How to start recall training with your puppy step by step
If you want to be able to let your dog loose when you're outdoors, it's important that your dog learns how to call. You need to be absolutely sure that the dog always comes to you when you call. It's a good idea to start practising housetraining very early. In this article, we have put together some simple exercises that you can use to practise housetraining with your puppy.
Calling is not something you teach your puppy in a week. It is a long process that relies on your puppy receiving many rewards for the behaviour. It's also a good idea to give your puppy extra tasty treats when it comes to you.
Do this
Wait until you see the puppy approaching you in your home environment, then call the puppy's name once and reward when it reaches you.
You can do exactly the same thing when you're out for a walk. Then make sure you do the exercise without any distractions or distractions at first.
What should I do if the puppy doesn't listen?
You shouldn't call your puppy in if you don't know it will come. It is therefore important to gradually increase the difficulty for your puppy regarding the environment, activities and other things that your puppy may find fun around. Use a long leash on your puppy until you feel confident that it will come when you call and when you are in too difficult situations.
If you happen to call your puppy and realize it was too difficult an environment, you can either call in an adult dog who is along for the walk and probably your puppy will come too. When the puppy is heading towards you, call it in and reward it generously. If you don't have an older dog to lead the way - turn the heel and walk the other way. When your puppy sees you and comes towards you, call in and reward. We don't want this to happen, so plan your call-ins well to avoid getting it wrong.
Keep this in mind
When you have made progress with your call-in and you dare to have the puppy loose, you don't want the puppy to associate call-in with the leash going on. Therefore, do not put the puppy on a leash immediately after breaking in. This will teach the dog that breaking in always means the leash goes on and the fun is over. Instead, call the dog in often when it is loose, play together for a while and give praise. Remember that being loose is an important reward for the puppy, so it is by far the best reward for housetraining too!
Combination to recalls
Also read this exercise to combine with the call-in to get a dog that stays a little closer to you on walks. Remember that the dog should always be rewarded for seeking you out on the walk and when it comes to call. This applies throughout the dog's life.
