Reluctant recaller? You’re not alone—it’s one of my most requested training topics. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with some dos and don’ts to help improve your dog’s response.
DO
✅Reward your dog for coming back (even if it took them a moment—celebrate the win!).
✅Stick to one recall command and stay consistent.
✅Whistle training - Travels further, across bad weather and takes the frustration out of your voice!
✅Make recall fun and engaging—it should feel like a game, not a chore. - What do they want to work for? What are they doing when they don’t come back and how can you use that to your advantage?
✅Gradually increase the difficulty - utilise the “3 Ds”. Start small and set your dog up for success!
DON’T
🛑Use bribes like waving treats or toys around. If they think it’s optional, you’ve lost the game. REWARD not BRIBE
🛑Expect them to succeed in a high-distraction area too soon—it’s like asking someone to sprint before they can walk.
🛑Punish them for taking their sweet time to come back. You’ll only teach them that returning is risky business.
🛑Keep shouting their name if they’re ignoring you—it just becomes background noise.
Let them off the lead or long line until you’re confident in their recall. Safety first!
🛑Repetative use of the recall cue without results can “poison” it leading to retraining a new cue
Need personalised tips to master recall with your dog? Let’s chat!
Also, what recall word or phrase do you use? “Here!” or something a bit more creative?
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