Recall is the most valuable command you can
teach! This command can even save your
dog’s life! Teaching a recall is easy—just reward
your dog for coming to you!
Start by kneeling a few feet away and making happy
noises. Praise when the pup takes her first step toward you and give her a
yummy treat when she gets to you. Run a few feet away and repeat the process.
Make it a fun game! When she’s reliably coming to you, start using your cue.
Add distance and
distractions to the recall. Calling a young puppy from across the yard when she
is exploring a new, interesting scent is setting yourself and your pup up to
fail. Walk to within a few feet, kneel down, and call her from there—and make
sure to reinforce her for abandoning the distraction with something even
better.
Success comes from
repetition. Don’t increase your distance or distractions until your dog
responds immediately and enthusiastically to the recall cue. While you’re
training, remember to give a super-good reward every time you call your dog.
Kristi Jackson is the Senior/Lead Trainer at Peggy Adams Animal
Rescue League. To find out more about our classes, visit http://www.hspb.org/page.aspx?pid=457
Want more training tips? Stay tuned for the next issue of our Shaggy Sheet Newsletter.
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