Dogs are not robots that can take and respond to commands perfectly from day one. We must slowly teach them how to respond and reward them for their obedience. We need dog recall to keep your dogs safe and under control in off-leash and high-stress situations. This article will tell you why recall training is important and what tips you can use to make it effective.

Importance of Dog Recall Training

• To keep them and others around them safe in off-leash situations.
• For building a positive relationship with your dog.
• Teach them to obey your commands even in high-stress situations.

Tips For Making Dog Recall Training Effective

Build A Positive Relationship With The Dog

When you want to start recall training, the first step is to have a positive relationship with your dog. You have to make your voice, smell, and face familiar by spending lots of time with them and including physical contact. Let them associate you with safety and rewards. If these connections are not properly built up, then it becomes difficult to teach the dog to respond to commands to come back to you. It also makes it difficult for you to calm them down in high-stress situations, making it highly probable for them to hurt others.

Another aspect of building a positive relationship with your dog is being aware of its personality. Different breeds and dogs, like humans, come with varying personalities, which can affect the kind of training you give them. Frequently calling their names makes them used to it, allowing ease of command.

Make Use of Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a significant aspect of behavioral training, like dog recall. Dogs aren’t like humans, capable of sniffing out context cues or like machines capable of following precise commands; they require positive memories and rewards tied to their learning. This is also true for humans and machines. When recall training your dog, you’ve got to remember to praise them regularly whenever they follow instructions and even supplement this reward with some treats. However, it is best not to make this training dependent on treats because you could enforce bad habits. Positive reinforcement.

Slowly Train Them By Increasing Distance

While utilizing positive reinforcement, you have to increase the distance from which you call their names slowly. This will teach them to run back to you whenever they hear you call their name.

Teach Them To Listen To You Despite Distraction

Alongside increasing the recall distance, you also have to increase the distractions around. If they avoid distractions no matter how long it takes, make sure to reward them with toys or treats. You can add several distractions, like noises, other people, and their favorite toys on the ground.

Maintain Eye Contact

It is also important to maintain eye contact with them when you are doing recall training. This teaches them not to be afraid of you but to respect you. You must also reward them for this eye contact. Make sure that when they return to you after a recall, they hold onto their leash and maintain eye contact with you. 

Be Consistent With Your Training and Rewards Associated With It

Recall training requires reinforcement, and reinforcement requires consistency. You must train this recall daily by calling their name regularly, even when they’re not in the room. Not only that, but you also have to make sure that your rewards for a job well done are consistent, or it will make the reinforcement much more difficult. You also have to ensure that you don’t attach any negative emotions or physical pain to this training, as it will only taint the recall and, in most cases, can make the dog too meek or aggressive.

Common Mistakes Owners Make

These are some of the common mistakes that dog owners make when doing recall training:

• Excessive punishment.
• Inconsistent training.
• Repeating themselves.
• Tainting the cues.
• Associating their names with leaving a place or going home.

Expert Recall Training in the Greater Boston Area

All this might be too much to keep track of or be difficult for some dog owners. However, you have professional recall dog trainers like Leader of the Pack Dog Obedience Training in Quincy, MA. Our founder and certified trainer, Ida Lyons Geering, will teach you how to maintain a positive relationship with your dog and how to make them listen to you. Contact us today and discover the group obedience classes we offer weekly and private in-home training programs!