Teaching and Proofing the Novice Recall

One of the most common ways to “NQ” in Novice Obedience is the Recall exercise.  Upon the handler’s command or signal, the dog must come briskly to the handler (at a trot or gallop) and sit in front.  There are several errors the dog could make which would result in a non-qualifying score.  The three most common are;

1. Not coming on the first command
2. Anticipation (coming before the handler has called)
3. Leaving the handler (going to the judge, the stewards, the audience, etc.)

Most dogs will make all of the three errors listed above during training, and you should look at these errors as an opportunity for you to provide information to your dog about what you DO want and what you DON’T want. 

To start, your dog should have a good basic recall on lead.  He should be able to stay while you walk several feet away, turn to face him, and say “name, come!”  Upon your command, he should come directly to you at a brisk pace without sniffing or stopping for any reason.  He should sit in front close enough for you to touch his ears with your hands without having to move or stretch forward.  If your dog is able to do those things, you are ready to proceed with the formal novice recall.  You’ll need a 26’ flexi and some really great treats.  Using a flexi is important because it prevents escape behavior that can water down your corrections.  Only when your dog has been trained and proofed fully with a flexi or long line should you begin training the recall off leash.

If you’ve never used a flexi for stays or recalls before, some preliminary training may be necessary.  Leave the dog on a short stay (3-4’) and move your flexi back and forth between you and the dog so that dog feels the pressure of the flexi as it extends and retracts naturally.  If your dog starts to get up, simply say “uh uh” and put him back, repeating until your dog understands that slight pressure from the flexi does not mean he should get up.  Next, push the lock down with your thumb and pull back towards you with a gentle, steady pressure.  During this process, you can be reminding the dog to stay and praising for a good stay, but only if the dog remains sitting.  If your dog starts to get up, say “uh uh” and put him back.  Repeat until your dog understands that pressure on the leash does not mean he should get up.

Distance should be added to the recall in increments of a few feet each week until you are able to go all the way to the end of the flexi.  Any time your dog makes an error, your response should be the same for each error.  The correct response from you for an error depends on the kind of error made- was the dog trying (anticipated your call), or not trying (got up to sniff or visit)?  I use “OOPS!” when the dog was trying to do the exercise correctly, and “ACK!” when the dog is not trying.  Timing is critical- the ideal time to correct verbally is when the dog commits to making the error.  For example, correct verbally for breaking the stay when the dog is halfway up.  Waiting until the dog moves completely out of position is too late.  You can move in to physically correct the dog (ie., placing the dog back where you left him) after you mark the behavior verbally.  The verbal mark should be almost immediate.  A correction- physical or verbal- should result in the dog being correct.  Below are some examples of appropriate corrections for various recall errors;

Error: Dog gets up and starts to come to you before being called.

Response: Verbal “OOPS!” and gently take the dog by the collar back to the place you left him.  Leave him again, this time reminding him to stay after you turn to face him, then praising for the stay before calling.  If the dog is able to successfully complete the recall praise, but don’t feed.  Feed only when the dog is able to complete the recall without a correction.

Error:  Dog gets up to wander or sniff.

Response: Verbal “ACK ” and take the dog back to the place you left him.  Your body language should tell the dog you are unhappy he got up.

Error: Dog fails to come when called- remains in place

Response: Do not call a second time.  Quietly go to the dog, take the collar with both hands under the chin and back up several steps while saying “come, come, come” and popping the collar towards you.  Sit the dog in front and praise (but don’t feed).  Take the dog back to the place you left him and repeat the recall.

Error: Dog fails to come when called- gets up and goes elsewhere.

Response: Do not call a second time.  Verbal “ACK” and go straight to the dog, take the collar with both hands under the chin and back up several steps while saying “come, come, come” and popping the collar towards you.  Take the dog back to the place you left him and repeat the recall.

