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Recall Training

3K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  puddles everywhere 
#1 ·
I Had been working on recall training with Finnigan who will be 6 months in a week and he was doing very well, till he got the runs which I had assumed he got from a piece of chicken he found on a walk and ate. Or the treats he was getting for his recall reward which was a Canadian product with peanut butter and banana.I had stopped the training waiting for the runs to stop thinking it may be related to the treats and was wondering what others give for recall training rewards?
 
#2 ·
For recall training I give any High Value treat.

Nala has a strong recall. I've used Chicken, Beef, Turkey, and Pepperoni in the past. Right now I use nice leftover cooked meat while spending a lot of time with the extended family.

Have you tried red meats? You can buy Pepperoni slices in the deli section at the store. Nala loved it!
 
#4 ·
Giving dogs people food doesn't cause begging. Giving them food at the table causes begging. If you just give the dog people food as treats during training I don't think the dog will tell the difference.

Now if he's hovering around the table and you give him food... he will learn to beg.

Anyway, for recall training I use small pieces of hot dog or cheerios! Anything he can eat is high value to him though.
 
#6 ·
Ive been doing recall with Jaxson for the last week or so. I use benny bullies as my "high value" treat... he doesn't get them every day and ONLY when we're doing "important" training. If i'm doing basic stuff he gets a regular training treat.
 
#7 ·
For the easier places (low distraction, familiar places, etc.) I use kibble. Kaizer works just fine for those :)

For harder places (more distractions, unfamiliar places, etc.) I use Zukes Roasted Chicken mini treats. They have a bunch of different flavors too (duck, salmon, rabbit, peanut butter and others). They're like 3 calories per treat which means I can use a lot of them.
 
#9 ·
We use lunch meat for Jake. Example being, when we need him to be quiet in his crate for a while, we will put half a slice of chicken in his kong. He knows exactly whats going on when he does that.
 
#13 ·
One thing we've done since puppyhood and have continued even now that they are both over 5 years old is that they wait outside the kitchen during meal preparation and only come when called by three short whistles. This way we reinforce the idea that coming after three short whistles is always rewarded by something good.
 
#16 · (Edited)
When working on recall I use a variety of treats, a 'mixed bag' so to speak (meat, cheese, cheerios, kibble for example). I also mix up the 'quantity' of treats that I give to my dog when he comes, and of course, lots of praise. He may get a couple of treats for an 'easy' recall from a couple of feet away or he may get a 'jackpot' (several treats, fed one at a time) or I may through a ball for him, as a reward. Sometimes I may ask for a sit, or to have him stay with me, other times I will immediately release him to go play.
I also watch for and reward my dog for offered attention, 'checking in', for choosing on his own to come to me, or even look at me, despite what else he may be enjoying at the time.

It is important to build a strong history of 'good things' happening (positive consequences) when your dog responds to the recall cue, whether that means a treat or two, and lots of praise or a 'jackpot', or a chance to run, chase a ball, or to go play, or even to chase you. If your dog learns that coming to you, more often than not, means the fun will end, he gets put on leash and has to leave the fun behind, he may have a hard time choosing to come, when you ask him to, repetition, practice, rewards, are key to building a solid recall. We need to keep in mind that when we call our dogs we are often asking them to leave what they are doing and choose to come to us, we need to ensure that 'choosing' us is very rewarding to them.
We need to keep in mind that our dogs decide what is rewarding to them, we may think 'cheese' is a high value treat, our dog may not like cheese at all, one dog may enjoy lots of pets, another may not like physical attention as much - but prefers meaningful praise or a toss of a toy or a ball .

We also need to be mindful of our body language and tone of voice - what we are 'telling' them with our body language and how we speak to them. If we are stiff and upright,or bending forward a bit, moving towards them, looking directly at them, 'shouting' for them to come, they may interpret our behavior as 'threatening', and choose to maintain their distance. If we keep our body relaxed, bend our knees a little, even turn away, move away, from them a bit, avoid focusing on them, use an inviting 'tone', we make it easier for them to choose to respond appropriately when we give the recall cue.
 
#17 ·
@Charliethree Very helpful information! Thank you for sharing all of that.

"If your dog learns that coming to you, more often than not, means the fun will end, he gets put on leash and has to leave the fun behind, he may have a hard time choosing to come, when you ask him to, repetition, practice, rewards, are key to building a solid recall."

