When should you start recall training?

Carmella Labadie
2025-06-27 21:31:26
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It's good to start recall training as early as possible. But it’s never too late to begin, as dogs are keen learners throughout their lives. If your dog hasn’t yet had their vaccinations, then you can start by practicing in the garden or in your own home. Given how important a recall is, it’s good practice to keep up this training regularly. For dogs who are easily distracted, regularly rewarding a recall may be needed to keep their response sharp.

Jo Marquardt
2025-06-18 10:17:40
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This is an exercise that you have to start training at home from the very start of your lives together, long before you expect your dog to come back when you really need them to. You are just setting your dog up to fail – and ruining what recall your dog might have. It’s an exercise that needs to be trained and needs to be constantly reinforced with treats, praise and games throughout your dog’s life. Start by teaching a ‘Watch Me’ in the house – effectively teaching your dog their name, and also that you are a great person to pay attention to. Teaching your dog to look at you when you want them to is the beginning of virtually everything else. It is a key part of training a reliable recall, and it is one of the best ways to ensure they are paying attention to you and ready to do whatever else you might want them to do.
Do this for a week even if you think your dog can already do this without any problems.
Still long before you need it in the great outdoors.

Kara Schowalter
2025-06-08 22:34:36
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She has impressed me so much with how great of a dog she is. I figured it would take at least a year and a half to get where we are now, but she continues to impress. We had to train her to bring it back, but for about 3-4 weeks now she brings it back extremely consistently. Even at the dog park, which is filled with distractions, she always brings it back. Again, this has been the case for 3-4 weeks. So, I started to trust her more. Now we are going back to fully enclosed areas only or long lead play.

Aida Dickinson
2025-06-08 19:38:17
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Start indoors, in your garden, or in another enclosed space with some tasty treats to hand. Teach your dog to respond to their name before adding recall. Teaching your pooch their name makes it easy for you to grab their attention when you need it. After you’re confident you can get their attention, you can add in your chosen recall. Only let your dog off their lead in open spaces when you’re confident they’ll come back when called. If you aren’t seeing an improvement with your dog’s training, you may wish to contact a qualified trainer or behaviourist to help.

Erik Gaylord
2025-06-08 19:30:24
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Recall training tips – Training your dog from puppyhood through to adulthood.
It can take up 18 months to 2 yrs old for perfect recall.
For the first few months after mastering recall training at home, take your dog to a less stimulating environment, such as an empty field.
When your dog has mastered this, start to wander off at a 90-degree angle now and again and call your pup / dog for fun and games and love.
Your dog’s recall is generally great as a puppy, but as you start going for walks in new places, busier places, other things become more interesting than you, your dog’s recall can regress.
Puppies follow their mums.
They naturally heel and return, not wanting to be alone as they are vulnerable.
All we have to do is keep this going as they grow older, making us the fun and trustworthy adults in a dog’s life.
Throughout puppy and teenage months, things change and thoughts change.
Be consistent, keep being fun, walk them away from fears or anything they pull towards.

Dillan Haley
2025-06-08 19:19:50
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To begin with, you will need to start this training in a secure area in your house or garden, where your dog is comfortable and doesn't have too many distractions. If you don’t have access to a safe, enclosed area at home, you can use a long-line training lead with a harness in a quiet area of a park. It’s essential that all dogs have a strong and reliable recall before being let off the lead in a public place. You will need to work out what type of reward motivates your dog the most. Once you’re happy they understand, try calling them when they’re in different area of the house. Your dog needs be reliably coming back to you before you progress to adding distractions or trying this outside of your home. Keep practicing the recall as much as possible, at home and in your garden, if you have one.
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