistle: Using a dog whistle for recall provides a consistent, emotion-free signal that carries further than your voice and cuts through distractions, especially in noisy environments or when the dog is at a distance. Dogs should associate the sound of the whistle with rewards for the best outcome. Finding the dog’s motivators can help you reward the dog’s return effectively.

4. Use a long lead: While training a dog to recall, use a long lead (30-50 ft for most) in open spaces to give it freedom and feeling of being off the short lead. Not only will this let you maintain control, but it is also the safest and most effective way to practice recall training before letting the dog off the lead completely, whilst trust and confidence is being built between the dog and handler.

5. Consistency: Consistency with practice and between the dog’s main handlers will help the dog learn more quickly and understand the commands faster, building reliable habits and stopping unwanted behaviours in the process.

6. Avoid punishments: Avoid punishing dogs during recall training as it creates negative associations with returning and the exercise, so they should not be punished if they take a little longer to return or hesitate, simply use the line to calmly enforce your recalling efforts as you bring the dog back to you. Reward every recall to reinforce the idea that returning is a safe and prudent choice every time.

For more information and training tips visit ACME Kennels.