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Originally Posted by BostonRott I like to work restrained recalls with puppies. Have person A hold the collar while the owner walks away, calling, skipping, and getting the pup's attention and excitement up.
Have pieces of something REALLY good (hotdog, cheese, left-over meat). On your cue, call the pup and have the person release their hold on the collar. Pup comes flying to you! 
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Another fun game to teach the recall! I use this a lot with my own pups, and offer up similar games to my students... the advice above is the formal way that I teach in my puppy classes. With novice owners, it's a good thing to teach new behaviors with as much control as possible, in order to alleviate mistakes that may take the training back instead of forward.
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Originally Posted by damp do cringe when I read posts where the owner chases the pup/dog. |
Me too!!!!
Forget the front door, if a dog slips the lead in public, many horrific things could happen.
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Originally Posted by damp I start teaching a pup recall at 8 -9 weeks old and I don’t use a leash. I take the pup to the wood and just walk and since I am the pup’s ONLY fixed point in it new life… it will follow me. I make many stops, sit down and turn my back to the pup… when it comes (and it does), it is rewarded with praise, play, a ball or grand mom’s meatballs.
If the pup is interested in something and focused on other things, I hide and watch the pup from the hide, wait until the pup finds out I am out of sight… then I call it. If the pup has the flock drive, it will find you. (It also stimulates its desire to use the nose and in away it’s the first “tracks”)
There are many ways to teach a pup recall, but please keep in mind, it's not fair to think a pup will come to you if it is sniffing around, looking at kids playing with a ball etc. Wait till the pup has focus on you, first then call it, in a happy voice. Running away from the pup, throwing a ball in the air will stimulate it’s prey drive and the pup will find “come” is a big game. Also in the teaching phase, I just want the pup to come and come fast. I don’t care if it sit or any thing else.
No matter what method you use, the recall must be fun and rewarded! |
This is also an excellent example *IF* you have a safe place in which to take your pup off lead. I would only recommend this for a new pup, after it's gotten to know it's new master for a few days, and never for a youth or adult that is new to someone's home, or that has never had a good recall, or that frustration syndrome is likely to pop up..
Yes, it's true.. the recall MUST be fun and rewarded, and there's nothing more beautiful than a pup or dog that is making tracks towards you because it knows that good things are in store!