Keep your dog safe during recall training
During recall training, the day will come when you are outside, call your dog to you using your special word or sound and she comes running at top speed back to you.
I’ve been working with a lot of clients lately on recall training, teaching them a unique word to use that’s paired with The Best Treats The Dog Has Ever Seen, to create a strong behavior of coming away when called, even away from distractions. It’s a process that goes at the dog’s pace (like all learning!)
Until the day comes where your dog is charging back to you at top speed, keep your dog safe on outings with these tips.
Use a long leash
There is a great deal of research around the benefits of letting your dog wander and sniff on walks — trainers like me call these outings "sniffaris."
Barnard College's Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, author of the must-read Being a Dog, told my colleague Dr. Zazie Todd in a recent interview that dogs “sniff first, and ask their eyes to confirm or deny. Their world is made of scents more than sights.”
Most dogs will pull to investigate sniffs while on a standard 6' leash, but a retractable leash isn't the answer. These tend to both create constant "tugging" on your dog's body, which can be aversive (annoying) to your dog, and a retractable leash doesn't allow you to gather your dog back to you quickly if needed.
Some of our Biothane leashes.
We have a 15’, a 20’, two 10’ leashes, and two standard 6’ leashes. I also have a 30’ leash that I use with clients.
Instead, invest in a Biothane (synthetic leather) leash with rivets (not sewn) at the handle and clasp attachment points. I get my leashes custom-made at CSJ Creations which makes them in snazzy colors, and there are other vendors out there. I love them because they don’t knot, don’t fray, don’t give your hands leash burns, and are washable in the sink.
A 15’ or 20' Biothane leash will give your dog room to roam safely while you're practicing your recall.
Is your dog a dasher? Pay attention during off-leash times
We walk in this forest behind our house most days. Up by the mist line live all manner of woodland critters so enticing to our dogs.
We 100% know our dogs will chase a critter, given the chance, so we leash them in certain areas and keep a sharp eye on them, calling them back to us and leashing them before they get a chance to run up the hill.
Because we're dealing with modifying the behavior of a living being, recall results are never 100% guaranteed (and a trainer who promises your dog will always come when called is someone to avoid).
We often walk in the forest behind our house with Petey, who absolutely lives to hunt critters. We know that dwelling up the hill out of sight are black bears, deer, bobcats, coyotes, and porcupines. We've seen them all at one time or another! This time of year, most of these critters are on the move, getting ready for winter.
During our off-leash walks, we enjoy chatting and looking at the scenery but also pay attention to the dogs, never letting them get too far ahead. If Petey makes a break for it to run uphill, we call him back immediately, reward him lavishly, and clip on the long leash for safety. He still gets to enjoy a woodland walk and we don't have to worry about taking him to the vet to have quills removed — again. We learned this lesson early in our days walking in the woods when he came running back to us with a snootful after a porcupine encounter.