# Recall Help



## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

I can cover some of it.

When taking Sawyer out to potty, I would always have him on a leash at that age. Off leash is okay for play time if he's in a fenced in area or somewhere safe. Not only do you not want him taking off, but you want him safe from other dogs or animals that may come around. Also, if he's on a leash you don't have to worry about him associating you picking him up with having the fun end. If you do have him off leash, when it's nearing the time to go inside put the leash on a little beforehand and then take him inside.

For teaching recall (which I'm working on again since Ella doesn't always listen since she is a teenager), you need to make yourself more exciting to him then what is around him. You need to get his attention. Stamp your feet, make noises, etc. Don't say the command until he is already coming to you so that you can make sure he is actually going to come. This helps so you don't end up repeating yourself. You also don't want him to think that you have to say "come" 5 times before he actually comes.

When he does come, throw a party, praise him like crazy, make it so that when he comes to you it's a good experience. And don't have "come" be the last thing he does before bringing him inside or he'll associate coming to as meaning that it's time to go in.

I haven't tried it myself, but I've also heard of people using a long line to practice recall. That way if the dog or puppy doesn't voluntarily come on it's own you can guide him towards you with the line.

Hope this helps.

Have fun!


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

I would ALWAYS take him on leash (or a long line) unless you don't plan to call him at all. Every time you call him now and he doesn't respond he's learning that it's optional.

Something I did once that really worked was to start all over at square one training with a brand new command for recalls and then never EVER used that command unless I could enforce it, which meant reeling them in if I had to.

For what it's worth, though...IMO an absolute ironclad 100% recall no matter what is pretty rare and can degrade really fast without constant practice. As you said, it also really depends on the dog.


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## Huckleberry (Dec 12, 2011)

Thank you sooo much for the great tips, guys! I can't wait to read them to my husband when he gets home from work 'cause I know he wants Sawyer's recall to be as good as possible as well.  If anyone else has anymore tips I'd LOVE to hear them, as I want to make sure we don't make the same mistakes with Sawyer that we did with Huck. I'll definitely start leashing Sawyer, I'm thinking that was a mistake we made with Huck because we'd let him outside without a leash a lot when he was a pup.

I also know that Spiffy really, really spoiled me. I think I just got lucky with him! My aunt got one of his sisters and her recall was never as solid as Spiffy's, despite the fact we trained them pretty much the same. She's always been more like Huck, where she'll come to you if she feels it's really worth it, haha! Spiffy just always naturally wanted to be with you, so you could get him to come to you with very little effort. That being said, Spiffy gave me heck with loose lead training, and Huck's always been wonderful on a leash.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Another idea, if you're clicker inclined, is just to regularly start clicking and rewarding him just for making eye contact with you when you're outside and he's on his long line. No commands, no noise, just watch him and the second he looks your way, CLICK.

Over time, this should accustom him to always wanting to know where you are and checking in consistently.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

TAke and Obedience class with the dog!


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## Huckleberry (Dec 12, 2011)

Noreaster said:


> Another idea, if you're clicker inclined, is just to regularly start clicking and rewarding him just for making eye contact with you when you're outside and he's on his long line. No commands, no noise, just watch him and the second he looks your way, CLICK.
> 
> Over time, this should accustom him to always wanting to know where you are and checking in consistently.


Thank you so much! This is a great idea!


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## Thalie (Jan 20, 2008)

Playing puppy ping pong between you and your husband might also help (Puppy ping-pong game) but I would not use come in the praise at that point if that is what you plan on using as the final "always always with no fail come to me" word. 

With Col, I played a lot of "find me" in the yard, especially when it was dark and waited a looong time before using a "come" or whatever word you might choose for recall. 

You might be interested in the Sue Ailsby training levels with such a young pup to start him on some things before you take a class (SHOP eBOOKS). The training course itself is not free but at the bottom of the webpage you have a free summary available and there is a whole progression on "come" to give you ideas for activities. There is also a free e-book on another page of the website that is a narrative but also has a lot of question-answer pages that might give your some ideas on other things to do. 

When I started using "come" more formally off leash it was on very short distances (10 feet), with me either running away or walking backwards and a positive word as soon as she started moving towards me. A treat, tug or ball toss always always followed her reaching me. 

We are nowhere close to her being able to be off leash in the whole wild world (because her sniffer will lead her astray) but I can recall her from most things in the yard and she is starting to be reliable in moderate distractions situations in class. At this point if I am in doubt whether she'll come or not I still go get her so she cannot practice not coming. Like everything, it is a work in progress.


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## Huckleberry (Dec 12, 2011)

goldlover68 said:


> TAke and Obedience class with the dog!


All of my goldens have been in multiple classes and Sawyer will as well, but it can't hurt to get information from every resource I can, and GRF is a great one.


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## Huckleberry (Dec 12, 2011)

Thalie said:


> Playing puppy ping pong between you and your husband might also help : Dog Training Tips. With Col, I played a lot of "find me" in the yard, especially when it was dark and waited a looong time before using a "come" or whatever word you might choose for recall.
> 
> When I started using "come" more formally off leash it was on very short distances (10 feet), with me either running away or walking backwards and a positive word as soon as she started moving towards me.


Love the ping pong and "find me" ideas!!  Thank you soo much!


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