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Reliable recall
20 Steps to a reliable recall
Step one. Teach your dog its name. This means that when the dog hears its name it gives you its full attention, including eye contact. Start training in a quiet area. When the dog looks at you click and treat. This is called capturing a behavior. Be sure the dog is looking at your face and into your eyes before clicking. When your dog is staring at you so much that it is hard to lose eye contact (add the cue a few times; the cue is the dogs' name) move to a slightly more distracting environment. Again click and treat for any eye contact, add the cue when you are certain the dog will look at you. When your dog will give you eye contact in the most distracting environment you can find and you have added the cue, you will have achieved your goal for this step.
Step two. Define what behavior you want exactly. Example dog coming in a particular door, dog coming towards you, dog sitting at your feet. For two months ALWAYS click and treat for that behavior. (more capturing the behavior)
Step three. Shape the behavior that you want. Start with the dog looking away from you. When the dog turns to look in your direction,click and toss the treat out to the dog so the dog has to turn away from you to get the treat. Once the dog is turning towards you often withold the click until the dog takes one step towards you. Click toss treat away from your position. Once the dog is taking one step towards you often withold the click until the dog takes two steps. C/toss treat. Continue to build until the dog turns and comes all the way to you.
Steps four to ten. Repeat step three in six locations with increasing distraction levels. Do not go to a more distracting environment until the dog comes frequently (9 out of ten tries) in the present environment. Add the cue "come" at least 10 times before moving to a new location. Dog is on leash for all locations where the dog might not come immediately. The leash is there for safety not to reel the dog in.
Step eleven. Put a check cord on your dog. This is a light rope about thirty feet long. Put knots in the rope at twenty feet and every two feet thereafter to end. First practice with the check cord in a familiar easy place. Do NOT hold the check cord. If you must utilize it step on it. Then calmly wait for the behavior to happen (drop criteria to looking at you) click and reward all correct responses. Add the cue once the dog is coming reliably.
Steps twelve through eighteen. Repeat step eleven in six locations with increasing distraction levels. Go to "safe" places such as tennis courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, any place that is fenced in yet open.
Step nineteen. Vary the rewards. Your dog will work harder if it does not know what the reward might be. Have some super treats and some ho hum treats. What you are trying to build in this step is enthusiasm and interest. If you always treat with kibble the dog is aware of that and may choose not to come for kibble in the event of new distractions.
Step twenty. Have the rewards secreted away from your person. Put the reward in the car or in the house. Click when the dog comes then go to the place where the reward is to give the dog the reward. If the reward is in the car the dog should get into the car to get the reward. Be happy while you go to the reward. Then bring the dog back out and repeat this sequence at least ten times a day for two months. Try to have the reward hidden close by at first. As the dog catches on to the new game you can increase distance between you and the reward.
Reliability takes time to achieve. Don't rush the process. Each and every successful trial helps the dog to be successful the next time. Do not have the dog running loose before achieving reliability. Be sure to reaffirm the dogs training once a week after you have a great recall. Remember unrewarded behavior goes away. Just because your dog understands a cue does not mean that you never have to reward it again for correct behavior. Have fun and be safe when training.
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