COME WHEN CALLED

Beginning the Recall Exercise

Leash and slip collar in hand.

Dog is inside crate waiting to come out.

Bounce gate 5 times; say, “Wait”

Put leash and collar on dog, close gate loosely, bounce it a few times, leave it open, saying “Wait” as you stand up and get ready to call your dog. Hold your hands out and extend “wizard fingers” as you say wait to give puppy visual “wait” encouragement.

You should be standing about 9 feet away, one arm and leg extended forward toward the crate ready to stop the dog from coming out until called.  Do what it takes.

When ready, command “DOG” to “Come” to you. Use small snap corrections with the lead.

Gather up the leash and backup quickly and lightly on your toes to guide him to the front of you where hopefully, he will sit. Do not sweat the small stuff; if pup does not sit do not worry. Just get him situated in front of you.

Say “What a good dog”, and pat his chest when he gets to you.

Do not make puppy wait in front of you. Either do the exercise again straight away, or proceed outside, or proceed to do whatever you were doing when you first decided to take him out of the crate or out of his enclosure.

If this is an actual practice “session” do it three or four times or until you get it right, put the dog back in the crate for a treat and to think for a few minutes, then put him on the house lead and there you go.

This exercise can be practiced from a mat or a day bed once the pup has the idea. A “house lead is a light 3/8 inch x 7 ft. nylon kennel leash with a small clip which is used as an umbilical so the pup may follow you around the house.

 Do not give young dogs full access to the house right away. Remember that these are rewards that must be earned. (by you and the dog). If you want puppy to sleep in the bedroom, then you need to be diligent about training. Sleeping with Alpha and Beta is serious freedom. Train using a CALENDAR a CLOCK and a JOURNAL. Record your activity and thoughts; training should be brief and frequent. When you miss a day entirely write down that you have missed the day entirely.  Record your daily care of the pup as well. THE CALENDAR AND CLOCK WILL BE CHECKED BY THE DOG NANA.

TRAINING THE RECALL USING THE LEASH AND CRATE TO START

Adult recall

Keep sessions brief; do an exercise only three or four times, a couple of times a day.

 

Training

The greatest training skill a handler can learn is the ability to be consistent.  In the wild, canines do their things in the same way, at the same tine, day in and day out, so they will know what is going on; dogs do not function well with confusion. Dogs need to know what is going on. Speak aloud and confidently to your dog. Words have vibrations, which dogs can see and feel, even before we have said the words, only “thought” the words. Dogs can read such vibrations over great distances.

Kennel rules

Begin in home, using the dog box (crate, cabin).

Spend some private study time with the collar to learn how to put it on properly. The clip of the lead attaches to the ring coming from across the back of the dog’s neck. Put the collar and lead on pup; make sure the collar is not on backwards.

Spend some time going over how to go into the dog crate. Once a dog will wait in the crate for the next command from four or five meters (say 12 feet), then it is ok to proceed to the recall beginning.

Hold onto the lead and tell the dog to go into the kennel. Tell the dog to go in the same way each time, and have the treat ready. Use praise, but quietly, and be ready to enforce the command to GENTLY take the treat. (Cover top of nose with your hand and firmly say “gently” if needed). When it is time to take the dog from the crate, bounce the crate gate gently as you open it. This helps the dog to remember to wait while you open the kennel door. Also, tell the dog to WAIT in the crate as you open it. If you need to be sharp, bang the gate closed making enough noise to make the dog jump back. As you attempt to hook up the lead, the dog may push past you.  If this happens, tell the dog “that is WRONG IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS so get BACK in there and WAIT”.  Once the dog understands how to wait in the kennel, move on to:

Part One of the Recall Exercise

Holding onto the lead, tell the dog to Wait in the kennel, Tell her to Wait as the gate is opened. Try to keep the lead slack.

Look directly into the dogs face and eyes. Keep telling her to WAIT

Turn sideways arms extended leash full length, while telling her to Wait

Ask “are you ready?” Then, draw the leash up bringing dog to you as you say Shady Come. Say, “What a good dog! Sit”. Help her sit.

Say lets go and proceed to door, through the door, and out to the PP pen or start over again for three times.

Stairs Exercise

Help dog sit at the bottom of the stairs, short flight is best for starts. Jingle the collar and tell the dog to go easy. Start up the stairs. As the dog pulls up the stairs, give a small jerk on lead as you go back down the stairs, saying Oops! This way now. Start up again saying GO EASY. Continue until the dog walks up the stairs gently, without tugging.