Have you ever experienced going to the park with your dog, only to discover that he is running wildly and not listening to your commands? Most dog owners are having problems with their dog unable to maintain focus especially if they are brought to a wide space where they can run and play.
In our situation, it is most likely a park or even a field. We feel helpless and somewhat frustrated since our dogs won’t listen to us even if we try to call them. You can imagine a situation where they continue running away form you while you shout their names.
Sounds impossible to fix, right? But there are actually very easy methods on training your puppy to recall if they are at the park. You should approach this problem in another viewpoint.
Below are the steps that you could do to make your dog recall at the park.
1. Do not chase your puppy
Most dog owners are doing this mistake of chasing their dogs all over the park. You should expect that calling your puppy while chasing after him will only result to a game of chase. Some puppies would even run further away when you tried to get their attention instead of coming to you.
You may ask yourself, “what’s on his mind that he runs away instead of coming back to me?”. The answer is: they think that you want to play with them. There could have been past incidents that you play with them when you bring them to the park. This is what made them very excited and immediately filled with energy that they started to play right away.
Unruly dogs may be cute at first, but they become a nuisance when it is time to come home. Thus, remember not to chase your puppy in the park if he tries to run away and play.
2. Move away from your puppy
If your puppy is playing around from a long distance while ignoring you, then start to move away from your puppy. He wouldn’t immediately notice it, but you can slowly back up and walk away.
Moving away in the vision of your puppy would make him think “why are they far away?” and at least try to follow you up to a certain distance. Walking away could make him to focus on you and try to get back even without recall.
If you can’t move away from your puppy because you are worried that something might happen to him, then just back up. Another option is to make it seem that you are moving away or try to encircle him instead. Just be far enough for him to hear your call.
3. Don’t call your puppy if they are running away
Don’t try to call your puppy’s name once he is running away. It would only result to a disaster. Calling them would make them only reinforced that running is a good behavior, which makes them enjoy it more. Also, dogs that are running away makes them distracted. They are still enjoying the breeze in their face and exercising their body.
4. Recall them once they are relaxed
Observe your dog or puppy. Once he managed to stop playing or running around, try to recall him. Call him loud enough for him to hear. Wait for them to give their attention towards you, before giving out the command to come back at your side. Also, letting the tire themselves is a way to make them relax and stop. Just wait for a while observing them.
5. Give them the reward
If successful, give them a reward. Rewarding the correct recall behavior would make this behavior positively reinforced. The best reward that can be used in this situation is a delicious treat. If you give him a toy, he might get more excited and get distracted again. Remember, the key is to make him positively associated with the behavior, while he is still focused.
6. Repeat
Repeat the above steps until your dog learns how to recall in the park even if he is playing. Understand that this may take a long time but try to be patient with your dog. Consistence is the key to help him understand that recall is important even in the park.
Additional tips:
· Try to use a long leash
A long leash will make you more confident that you are in control even if the dog is far away from you. This could help you at the start, but there are also risks to having one.
First is the leash could get tangled, especially if your puppy runs wildly with other dogs. The second is that your puppy might feel restricted and it may not result to proper training if he can feel the leash in his collar. One solution is to use a lightweight leash that could be easily lifted by your puppy.
· Start in a wide but closed area and not in the park
To prepare for his park training, you may start in your wide. This especially works if you have a large, confined space that can be utilized for off-leash training. If you are going to introduce recall commands, prior preparation is ideal and another area besides the park is recommended for the pre-training.
· Be creative with treats
You may sort out the treats in a way that there are three layers: a high level one, a medium, and a low-level treat. this will be helpful if your dog recalls at different times. Sometimes with just one call, he is immediately attentive and comes back to you.
At other times, he might recall after 3 tries. Thus, for faster recall successes, you can give him a high-level treat, while at more difficult recalls, give him a low-level one. Making him recognize that recall is a positive behavior but also making him improve this behavior by recalling faster should prove more reliable.
Just follow the above methods to make your dog recall at the park. You will now enjoy a wonderful time walking with your dog rather than chasing around with no assurance of making him follow your command. Have a good time with your dog!
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