Yahoo Autos Three reasons why your dog’s recall isn’t reliable (and what you can do about it)
One of the most important commands to teach your dog is a really strong recall – but it can also be one of the most challenging things to teach as well. After all, it can be hard to compete with super fun distractions such as dogs, squirrels, and fantastic smells – even if you have a pocket filled with chicken or the best dog treats. If you’ve been left red-faced after an embarrassing encounter at the park, then you might be wondering why your dog won’t recall to you consistently.
Luckily, professional dog trainer Lara Sorisi has broken down the three most common ways that she sees recalls being ruined. From letting your dog self-reward its distance from you by sniffing a particularly smelly patch of grass, to being on your phone too much during a dog walk, these are all relatively small changes that can be made to both improve your dog’s recall and your relationship with them too.
Three ways you could be impacting your dog's recall
1. Letting your ‘dog be a dog’
While we’re not suggesting that every minute of your dog’s day should be highly structured, providing some basic framework for your dog’s walks can actually provide a massive benefit to both you and your pup.
Lara Sorisi, an APDT-certified dog trainer and championship gundog trainer, says, “One of the most common ways that owners can ruin their dog’s recall is by allowing them to do whatever they want on their walk. Many people tell me that they’re letting their ‘dog be a dog’. However, they’re actually teaching their dog to stay away from them by letting it self-reward and self-reinforce.
“Dogs are designed to work and exist alongside humans, especially if they’re working breeds. Most breeds actually want you to engage with them on walks, but if you don’t then they’re going to find that entertainment elsewhere. If you allow them to mess around, then you’re teaching them that it’s acceptable.”
You essentially want your dog to think that you are the most exciting, most fantastic thing in its environment – whether you’re at home on the couch, or you’re in the middle of a field with lots of incredible smells and dogs running around in the distance. Obviously, one of these environments is more distracting than the other, so you’ve got to be able to provide enough motivation for your dog to stay near you – and then enforce the behavior by practicing it as much as possible.
