There's no doubt about it — nailing the perfect recall can be a tricky old skill, both for you to teach and for your dog to master.
While there could be many reasons why your dog's recall isn't reliable, distractions in the environment are often top of the list.
So, how do we set ourselves (and our dogs) up for success when it comes to recalls in high-distraction environments?
Well, alongside having plenty of the best dog treats on hand, expert trainer Alex Sessa has shared some additional helpful tips in an Instagram video.
Read on as we reveal what they are...
1. Be careful with your recall word: "We want our dogs to see recalls as the BEST experience, so be careful not to overuse your recall word and always reward with something EXTREMELY high-value for your dog," says Sessa.
2. Reward consistently: "Unlike other behaviors that are rewarded more intermittently, we recommend rewarding recalls with extreme consistency. We recognize that life happens and there will be recalls that don’t get rewarded but try your best to make that the exception and not the norm," Sessa advises.
3. Ensure your dog doesn't see the recall as a punishment: "Make sure your dog doesn’t see the recall as a punishment — and I’m not just talking about obvious punishers like scolding or otherwise scaring your dog for an imperfect recall.
"But let’s think about another punisher — the end of fun! Even if you reward your recalls well, be sure you aren’t always using them to take your dog away from something they were enjoying," explains Sessa.
So, what would be a good example of recalling your dog away from something fun?
Well, according to Sessa this could be something like calling them inside and rewarding them when they've just caught the scent of a chipmunk in the backyard and are busy sniffing the ground.
"Over time, your dog’s recall may become less reliable, even though you reward well!
So be sure that sometimes, you recall your dog, reward them, AND let them go back to what they were doing."
But what if your dog isn't food motivated? I trained my Border Collie to have perfect recall — even though she had no food drive has some great advice on how you can use a toy instead of food to reward your pup.
