Recall & Lead Training

[Guest hankodie]

Hank is now 10 weeks and things are going well, I've started to have short training sessions throughout the day which are limited to 5 minutes at a time as his attention span is quite short at this age. I was wondering how other owners are going about teaching recall & loose lead training with their pups. Here's what I've been doing so far:

Recall - I have been calling him and rewarding him at various times during the day, as well as playing recall games where I move around in our big yard and call him over for a treat or toy. I have been careful not to say "Hank, come" instead I use "puppy puppy" or a sound as I read that you only use the word "come" when you can 100% guarantee your dog will come back to you, otherwise the puppy's name and command lose meaning. Are there any more tips on things I can be doing with him to work on his recall? Also, what do I do in the situation that I call him and he doesn't come back to me? For example if I'm in the yard and he becomes engrossed in a leaf/stick and I call "puppy puppy" and he doesn't return to me - what is the correct way of going about this? Do I leave him, come to him, or try and get his attention?

Loose leash training - I have started teaching him how to heel by using food, luring him to a sit by my leg, taking a few steps and then clicking + rewarding when he follows me. I do this a few times a day using his normal kibble as a reward. I haven't introduced the leash yet, should I be doing this? Also, is this more effective if I use a toy? He seems to have an equal love for food and play at this point so I am wondering which reward to use or if it matters.

I am interested to see what others are doing with their puppies to teach them great recall and loose lead skills. I have opted not to take Hank to puppy class and instead he will join an all ages obedience class at 13 weeks but I would like to have worked on enforcing good habits beforehand :)

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

[Kavik]

For recalls I do restrained recalls and calling back and forth between two people, and calling and running the other way.

For loose leash walking I pay for attention on me.

[Guest hankodie]

For recalls I do restrained recalls and calling back and forth between two people, and calling and running the other way.

For loose leash walking I pay for attention on me.

Thanks Kavik, when you say restrained recalls do you mean using a long lead?

[Kavik]

For recalls I do restrained recalls and calling back and forth between two people, and calling and running the other way.

For loose leash walking I pay for attention on me.

Thanks Kavik, when you say restrained recalls do you mean using a long lead?

Restrained recalls are where you have a person holding the dog (restraining the dog) and you let the dog know you have something they like (toy or food) then you call the dog, the person releases the dog and you run and reward the dog when he catches up to you.

[LisaCC]

I do the same as Kavik, but also when out training on a long line I will throw in a recall as well.

I taught the word COME, by having Nova right in front of me with a clicker (If your dogs doesn't understand the clicker but understands 'Yes' just use that). First I did the Name Game, where I said 'Nova' then click and shove some food in his face. So "Nova"=Look at me. Then when he was getting that, I would wait until he was a step away from me say "Nova Come", click for the step forward and reward, slowly increase distance. I've done this since 8 weeks and I still play this game from just a step away.

He has a great recall at the moment, I know it may drop off as he gets older so I keep reinforcing with the inside game.

I learnt these game from the book 'The Focused Puppy'. Great book :)

Edited August 17, 2013 by LisaCC

[Zereuloh]

At pre puppy school we first did attention games. Saying his name, and marking his eye contact with me with a "yes" then reward. When teaching "come"

we were taught to say his name for attention then the command "come" I do this throughout the day, while training with him during 5 min intervals and between other people like others have mention above. For walking on a loose lead I reward for his attention which he usually jogging along side me looking up at me. I feed him as close to my left leg as possible so he knows that if he wants a reward I want him to be as close to that left leg as possible. Once we did that I started adding the command "heel" so he knows that I expect him there when that word is said. WHen he gets it correct mark it with a short "yes" (same idea as clicker training but instead of click he gets the word "yes"). and Reward with a treat.

[Guest hankodie]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Lisa I'll have to download that book for some Sunday reading material I think :) My issue still is, what happens when he doesn't come back if I call him? what do you do in that instance (or do you just put yourself in a position where that doesn't happen)?

[LisaCC]

I put myself in a position that it never happens :)

When he is out he is on a lead or on a long line so I can always reel him in if need be. But I haven't needed to, he will recall away from playing with other dogs and even meaty bones.

Another great book is Controlled Unleased, The Puppy Progam. You can get it in hard copy or Ebook version here.

