Recall: Off the Leash
Getting your puppy to come to you when he is off the leash is one of the valuable responses you can teach, and so it is well worth practicing this as often as possible. Call your puppy regularly when he is playing around the house or in the yard, and it will soon become second nature.
As with all other training, the “recall” cue word needs to stimulate a conditioned response in your puppy. Until this response is firmly conditioned, it would be better not to use the cue word if the pup is still unlikely to come back to you when called, for example, when he is playing a boisterous game with other dogs.
Step 1
With your puppy off the leash and being held by someone else, show the pup a food treat.
Step 2
Move a small distance away from your puppy, and then call “[puppy’s name], come.” (You can increase the distance steadily as your puppy’s recall improves.)
Step 3
Crouch down, smile warmly, and use the lure to draw your puppy in close.
Step 4
When he comes to you, put your finger in his collar, and click and treat. Call him regularly from the yard or on walks. Don’t always wait until you want to put his leash on! Coming to you should always be a pleasant experience, so use click-and-treat and praise him every time.
Recall: Off the Leash
As your puppy becomes more advanced in learning “recall,” you will try the command during play sessions when other puppy owners are around, for example, at puppy school or in the partk. Call your puppy and put your finger in his collar, use click-and-treat, and then release him to continue playing. If he does not come, ask all the owners to return to their puppies and stop play until the recall is successful. You can easily play another version of this. Ask someone else to hold your dog, and then show the pup a food treat in your hand. Turn around and run a short distance away, turn and call, “(puppy’s name) come!” When your puppy comes, put your finger in his collar, use click-and-treat, and give lots of warm praise.
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