Please Help!Improving recall

M

moppett

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 May 2011
Messages
274
Location
Portsmouth
Visit site
I've had Smiley since early January when I picked her up from a Spain where I'd fallen in love with her (she was a stray). She's absolutely fab but I am looking for some advice to improve her recall! Sometimes she comes back, but most of the time it is never straight away or she'll take the long way back to me - I don't want keep calling her and would just like a quick obedient recall! Whenever we are on a walk I will practice 4/5 times, and always reward with a high value treat. How can I make her run straight back when called?

Here is a picture
smileyandmolly.jpg
 
What lovely dogs.

My Dobe Darcy has learnt some bad habits whilst walking with my daughter and her bf like running off and coming back in her own time. Ive put her on a long line and will keep her on it until I think her recall has improved. I am giving her high value treats and walking her whilst I know she is hungry, putting everything in my favour and setting her up for success.

It might help to use a whistle as well, as the desparation in your voice is not transmitted to your dog.
 
Last edited:
Only reward her when she does a good recall otherwise you are rewarding her for a poor performance using a high value treat. In her eyes why should she hurry when she gets the same reward for slow as she does for fast. Also, when you call run in the opposite direction this will give her added incentive to run to/after you. Let her know you are not going to hang around for her, your out of there taking your high value treats with you.
 
Dobiegirl - how do you manage walking your dog with the longline? Do you let it trail on the ground? Do you keep taking up the slack? And if she is out on the end of the longline having a sniff around, will you recall her and then reel her in? The times I've walked Smiley on the longline to practice recall I've ended up so tangled and it dragging through every puddle and getting caught on every twig! Thanks for your help!
 
Well Im managing it with 2 other dogs, Darcy runs on(its in our own fields so no other dogs or people) and I take up any slack ,when I call her if she dosnt respond straight away I give a little tug just as I call her again. When she comes back she is well rewarded and I encourage her to go on again. I havnt had to reel her in yet but Im keeping well out from the hedge and call her to me when we go through gateways. Its been so dry here no rain for about 3 weeks so no puddles to deal with.::)
 
My trainer made me laugh She described lying down mid walk to make the dog interested in her! She reckons it works! And she says hide to encourage the dog to come back.

Funny, cos Bear and Zak and yes, even Brig, would take one look, see that the focus was off and pee off and do their own thing if I lay down!
 
Train without giving breakfast. High reward treats such as chicken wings, tripe and chicke- pieces. Primula prawn sqeezy cheese does it for one of mine. And a sqeeky ball. Mine all come to a whistle better than voice. Start at home three pip pip pip on whistle dinner. Then take that on walk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top