That site also has 'The Focused Puppy' Here but I don't think there is an Ebook version

I really like that The Focused Puppy has training games etc set out by age, with a checklist at the end of each chapter so you can keep track of what you are teaching

EDIT: If you can't find it in Ebook, I ordered The Focused Puppy from here as it is an Australian site, so cheaper shipping :)

Edited August 18, 2013 by LisaCC

[Guest hankodie]

Thanks Lisa! Sorry to be so specific - does that mean that I should be putting Hank on a long lead when he goes out into the backyard to do business? It's a big yard and I often lose his attention to sticks, leaves and everything else that's more interesting than me

Thanks for the link - off to order a couple of books!

[LisaCC]

Nova is free to go in the backyard by himself. I guess it's up to you, what you think would be best for Hank.

[tlc]

Great advice from everyone, I just wanted to add with the back yard bit don't set him up to fail, if you can see he's engrossed in something don't call him to test him, wait till he breaks his concentration on whatever he is interested in and then recall.

[Guest hankodie]

Thanks again for the advice everyone! I think you're right tlc that's probably the best way to approach it - it's often when he's chewing on things he shouldn't (rocks for example) that my first instinct is to recall him away, sometimes he does come enthusiastically other times he doesn't. What I've been doing is I usually try to approach him and trade the rock for something else (usually a toy) but lately he's seen me coming and tries to initiate a game of chasey which I don't want to encourage

I've been working on an "interrupter" noise and clicking + giving a treat when he looks at me so I'll try working on that around the backyard.

[tlc]

What breed is your pup? Your defiantley right not to let him carry on with a game of chasey, my oldest now 7 is still a shocker if he has something I want he will run expecting me to chase, I didn't make the same mistake with the other 3! :laugh:

[Guest hankodie]

He's a golden retriever :) And like you I have the exact same problem with my older dog which is why I don't want to encourage any type of chasing game! :laugh:

[aliwake]

Argh, don't talk to me about chasey!! I feel your pain! The number of times I've had to stalk him around the yard wearing one shoe while he runs around with the other... sigh.

[Jumabaar]

My first dog and I played the chase HER game- she is 8 and will still occasionally bugger off

My youngest pup and I played the chase ME game- so i would randomly run off and she would get a treat for running me down. I would particularly do this when she was distracted so she learnt to keep one eye on me! She is very reliable off lead, she walks on a loose lead because she is always aware of where I am and whenever she tried to start pulling I would drop the short lead and head off in the other direction on the long line so she didnt learn to pull!

[Guest hankodie]

Argh, don't talk to me about chasey!! I feel your pain! The number of times I've had to stalk him around the yard wearing one shoe while he runs around with the other... sigh.

too funny Aliwake!! my frenchie's favourite game is "steal the pegs" when I'm outside putting up the washing. I try to grab her because I get so panicked that she's going to swallow it, which of course, delights her even more. %^&* ratbags :laugh:

My first dog and I played the chase HER game- she is 8 and will still occasionally bugger off

My youngest pup and I played the chase ME game- so i would randomly run off and she would get a treat for running me down. I would particularly do this when she was distracted so she learnt to keep one eye on me! She is very reliable off lead, she walks on a loose lead because she is always aware of where I am and whenever she tried to start pulling I would drop the short lead and head off in the other direction on the long line so she didnt learn to pull!

This is a really really good idea Jumabaar, thank you! Makes sense to turn it into a training exercise, I might try this in the backyard later today :)

[rangermad]

I couldn't help but laugh at your comment Aliwake...

Hankodie, this thread has been very helpful to me too - thanks for starting it! :)

Out of interest, what do people suggest to do when the pup runs off with something and wants to initiate a chasing game? Our 11wk old pup, Griffin, sourced my daughters singlet tonight. I didn't chase him because I knew that's what he wanted when he ran straight out into the backyard with it. I waited inside the door and within a few minutes he came back to get my attention and when he ran past my feet I grabbed him and got the singlet back. What do you think the best way to tackle something like that would be? He's not yet willing to give up something fun if I call him back...

[bellske]

I couldn't help but laugh at your comment Aliwake...

Hankodie, this thread has been very helpful to me too - thanks for starting it! :)

Out of interest, what do people suggest to do when the pup runs off with something and wants to initiate a chasing game? Our 11wk old pup, Griffin, sourced my daughters singlet tonight. I didn't chase him because I knew that's what he wanted when he ran straight out into the backyard with it. I waited inside the door and within a few minutes he came back to get my attention and when he ran past my feet I grabbed him and got the singlet back. What do you think the best way to tackle something like that would be? He's not yet willing to give up something fun if I call him back...

a come call for me works most of the time we're only a week older so still working on the leave it with other items besides the pile of kibble or treats sitting in front of her lol, but calling her or if she hears me open her kibble box sends her flying back in with the item which she promptly drops and I trade her for lol