How to train recall around distractions?

To train recall around distractions, I knew my gap was in recalling Otis away from something he wanted to eat when he was close to it and off leash. For our training session, I decided to use chicken as the distraction and chose to work in a relatively small and clear space. I put some chicken into a bowl and then put that bowl inside of an x-pen, which allowed me to build up a bit of a reinforcement history with Otis for recalling away from that chicken while off leash without having to worry about him failing a recall. This started to look too easy in a hurry, so I removed the x-pen, and I focused on recalling him early in his approach to the chicken, marking behavior quickly, and using some of my own body movement after the recall cue to help him out. At the very end of the training, I release him to go eat the distraction chicken as his reward, which will be an even greater reinforcer of recall. Recall has to be fun, and simply doing fun things with your dog will improve your recall — especially playing with them.

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. Always reward your dog when they come back. Start indoors, in your garden, or in another enclosed space with some tasty treats to hand. Get your dog’s attention with their name, then use your recall cue and take a step away from them. Add in some distractions and increase the length of the recall distance. Gradually increase the distance between you and your dog and the level of distractions you call them away from. Let them move away from you before using your recall cue, and use a long line attached to. If your pooch keeps darting off when you call them, stick with training on a long lead attached to a harness, and only let them off-lead in secure areas.