“Bello! Bella! Over here! Are you coming now? Bello, please come.” If dog recall isn’t working, recall training was probably neglected or improperly addressed at a young age. Memory is perhaps the most important call of all in dog training. It is essential that your dog listens to you and can be pulled out of potentially dangerous situations. This is best done with a clear signal or command to which the four-legged friend always reacts.
Dog recall training works in many ways and with different exercises. The goal is for the dog to know: I have to come back to my master or mistress when he or she calls me – immediately. The following is about a fundamental primary method in recall training and dog training with a tow leash.
Dog recall: learn the recall command
For the recall training, it is best to choose a place that does not cause your dog any distractions and where your four-legged friend feels comfortable – your apartment is the best place to start. First, teach your dog the recall signal. This can be, for example, the commands “Come,” “Here,” or a whistle. Use this signal several times a day and reward your dog whenever he responds with attention. Over time, your dog will associate the command, which initially is not (!) used as a recall signal, with something positive.
Later you can use the command from a certain distance (e.g., from another room) to the dog so that it has to cover a distance to get the reward (treat, praise, toy, etc.). Increase the difficulty of the exercise by surprisingly giving your four-legged friend the recall command from different positions. Over time, Wuff has to travel great distances to get the reward.
Recall Training: Increase Difficulty
After you have completed the first steps of the recall training at home, you can increase the difficulty level after a few weeks. Take your dog outside and keep practicing. Necessary: Keep the amount of distraction low at first so as not to overwhelm the dog. Gradually, recall training outside is made more difficult. In this way, over time, you will provide your dog with places with more possible distractions, i.e., more potentially attractive opportunities to go somewhere else instead of coming back to you. Ideally, at the end of the training, your dog will listen to the recall command and not have to be rewarded again and again.
Recall training with the tow line
You can also train the dog’s recall outside with a tow leash. Call your dog in between the selected recall command and always give him a treat when he comes. If Woof doesn’t come to you, bring him back on the leash and give him pleasure. You notice: The reward always comes with the exercise. This will give your dog the experience that it is always worth coming back to. At the same time, your dog realizes that there are negative consequences if he doesn’t come back on his own – for example, if you pull him towards you on the leash.
Essential tips for recall training
• Use clear body language or voice to call back
• Use only a specific term or sound (such as a whistle) as a recall command
• During training, always reward your dog for following the recall
• Don’t overwhelm your dog, be patient
• Start easy and gradually increase the training
