Recall Training "Secrets"

A good recall really is fairly simple. It's the right combination of:

- High value reinforcer
- Many repetitions
- Gradually introduce distractions
- Lots more repetitions

We were given lots of pork sausage. This is a very high value reinforcer. We did some recalls in the yard for little tiny pieces.

Then I took Griffin and Luna to the back field and ....let them loose. Griffin is generally loose there. Luna never is. Griffin would "Go!" every time I told him to. He sat every time he was cued. Luna had a recall like a well trained dog. We did a ridiculous number of repetitions. And then some more.

I obviously was crazy, prancing around in waist-high grass and on gravel piles with my two very happy dogs following. The pajamas and pack of raw meat and fork are probably what would have drawn the most attention. But we had great recalls.

Tomorrow we'll head out and use a little more.

And the next day I'll need to find a way to carry it a long way in the fields in the 90* heat.

But for today at least, we had perfect recalls.