Dog Recall and the ‘Following State of Mind’
3rd November 2020
Categories: Behaviour
I always ask my clients “Does your dog come back when you call him?” The most common answer is “Yes, except when there is a distraction“.
There are always distractions:
- Other Dogs
- Live Stock
- People
The Importance of a Reliable & Consistent Dog Recall.
Put quite simply, if your dog does not recall all of the time, then you don’t have a recall. Without a reliable and consistent recall, you do not have full control of your dog. An unreliable recall is dangerous not only for your dog, but other dogs, adults, children, and yourself. At Vislor, we consider reliable recall the most important aspect of dog behaviour. The most important lesson we teach in dog training is a reliable and consistent recall, whether it be a pet dog, sport dog or working dog .
Some dogs and breeds will naturally possess a good recall, other dogs will need teaching. Remember that when training a dog, they are all different. Just like us, dogs have different types of character, desires, drives and intelligence. The type of training needs to suit the individual dog, it is not a one size fits all methodology.
The ‘Following State of Mind’.
Alongside recall training, we teach what we refer to as ‘The following state of mind’. This method teaches the dog to always remain within a certain radius of the owner. Once taught correctly, this enables the dog to be ‘off lead’ and free to exercise and explore in a safe, calm and controlled manner.
Many people make the mistake of letting their dog ‘off lead’ too early during their training. Similarly, over socialising a dog by allowing it to be free to run up and jump over other dogs can often result in the dog becoming over stimulated, over excited and unable to think calmly. These scenarios can prove problematic to the recall and the ‘following state of mind’.
We have another article that discusses over socialising dogs that you may be interested to read – Dog Socialisation – What are we Trying to Achieve
Some Clients are at their ‘Wits End’.
So many of my clients that come to me for lessons are at their ‘wits end’. Their dogs take no notice of them, will not recall, are distracted by other dogs and even reactive to other dogs. They find themselves having to devise plans to go out for very early morning or late night walks so as to avoid other dogs, or they have to re-route their walks to avoid unwanted situations.
We have even had clients that have popped home to walk their dog during the working day dressed in a suit. During the walk the dog does not repond to the recall, preferring instead to play ‘cat and mouse’. Resulting in the owner trying to recover their dog from a bush and being very late back to work.
The Correct Relationship Between Dog & Owner.
When I see an owner walking their dog with the ‘following state of mind’, I can see that they are in harmony; the relationship between the dog and owner is correct. Reliable recall, once mastered makes everyday life so much easier and happier for the owner and their family. An owner’s confidence in their dog increases, enabling them to go anywhere safe in the knowledge that their dog is fully under control and well behaved.
- Country walks
- Beach walks
- Holidays
- Visiting family
- Trips to the pub
These are all possible and stress free when your dog has a reliable recall, understands the ‘following state of mind’ and is calm, controlled and happy.
If your dog’s recall needs improving, then why not consider a training session with Vislor. We offer One-To-One training packages or a more intensive 3 Week Residential Boot Camp. We look forward to hearing from you.