5 Training Recall Mistakes: How to Spot and Fix Them

Recall training is pretty straightforward once you know the steps involved in it, but there are still times when a few mistakes might slip in and negatively affect your progress. Take a look at some of the common mistakes that dog owners inadvertently commit so you can avoid doing it as well!

Training Mistake 1: Punishing Your Dog

While it is frustrating for an owner to see that his dog ignores his recall word, punishment in the form of yelling and especially hitting will only make things worse. Many times, owners tend to forget that dogs may misinterpret their actions for something else.

And when they finally go to their owner when called only to be scolded or punished, that may be the only thing that registers with them. When it happens, they may think it is unwise to come when called because there is something unpleasant waiting for them.

Instead, you should make an association between rewards and coming to you. It can be in the form of a yummy treat, a favorite game, or a beloved toy – whatever it is, it should be something that your dog will be excited about so he will associate coming to you when called with something good. Make recall rewarding, and you’ll have it all the time – and save the discipline for another occasion.

Training Mistake 2: Calling Your Dog at the Worst Possible Time

Achieving success in recall training when it’s just you and your dog at home will not be the same as when the two of you are at a park or somewhere in public. The difference between the two? Distractions – and lots of it.

It is difficult for a dog who hasn’t mastered the skill of recall to be successful in it if there are a dozen new distractions coming at him at an entirely new and exciting place. In fact, even dogs who have already proven to have great recall will slip every now and then. Each dog will have its own specific distractor that undoes his recall mastery.

The good news is that you can still get your dog to eventually come back to you, even with the distractions around. However, it will take time. What you can do is to patiently wait while your dog works out and satisfies his distractions, and then he will be in a better position to respond to your call.

Receptiveness is much better when she is able to wear down her enthusiasm, which can take a short while. You’ll know that it’s time to call her when you see her enthusiasm level going down a bit after the initial high.

Training Mistake 3: Not Giving the Right Reinforcement

Reinforcements – or rewards, if you will – are important. However, it is more effective if you know which reinforcements work best for your dog. While food may seem like a safe option, there will be cases that will require something else.

For instance, active dogs might prefer a nice frisbee, which signals play, and is something they might choose over a doggy bone. On the flip side, a dog who’s more relaxed might choose nice tummy rub over a ball if he’s not the type who likes to play fetch.

To know which reinforcement will work, it is important to study your pet’s body language while you’re trying out all sorts of reinforcements or rewards. Check too which ones will work in a more private setting like your backyard, and which ones will be perfect for a large and particularly distracting environment like the dog park.

Training Mistake 4: Skipping out On Physical and Mental Exercises

While a trip to the dog park is a terrific way to get your dog to burn off its energy, there will be times when problems with this may arise. This is especially true if prior to your park trip your dog has been sleeping for the most part of the day.

A quick visit to the park just might turbocharge his senses and cause overstimulation. All that pent-up energy stored during the day could explode in all sorts of behaviors that will make it nearly impossible to execute recall training.

If you’ve already witnessed this, you are probably thinking about skipping out on going to the park again. However, the remedy to this is to find ways to wear down a bit of your dog’s energy prior to your dog park trip and have his leash taken out.

Before the park trip, have a couple of rounds around the neighborhood while he’s still leashed. This is the best way to wear down some of his excess energy and put him in a better position to mind your calls when you step out to the park.

You can also have him run around your backyard – a contained space – for a good half hour before you head out into a public place. Doing these things will prime your dog for success, with the added bonus of the two of you getting some much-needed exercise as well.

Training Mistake 5: Throwing in the Towel

If you’ve encountered failure after failure when it comes to recall training, you might be inclined to just give up and accept that your dog won’t ever learn. This is something you need to work out of your system. Rather, it means your current strategy is not working and you should work harder at finding the one that will work for your dog perfectly.

Re-evaluation is necessary, and it involves considering all factors that come into play such as the environment, reinforcements, your body language, and others. At most, you can take a short break if you feel weary about training and then resume later when you are in a better mood.

Above all, never forget that your dog is special – and with that comes the renewed determination to find that special and specific strategy which will work just like magic!

Summary:

Recall training can be challenging, especially if you aren’t one to spot mistakes made at any time during the course of training. Punishing your dog, calling him at the wrong time, and dispensing the incorrect reinforcements will all make the endeavor harder.

Likewise, not giving your dog the necessary physical activity needed to wear down his energy and/or giving up on training altogether will ensure that getting him to understand your signal will be some of the most perplexing undertakings you will have together.