Bomb Proof Recall

[Dame Aussie]

IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately.

If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail.

My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it.

There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them.

Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :)

Hear hear! I completely agree Huski. My Newf (not a highly-regarded Obedience breed) is also expected to have a 100% recall. Yes it took patience and perseverance and some thinking-outside-the-box to help him learn that but I believe it is my responsibility to my dog to do my very best to ensure their safety and a reliable recall may one day mean the difference between life and death.

Would you say there are any breeds of dogs that could never be trained to have a reliable recall? (Of course there are individual differences within breeds as well) What about the LGDs??

Mine is an LGD :laugh:

[cavNrott]

IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately.

If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail.

My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it.

There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them.

Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :)

Hear hear! I completely agree Huski. My Newf (not a highly-regarded Obedience breed) is also expected to have a 100% recall. Yes it took patience and perseverance and some thinking-outside-the-box to help him learn that but I believe it is my responsibility to my dog to do my very best to ensure their safety and a reliable recall may one day mean the difference between life and death.

Would you say there are any breeds of dogs that could never be trained to have a reliable recall? (Of course there are individual differences within breeds as well) What about the LGDs??

Another here in total agreement My Rottie immediately recalled when attempting to chase his arch enemy, the roaming cat.

Our very large off leash park is in suburbia. Our 'burb' is now considered to be an inner suburb. I didn't mind at all that the park was unfenced because it encouraged people to obedience train their dogs. I don't frequent that park now but when I was there almost every day for seven years the majority of dogs there were fairly well trained. There were a few exceptions with the little dogs but they usually stayed close to their owners. The park was frequently mostly by medium to large dogs.

[Stressmagnet]

Yes I hear so many people call there dogs in such an aggressive,gruff voice. It's like,"Get here Fido you little so & so". I wouldn't come back either.

...

Lol. THAT'S how I call my kids - Ernie gets the 'sweetie pie' voice ALWAYS. The girls? Not so much....

I naturally have a low husky voice due to my thyroid being taken out - I cannot yell either - my vocal cords are damaged.

I must admit, I've often wondered why ANY dog would respond to growled threats across a distance. Ernie never gets an angry frustrated voice for that reason - it's common sense.

The kids? Er... Not so much.

LOL.

Edited because I don't have my old lady glasses on.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Stressmagnet

[Simply Grand]

Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall DVD is great for this stuff, worth the investment if you can spare the $30 or so. It basically includes all the advice everyone has given but explains the training process step by step and very clearly.

It focuses on teaching an "every day" recall, which is based on that principle of it making it really worthwhile coming to you, as well as conditioning an "emergency" recall, so you get to the point where as huski says, the dog doesn't think, just automatically responds to the cue before they even think.

It's really cool once the conditioning kicks in and you see that automatic response :D The training isn't difficult but does require consistency and focus on timing (and I admit I have it down pat with my oldest dog more so than the younger two) but it's actually pretty fun to do.

ETA Leslie says she developed the training when she had Afghan Hounds and everyone told her that it was pointless trying to train them to recall as sighthounds just don't, and she does a section on working with "difficult" more independent breeds like sighthounds and spitzs.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Simply Grand

[VizslaMomma]

Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall DVD is great for this stuff, worth the investment if you can spare the $30 or so. It basically includes all the advice everyone has given but explains the training process step by step and very clearly.

Some of us have the Leslie Nielson Flighing High DVD version.

[Roova]

That movie brings back memories!

The Really Reliable Recall can also be bought as an ebooklet for $4.95. I can't remember what the conversion rate is but probably not much. http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB813EBK

[VizslaMomma]

That movie brings back memories!

The Really Reliable Recall can also be bought as an ebooklet for $4.95. I can't remember what the conversion rate is but probably not much. http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB813EBK

Thinking of getting that then.

Recall is one of Herbert's BIG plus behaviours. I start recall as soon as a puppy comes home. Have the chewed long lines too.

:D

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I got the really reliable recall DVD too. It helped some.

Susan Garrett's recallers online course helped some more.

A few things that get better recall for me...

Like TSD said - after your dog has the idea of a recall, practice lots, make it fun, but only reward the good recalls. Pay attention to what the dog likes.

Mine likes the hat game... so I use the hat as a bit of a signal / lure but she doesn't get the hat if she doesn't come straight back, flat out. Every now and again I get the dog version of the "finger" and "I'm busy", so I wave the hat, she comes eventually but she doesn't get the hat.

I think if Ernie likes the stay then then walk away for long recall game (similar to the hat game) he might also like a "remote drop game" eg when he's headed off, ask for a drop (reward that sometimes), and then a recall ( and run away and reward with hat), pay attention to what your dog likes best. Mine prefers the release and chase as reward for a good stay over a treat - even tho she likes food a lot, she always seems disappointed it wasn't a game of chasey when she gets food for the stay.

