Recalls!

SNEAK THAT RECALL TRAINING INTO YOUR DAY!

• Is there something that always brings your dog running? Maybe opening the cookie jar, opening the closet door where their leashes hang, picking up their food bowl. The moment before you do each of these things give your dog a clear recall cue, and then reinforce by doing the thing that always brings them running. It’s like free recall training.

• First thing in the morning prepare a little baggie of treats, if you feed kibble just sneak away a 1/4 cup of that kibble, if you feed raw get some freeze dried raw toppers to use. Stash the baggie somewhere your dog cannot reach it but you can easily grab it (up on a shelf, in a pocket, etc). Then without reaching for the baggie, call your dog, when they look at you mark with your “yes” and race to the baggie and give your dog some. Only have the baggie on you if you are outside.

• Use moments you move about to practice, so taking the laundry to the washer? Have your dog sit and wait, walk to the laundry room, then call them to you and reinforce. Bringing groceries in? Have your dog wait on their place set the groceries down, then call the dogs to you and reward. When using situations where you have them wait, be sure to also practice that game without recalling, instead going back to them to reward.

• Casual recalls. Pick things your dog loves and while doing nothing, call your dog over and then do that thing. Leo loves butt scritches so when I’m watching TV sometimes I call him over just to give him love. Nick loves to play, so sometimes I call him over and then send him to get me a toy. Use recalls as a bid for affection/engagement not just to manage and control your dog.

• Reinforce the moments they come to you on their own! If running to you always results in you ignoring them, telling them to stay off, etc then coming to us becomes less safe. Often enthusiasm is paired with things like jumping on you, knocking into you, mouthing you, biting your shoes, so we end up reprimanding our puppies for being happy to run to see us. If your puppy is enthusiastic rather than correcting them for that, give it a place to go. Help them stay low by dropping a treat at your feet or handing them a toy. Help them stay off by using a treat or toy to help them sit when they reach you. Reinforce the recall but deflect the energy by tossing a toy for them to go get, or scatter some kibbles. Help them be correct.