If we were to sit down and make a list of the most important commands for a bird dog to understand and reliably respond to, “here” would have to be at the top of that list. By nature of the sport, bird dogs are going to spend a lot of time off-leash; because of this, the ability to recall them on command, in any situation, is crucial. I learned this lesson a long time ago, in a somewhat comical situation.
It was a beautiful fall day, and I’d just spent several hours hunting pheasants in some likely-looking Iowa public land that had coughed up a couple of roosters. It was the first hunting experience for my 10-month-old Cocker “Macy,” and she’d done admirably well. While in retrospect, a long hunt like this was too much for a pup of that age. However, at the time I was an enthusiastic hunter with little dog knowledge, so starting slowly wasn’t something I’d even considered. We hunted all the likely-looking pieces on the property and headed for the truck, exhausted from the long hunt. I emptied my game bag, cased my gun, and called Macy to put her in her crate. She declined and headed back for more hunting. I insisted; but she persisted, and I couldn’t find anything sufficiently enticing to bring her close enough to be caught. I tried pleading, bribing, and yelling, all to no avail. I was already tired from the hunt, and in no mood for this game, but an off-leash dog with poor recall isn’t always sympathetic to the handler! Thankfully, there were no safety concerns this time as we were in a remote area, but situations like this underline the importance of a reliable recall.
Why Doesn’t my Dog Recall? Teaching a consistent recall isn’t necessarily easy—sometimes it might seem almost impossible to get a consistent response. There are a couple of reasons for this struggle. First, recall is a command that is almost always given at a distance, and distance is the enemy of compliance. Distance creates opportunity for other options and makes reinforcement challenging. Second, we’re often attempting to recall our dog when it’s in an excited state of mind and potentially distracted. Maybe it’s chasing something, maybe it has a nose full of scent, there are a million things that can capture our dog’s attention and make us disappear from their minds! Those stimulants make the sound of our voice (or whistle) much less appealing than usual.
Knowing the challenges that off-leash recall presents, it’s best to not leave it to chance (like I had done with Macy). Typically, those that fail to teach recall from the start are the ones yelling the loudest in the field later on. With that in mind, here are some concepts to consider the next time you bring a new puppy home.
Training “Here” Through Positive Reinforcement
An enthusiastic recall conditioned by a positive reward. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Horak) Dogs learn by association, and positive association is arguably the fastest way to teach a new skill to a puppy. I want my puppies to think that every time they come to me when I call, something good is going to happen (reward). Building in this automatic response early will avoid a lot of headache later. The reward could be a treat, a pat on the head, or a verbal “good puppy;” it just needs to be something that will motivate him to repeat the behavior in the future. As with all things, moderation is key. Repeatedly calling your puppy in, even if you’re giving a reward, can eventually create apathy. Only doing a handful of reps per session will ensure your pup doesn’t get tired of the game.
Conversely, we need to be aware that we can reinforce a poor recall just as easily as we can encourage it. If when you call your puppy in, you immediately put a leash on it, or put it in its crate, or even ignore it, you may inadvertently be communicating to your puppy that there are negative consequences associated with coming when called; and your pup may be less inclined to respond in the future. Obviously, there will always be times when we do call the puppy in to put on a leash or put it in a crate; but those times should be few and far between, and a bit of initial positive reinforcement first (such as a treat) can help disguise the ensuing negative.
Long-lines keep a puppy safe and can be a great tool during the early stages of teaching recall. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Horak) You can use a long-line (20-30’ typically) to help with this teaching process—but I only use the long line to make sure that I maintain control and keep the puppy safe. We don’t want the puppy thinking it only has to listen to us when it has the long-line on, so our rewarding process should look the same whether our pup comes in on its own, or if we had to reel them in. The pup needs to feel like there’s always the potential for something in it for them when they come in to us.
Teaching “Here” Control the Environment: Someday I want my puppy to respond to my “here” command regardless of the environment; but to start out, I want an environment that makes ME the most exciting thing to the pup. This means I’m not going to teach recall while the puppy is in a distracting environment. The outdoors is inherently distracting for a puppy. There are lots of stimuli competing for the pup’s attention, making it a poor location for teaching recall. A busy house with kids or guests present is also distracting. Instead, think small and boring and work up from there. A single room with a closed door in your house might be a good starting point, then an entire floor of the house, then a fenced-in backyard, then a more open space out-of-doors. But remember, if your pup won’t recall indoors, it’s highly unlikely it will recall when you're outside with competing factors; so don’t get in a hurry to make the environment more difficult.
Teaching recall in a small, quiet space is the best way to keep a puppy focused on you. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Horak) Choose your Battles: I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had someone show up at my place, set their pup on the ground to explore, and immediately start trying to call the pup back to them. This is, without a doubt, a recipe for failure! Using a little foresight to avoid those situations will make sure that you don’t put your pup in a position where failure is likely. If you do find yourself in a situation where your pup is off-leash and distracted, avoid trying to recall it until after the distraction has been removed. Every time you give your pup a “here” command unsuccessfully, you’re reinforcing the wrong thing as they’re learning you can be ignored. It’s crucial to only ask for recall when you’re confident you’ll be successful. Be smart, and only go to battle when the odds are in your favor!
Make Recalling Exciting for Your Dog: As your pup gets older and you start to expose them to more challenging environments, a pat on the head and a “good dog” might not be enough reward to motivate a consistent recall. If your pup is old enough to fully understand what’s expected of it, and yet chooses to ignore the recall command, this may be the time to implement a correction. However, my preference when possible is to find a reward that trumps the environment. I’ve had many dogs that would scarf down a treat in the house, yet turn up its nose in the field to even the tastiest treat. If possible, for those dogs I’d rather use a previously shot bird, or even a clip-wing pigeon as the reward for recalling. It may take a few times to condition the response, but if your dog frequently finds a bird within a few feet of you when it’s being recalled, you’ll quickly condition a snappy recall because of the anticipation of another bird.
Stay Consistent to the Training Process Training is a process, and it’s rarely linear—especially when it comes to recall. As your pup goes through different stages in life, there may be times of independence, and other times when they are completely enamored with you. An eight-week-old puppy may be obsessed with you and quickly come every time it’s called, while that same puppy at six months may have decided you’re not as cool as they used to think you were! As your pup’s owner (and by extension you’re also their trainer), your job is to stay consistent to the process and to be the problem-solver. When you’re not getting the result you want, ask yourself “why” and try to understand your pup’s point of view. Maybe you’ve gone too quickly. Maybe you’ve failed to communicate clearly. Maybe you haven’t offered sufficient incentive. Whatever the case may be, if you approach every training failure as an opportunity to learn and overcome, you and your pup will be better off for it.