Some recall problems can be fixed easily without correction.  A common problem is a slow recall.  This often happens when the dog has recently been corrected for anticipation, or when the recall has been drilled too often.  A great quick fix is to call, and then suddenly turn and run away from your dog “allowing” him to “catch” you.  Waving your arms and making noise as you do this can make the recall exciting and fun for your dog.

Shaping the front:  Most people use food to guide the dog into a straight sit in front.  If you can stand having treats in your mouth and your dog can catch well, spitting the food to your dog is a great way to get that close up straight front.  If you choose to feed out of your hands, be sure to put both hands together, and center them on your body at just above the dog’s nose level- with a dane, this will be anywhere from your belly button to your chest depending on your height and the dog’s.  Resist the urge to move your hands out away from your body to feed, and instead require to dog to come all the way to your body to get his treat.  Another way to get a straight front, especially when doing angled recalls, is the use of a PVC or wood “front box”.

Once your dog is able to successfully complete the exercise under ideal conditions, it’s time to “proof” (test) the dog with less than ideal conditions before going for the real test- trying it out in the ring.  Here is a checklist for proofing the recall.  Do each one at a time and- correct and repeat until your dog is able to successfully ignore the distraction and complete the recall, then move on to the next.

Proofing against Anticipation:

1. Have someone stand behind your dog and say “call your dog!”
2. Have someone walk back and forth behind your dog while he waits to be called.
3. Put a long pause between your dog’s name and the command “come!”  Your dog should come on the command to come, not his name.
4. Say nonsense words instead of the command “come!”
5. Take a deep breath and let it out and/or wave your arms around before calling.

Proofing against Refusal:

1. Have someone else call your dog during your recall- correct if he goes to them.  This should be an acquaintance, not someone the dog lives with or has an attachment to.
2. Place a ball or favorite toy between you before calling.
3. Place food on the ground between you under a colander or in a bowl with wire covering it before calling.

Proofing against Distraction:

1. Practice the recall with an audience sitting or standing behind baby gates.
2. Practice the recall in a busy park with lots of noise.
3. Practice the recall with another dog working on the other side of baby gates.
4. Have someone walk up behind your dog as he comes in- the judge may do this, especially in Novice B.

I’ll save the finish for another article, but do want to mention how important it is to mix up your recall endings.  Dogs love to anticipate the finish, so most of the time I walk around my dog back to heel position to end the recall, with an occasional finish or release from the front.

A reliable recall is important to have just for safety, even if you don’t plan to trial your dog.  In order to have a dog you can count on to come when called no matter what, he must understand the correction for not coming.  Assuming your dog can do a basic recall, you can teach him he must come under all circumstances by setting up situations where he will choose not to come when called.  The easiest way to do this is in your fenced back yard, and at a time when something is going to happen to distract your dog (ie., people and/or other dogs walking by, mailman, etc).  Place a long line on your dog and wait until your dog becomes distracted.  Call your dog in a pleasant but loud voice- “name, COME!”   If your dog chooses not to come, quietly go to the dog (picking up and reeling in the long line to prevent escape behavior), take him by the collar under his chin with both hands and back up several steps- popping the collar towards you as you say “come, come, come”.  Pull him into a sit in front and praise (but don’t feed).  If your dog comes to you on the first command without correction, praise, feed, and then set up a situation that is harder for him to resist.  Repeat every day over a few weeks, praising and feeding when your dog chooses to come on the first command, correcting when your dog chooses not to come.   After a few weeks of using a long line without having to correct, you can take the long line off and call your dog off the leash in a fenced area- BUT- only if you are prepared to “walk the dog down” (walking calmly and quietly to your dog until you can take him by the collar) if he chooses not to come.   Only when your dog is reliably coming when called off the leash in a fenced area should you attempt to call off the leash in an unfenced area.  Never call your dog if you are not prepared to enforce the command.  Instead, use food to lure your dog or simply go to him without saying anything.  In closing, it’s important to remember to never call your dog to you for anything unpleasant- like nail trimming or bathing.   Coming to you should always end in something pleasant!

2008/Dina Whitehouse

(pictures below of Dina's Guidon and Rosie in obedience ring)