Where is this fun happening? A dog park? I have been treating her when she is on the leash and checks in with me and we work on "come" in the yard. She pretends she is deaf all too often though. :-/

Molly is the first dog we've had that I actually have lots of free time to train well. All the advice I can get is so very helpful. Thanks again!
 
#19 ·
Where is the 'fun' happening? In your backyard.
Dogs by nature repeat behaviors that are rewarding (fun- satisfies their instinct to investigate/interact with their world ) for them, whether it is checking out the scents in the grass, a mouse has passed through, a cat walked this way, they can pick up on the scent and curiosity/ instinct will pull their minds away from their focus on you, or checking out that corner, there may be something new there today or what is that up in the tree. These are all 'distractions', especially for a young dog.
We often start in the house where everything is 'quiet' and familiar, and once the skill is reliable inside, we take it outside, and where what we thought they had learned often falls apart. Why? Outdoors can be highly distracting and dogs do not 'generalize' well, to them 'come' in the house is not the same thing as 'come' when they are outside, so when we change locations, and make it 'harder' for them, we need to 'start over' again and reteach the behavior we want from the beginning.
When you first go outside, try to give her a few minutes to check things out satisfy her curiosity a bit. Then when you want to start the session put her on leash, not to 'reel' her in, but to keep her from wandering away. Wait, be patient, for her to look at you, then toss a treat on the ground within the length of the leash, allow her to go get it, as soon as she eats the treat she is likely to look back at you, (if not, say their name, make a noise, whistle, lightly clap your hands to get her to focus on you) then cheerfully say your recall word - only once, take a step or two away from her, pat your leg, encourage her to come to you, lots of praise while she does, when she does (no matter how long it takes, or how far she has come) have a 'party'!! treats, praise, let her know how happy you are. Do a few repetitions, dogs learn best in short sessions that are fun, and then release her, let her go play. Give her a few minutes to do some 'dog things' then go to her, leash her up and try again. Once she is reliably 'coming' from a short distance, then you can give her a little more freedom by using a long line (or rope) to gradually increase/ manage the distance she can move away from you. Remember to practice in a variety of locations, by the back door, out in the far corner, by the tree or the back gate to help her learn that no matter where you are, when she hears that recall word, that 'sound' you make, means you want her to come to you. Remember that when you move to outside the yard, it is a whole 'new game' you will need to make it 'easy' for her again, up close, on leash, high value treats, encouragement from you.
Ensure you are using high value treats especially in the early (learning) stage, once she catches on you can mix it, substitute meaningful praise or/and an opportunity to 'play' or 'go sniff'.

Building a solid recall is a process, it is one of the most difficult skills for our dogs to become reliable with because we are asking them to put aside those things they 'naturally' like to do - to sniff, to chase, to play, to wander and follow their nose.
 
#20 ·
Our "high value" treat is cheese, chopped into small pieces. I buy the bags of 16 cheese sticks: one bag lasts quite a while. Duster will do pretty much anything for cheese. Lower value treats include kibble - I sometimes feed him his meal in a training session - and commercial training treats, which, surprisingly, he doesn't like much. He likes freeze-dried liver, but doesn't digest it well. Cheese is a good choice for us because it tends to "bind" rather than "loosen" stools!
 
#23 ·
I'm a little strange I guess... I reward with a tennis ball. I started on a long line at the park at 12 wks. Placed the tennis ball behind me and gave a small tug on the leash. Bounced a ball to get her attention and she came charging back. Opened my stance a little and she saw the ball. We played for a minute then took the ball and repeated. At this age moving leaves would catch her attention so off she would go. Only took a couple of tries before she came running anytime I called her. Of course now we are at 8 months and she loves to go between your legs :) Sitting between my legs looking up at me while I wash dishes is her favorite place. I guess she is just reminding me she is ready to play when I'm through. Can't say that my guest are thrilled to have her run between their legs but it usually gets a laugh from the grand kids.
I also use a tennis ball for tight fronts. Just tuck one under your chin... must warn you the 1st couple of time they lunge for the ball! As soon as I get a good front the tennis ball drops. She's quite good at catching. Truth is because she is so focused on the tennis balls I will use them anytime I can to teach a behavior. The reward is a minute or two with the ball then back to the task at hand.

This may not work for everyone, you have been given some great suggestions. So try out several things and find what works for you... as everyone has said, a good recall is extremely important. Good luck and enjoy the process!
 
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