The other thing I do - and I don't know why this works on my dog - does she feel embarrassed? I don't know: Susan Garrett actually waded into a pond to get her dog out of it when he didn't have permission to be in there.

So from time to time - if my dog is somewhere she's not meant to be (usually the playground, foraging), I actually run after her and catch her (the remote drop helps a lot) and put her back on lead. I don't say anything, I just go get her. Sometimes she will play "chase me" for a bit but I don't let that turn into a game. I just herd her out of the playground. Tests my fitness, I think it wouldn't matter if I did it walking. I just make it really clear - not ok to be foraging in the playground.

And if I can be consistent about that, I get good results recalling her out of it. Or preventing her from going in at all (it's not fenced).

[hankdog]

When I had horses someone told me once never to ask a horse to do something you weren't prepared to make it do. If I ask then ,if I get no, I will calmly walk over, clip on a lead and then walk back to where I called him. Then some nice pats and praise but no treat.

Jake and I have some interesting "get in the car" dialogue. He always tries to get out the door if he sees me going out, he will then head to his outside bed or the sun lounge, look sheepish and refuse to make eye contact. If I'm just going to pickup at the station I'm happy for him to ride with but he insists he will "just wait on the couch."

I walk to the car open the door and offer him a ride. If he doesn't come ambling over I walk back, put the leash on and take him inside and leave him at home. We have progressed to the point where he will budge once I pick up the leash and decide what he's doing but he's a bulldog so it's never with any haste.

He's never off leash so I never really get to proof his recall but I do have a very reliable behavioural interuper, again I've never been in a situation to really test it but it works a treat in the garden.

Edited April 18, 2015 by hankdog

[HazyWal]

IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately.

If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail.

My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it.

There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them.

Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :)

You've obviously not had much to do with greyhounds if you're calling rubbish O.o

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

@Hazywal

The really reliable recall dvd is about developing a classically conditioned recall in a dog - in the same way it will salivate when it sees something tasty without thinking about salivating, a classically conditioned recall - is when the dog comes without thinking about whether it has something better to do.

Leslie, of the DVD, trained Afghan hounds to come when she called. She'd been told that was impossible.

My dog currently answers to "cheese" and / or the fridge door opening. Sigh.

[huski]

IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately.

If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail.

My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it.

There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them.

Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :)

You've obviously not had much to do with greyhounds if you're calling rubbish O.o

I have and have not yet found one that can't be trained to recall.

[HazyWal]

IMO there is no situation where I find it acceptable for my dog not to recall, and recall IMO is defined as my dog comes every time I call, the first time I call, immediately.

If my dog didn't recall straight away or I had to call them again I would consider that a fail.

My dogs will recall off rabbits my chase, their bodies respond to my recall command before they have time to stop and think about it.

There may be 'that one time' but I test my dogs in every situation I can think of to ensure they are as reliable as I can make them.

Both my beagle and my Mals have reliable recall so I don't accept the "oh but my dog is xx breed and they can't be trained to recall" rubbish! :)

You've obviously not had much to do with greyhounds if you're calling rubbish O.o

I have and have not yet found one that can't be trained to recall.

Well you aint met my Maddie, hell would freeze over before she came back and I know her better than anyone. Out of the hundreds of greyhounds I have met I could probably say I know two with some recall but I still wouldn't say they would be 100% reliable and neither would their owners.

[Steph M]

This sounds like a challenge that needs documebting! Like a DOL doco, Maddie meets Huski.

[VizslaMomma]

This sounds like a challenge that needs documebting! Like a DOL doco, Maddie meets Huski.

+1

i'll get a video ready.

[HazyWal]

This sounds like a challenge that needs documebting! Like a DOL doco, Maddie meets Huski.

+1

i'll get a video ready.

No thanks. I've already had one greyhound with a fractured skull from chasing I wouldn't be so lucky next time.

[JulesP]

Would she come to you if you were waving a dead bunny around :)

[HazyWal]

Would she come to you if you were waving a dead bunny around :)

Nope, no fun in chasing something that's already dead Jules :)

I've seen her snap a bird out of the air in a millisecond, you wouldn't get your mouth open to speak a command in time to stop her.

Edited April 18, 2015 by HazyWal

[JulesP]

Would she come to you if you were waving a dead bunny around :)

Nope, no fun in chasing something that's already dead Jules :)

That's why you wave it around so she thinks it is still alive!

[HazyWal]

Would she come to you if you were waving a dead bunny around :)

Nope, no fun in chasing something that's already dead Jules :)

That's why you wave it around so she thinks it is still alive!

She may be a greyhound but she's not that stupid :laugh: