Reliable Recall

Reliable Recall Dog Training Corpus Christi TX

Training your dog to come when called- or "recall"- reliably is one of the most important things you can do. It can increase their safety as well as allow them to experience the joy of exercising and exploring the world off of a lead. It can be challenging to teach, however, because the world is such an interesting place! When we call and ask them to come back, we're asking them to stop what they are doing (including fun smells, other dogs, and even food) to come back to us when requested. In order to accomplish this, we have to make sure that they view you as the most exciting and rewarding thing!

Reliable Recall is when you can be 99% certain that they will respond. Because dogs are living things, there is never a complete guarantee that this will happen in every single situation, but because it is a life-saving skill you want to be as confident in their ability to do this as possible. Even if you plan to continue using a leash, Recall can be crucial in the event of an emergency. It can also be good to begin training Recall as a puppy, because

puppy training Corpus Christi can encourage the development of loyalty and good habits while you are still mostly all they are familiar with. 

Training your dog to come when called- or "recall"- reliably is one of the most important things you can do. It can increase their safety as well as allow them to experience the joy of exercising and exploring the world off of a lead. It can be challenging to teach, however, because the world is such an interesting place! When we call and ask them to come back, we're asking them to stop what they are doing (including fun smells, other dogs, and even food) to come back to us when requested. In order to accomplish this, we have to make sure that they view you as the most exciting and rewarding thing!


Reliable Recall is when you can be 99% certain that they will respond. Because dogs are living things, there is never a complete guarantee that this will happen in every single situation, but because it is a life-saving skill you want to be as confident in their ability to do this as possible. Even if you plan to continue using a leash, Recall can be crucial in the event of an emergency. It can also be good to begin training Recall as a puppy, because

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puppy training Corpus Christi can encourage the development of loyalty and good habits while you are still mostly all they are familiar with. 

When teaching Recall, you want to make training fun for your dog! You want them to think that being near you is the greatest thing in the world with awesome rewards. Begin in a low-distraction environment and show them the treat; once it  has their attention and they are coming towards you, praise them and give them the reward. Repeat this a few times, and then start to add your chosen verbal cue ("come", "here", etc.) after they've already started coming towards you to avoid using it when they aren't paying attention because you don't want to have to repeat it. At first, only use the cue when you are confident they're already on your way. Slowly increase the difficulty by using the cue before showing them the treat or increasing the distance while still in the low-distraction environment. You still want to encourage dog obedience training corpus christi, but that requires patiently growing a loyal relationship.

The reason you don't want to say "come" before they are already heading towards you is because you don't want to "Poison the Cue". The easiest way to do this is by overusing the cue and repeating it over and over without them responding. Typically you get to this point unintentionally because the word has an unclear meaning or develops a negative connotation for your dog. Preferably, you want to only use the word once for them to listen. If it takes them a moment before they come, don't punish them. Still reward them for coming to you, but don't repeat it more than once- just wait for them to be less distracted before trying again. 

When teaching Recall, you want to make training fun for your dog! You want them to think that being near you is the greatest thing in the world with awesome rewards. Begin in a low-distraction environment and show them the treat; once it has their attention and they are coming towards you, praise them and give them the reward. Repeat this a few times, and then start to add your chosen verbal cue ("come", "here", etc.) after they've already started coming towards you to avoid using it when they aren't paying attention because you don't want to have to repeat it. At first, only use the cue when you are confident they're already on your way. Slowly increase the difficulty by using the cue before showing them the treat or increasing the distance while still in the low-distraction environment. You still want to encourage dog obedience training corpus christi, but that requires patiently growing a loyal relationship. 

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The reason you don't want to say "come" before they are already heading towards you is because you don't want to "Poison the Cue". The easiest way to do this is by overusing the cue and repeating it over and over without them responding. Typically you get to this point unintentionally because the word has an unclear meaning or develops a negative connotation for your dog. Preferably, you want to only use the word once for them to listen. If it takes them a moment before they come, don't punish them. Still reward them for coming to you, but don't repeat it more than once- just wait for them to be less distracted before trying again. 


A common training mistake is to recall your dog, put them on the leash, and head home. This can cause the cue to develop a negative connotation for your dog. It may start to seem like a signal that the fun is over, which is understandably something your dog will want to avoid. A good thing to practice is to recall, praise them, give them a treat, then allow them to return to whatever fun or exciting thing they were doing!


Training Tips:


-Don't Repeat Yourself. If you feel the need to, the environment may be too distracting or they're just not ready for the level of skill you are trying to introduce. Make sure you start small and work your way up, recall should be practiced every day.


-Reward Eye Contact. If they are paying attention to you or choose to be close to you, reward and praise. You want to reinforce that being near you and paying attention to you is a good thing!


-Never Punish Them For Coming. Even if you are frustrated that it wasn't immediate, always reward a Recall. ​


Lastly, remember that no matter how reliable your furry friend's Recall is, it's important to follow leash laws for your area. This can include being on your property in areas that are not fenced or where they know how to get out. Obeying leash laws is a key part of helping your pet be a respectful member of your community.

A common training mistake is to recall your dog, put them on the leash, and head home. This can cause the cue to develop a negative connotation for your dog. It may start to seem like a signal that the fun is over, which is understandably something your dog will want to avoid. A good thing to practice is to recall, praise them, give them a treat, then allow them to return to whatever fun or exciting thing they were doing!


Training Tips:


-Don't Repeat Yourself. If you feel the need to, the environment may be too distracting or they're just not ready for the level of skill you are trying to introduce. Make sure you start small and work your way up, recall should be practiced every day.


-Reward Eye Contact. If they are paying attention to you or choose to be close to you, reward and praise. You want to reinforce that being near you and paying attention to you is a good thing!


-Never Punish Them For Coming. Even if you are frustrated that it wasn't immediate, always reward a Recall. ​

Lastly, remember that no matter how reliable your furry friend's Recall is, it's important to follow leash laws for your area. This can include being on your property in areas that are not fenced or where they know how to get out. Obeying leash laws is a key part of helping your pet be a respectful member of your community.

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