Recall
“Recall” involves training your puppy to come to you. It is important to start teaching this technique as early as possible so that your puppy will learn from the start to come to you when called.
Begin training “recall” with your puppy on the leash—it will be simpler to introduce the new command this way. Have a treat in your hand and bring it to his nose. Say the puppy’s name and use a cue word, for example, “come.” (“Recall” is one of the few commands that you can teach with a cue word immediately.) Back away a few steps; the puppy will be encouraged to go with you by the treat in your hand. As soon as he comes to you, slip your finger under his collar and click-and-treat. Practice this regularly until the puppy seems to know what is required, and then you can try “recall” off the leash. This time, ask someone else to hold your puppy while you move a few paces away. Call him as before, and when he comes to you, always slip your finger in his collar at once, so you have a firm grasp, even if you plan to release him again, otherwise the puppy will bound away (see the step-by-step demonstrations at Recall: Off the Leash).
PUPPY TIP: DISTANCE
When you start practicing “recall,” keep fairly close to your puppy so he doesn’t have far to go to get to you, and then steadily increase the distance over time as he improves. If your puppy seems to forget what to do or is distracted and doesn’t come to you, try it again from a much closer distance, and then steadily increase the distance again, as before.
Make sure that the puppy always sees “recall” as a good thing, earning treats and lots of praise when he gets it right. Remember that you are always pleased to see your puppy, however long it has taken him to come. If he has taken his time, do not be angry, but just be less effusive with your praise and withhold the treat. When he comes quickly, reward him with a jackpot of treats.
Practice this frequently. Call your puppy to you often and in as many different situations as possible; for example, around the house, from the yard, or while on walks. Unless you vary the situation, the puppy will associate recall only when he is, for example, playing in the yard but not when he is running around with other puppies in the park.
Get others involved
Make sure all your family members can successfully call the puppy. You can even encourage neighbors to help you. This is a form of training that children can help out with and one that they will enjoy. It also ensures that they maintain control over the pup.
Involve a friend or family member (adult or child) playing the “go to” game—taking turns to call and treat your puppy so that he runs back and forth between you, responding to his name. This reinforces the response and also makes it into a game for the puppy. You can now extend this by playing the “go to” game between several members of the family. Dad calls, Mom calls, Susie calls, Billy calls, and so on, so that the puppy runs between all of you. Bear in mind that coming back to you must always be a pleasant experience, so use click-and-treat and praise every time.
Over the weeks, as your puppy becomes more advanced, try the recall during play sessions when other puppy owners are around, for example, at puppy school or when playing in the park. Call your puppy to you and put your finger in his collar, use click-and-treat, and then release him to play again. If your puppy does not come, all owners should return to their puppy and stop play until the recall is successful.
“COME TO ME”
You can play an extended version of the “go to” game at puppy school. Give your puppy to someone else to hold. Show your puppy your treat, then 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, click-and-treat, and give lots of praise.
Don’t just call your puppy to put his leash back on. Think puppy psychology—what does the puppy perceive as being rewarding, and what does he perceive as being unpleasant? If the puppy is playing freely, the reward is the freedom. If you call and put his leash on to go home, the freedom’s gone. Your puppy doesn’t want that, so he will become increasingly reluctant to come to you when you call.
To avoid this problem, call the puppy to you regularly when he is playing freely. Treat him, praise him, stroke him, and then let him go and play again. The puppy will enjoy being recalled because he will associate it with rewarding things—treats and praise, followed by more freedom to play. This way, when you finally call the puppy and put the leash on him, it won’t seem so bad. Later on, even though your puppy has been coming back to you regularly, you may find he suddenly stops responding every time. This problem is dealt with later in this chapter (see Flight Instinct).
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