As a Dog Owner I practise Recall Training with my three dogs in lots of places to ensure they are are safe.
As a Dog Trainer there are certain times I actually do not ask my dogs to recall, which may sound like it’s the opposite of what Recall Training is all about!
However it’s important that we set our dogs up to succeed and not set them up to get things wrong! With this in mind here are some scenarios where I wouldn’t insist my dogs come to me if I called them – eg I call before realising they are doing something like drinking!
Times I don’t ask my dogs to recall to me:
- When they are Drinking; I take a bowl and water out on every walk and outing we have so that I know my dogs always have access to water plus I know the water doesn’t have anything like Kennel Cough droplets etc. So it can mean if we have stopped in one place and left a bowl down for a few minutes that I might call my dogs to me then realise one is actually drinking! I’ll not call again until they have finished as let’s face it drinking water is pretty essential!
If I can see they are drinking I will wait for them to finish before calling but if one is drinking and the other two are doing their own thing I may call them back and just wait for the one drinking. - When being fussed by another person; if someone has crouched down to say hello to my dogs and is giving them a big fuss they clearly are happy to have my dogs with them so there I less urgency to recall them away, plus if they are actively fussing them, talking to them and maybe even giving them a treat then asking my dogs to recall while the person is still interacting is a huge ask! I’m proud of how friendly and polite my dogs are with people so I’d like to keep that!
However if they have gone to a person and that person doesn’t look interested I’ll call them back as soon as possible as they are not wanted there and also no one is trying to interact!
3. When they are going to the Toilet; if my dog is circling, sniffing, has the straight back legs that indicate looking for the best spot to toilet then I won’t call them at that moment. When looking for somewhere to toilet I know my own dogs are not looking for something to chase, another dog or person to interact with and not looking for something to find in the long grass. They are looking for the perfect spot to toilet and that’s something every dog has the right to do! So if I am about to recall but see they are sniffing in a certain way (no knees, tail height changes, sniffing, circling) I won’t recall until they have finished or if when I turn to them to recall I see they are in the process of toiletting again I let them finish and then recall!
4. Sometimes our dogs are intently engrossed in something such as an amazing scent, something they found in the grass like a ball or if you have more then one dog it could be an area of grass they all want to shove their faces in. These are times when our dogs aren’t walking or trotting and sniffing everything on the way, they aren’t weaving left and right to follow a scent and not sniffing to find a place to toilet. They are so interested in this thing that they are static, not going anywhere. We can walk right up to them easily as our dogs is super focused on the scent or item. Going back to setting our dogs up to not fail, if they are this heavily engrossed in something then when we call our dogs are incredibly unlikely to come back so then we loose a recall opportunity. Instead I’d move closer, taking away the additional distraction of distance, and when my dog lifts their head to show the end of the scent obsession or starts moving a little away from the main spot this is when I’ll get their attention and turn it into recall.
5. Along with Recall cues I also teach my dogs a ‘This Way’ cue. This is for when we are changing the direction we are going in but don’t need a formal recall where I stand still and my dog comes right up to my toes and waits for their praise and fuss. Instead of there are multiple paths to choose or I’m just going another way I’ll call ‘this way’ so they know to move the direction I’m moving in now. If I used recall every single time I change direction I’d also need to stand still, guide my dogs to my front and into their sit, treat and fuss etc and that’s not something we need for every moment of every walk! But likewise if I use recall and just walk another way it will send my dogs mixed messages on what I expect from them during a recall.
6. Stopping to Scratch such as itching the neck, ear or using the rear foot nails to itch the side of a front leg are all things dogs can do at any time. On occasion dogs may do them to try and get out of doing something which can include recall, but they can also have an actual itch! Once again if I go to call and they are itching or if I call then realise one is actually sitting to scratch I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and wait for them to finish but then recall as soon as they have finished that itch.
So when working on recall with your dog, whether at home, in the garden or out on a walk do consider if there are any times you might give your dog a moment to complete something natural for dog or if you want to recall your dog from absolutely everything without fail. It’s of course up to you, but this is what I do and what I advise during Recall Training Sessions too.
If you’re working on your dog’s recall you’ll find our free ebook with recall foundations and tips helpful too. Download for free here :
Written by Joe Nutkins, Kennel Club Accredited Dog Trainer
More help with Recall is available via Online Masterclasses, In Person Training and more.
