Questions regarding Training Pt 2 - Recall.

Off Leash recall is one of the best life saving things you can teach your dog. We are lucky when we are out Ed has major FOMO (fear of missing out) and will not stray too far. Unless of course he has a twig or something stuck to his butt and then he silently waits until you notice he is not coming. This is particularly bad during our early morning (dark) winter beach walks when he blends in with the sand but that is not the point to this post.

For training recall my favourite tools are :

Long line - we got our first one from TDFL but you can buy adventure resistant ones from

here . After pay day we will be getting some more.

Harness ( long lines are best suited to harnesses more on that below)

Treatos - we do homemade but anything extra tasty will work

Patience ( I know this is hard sometimes)

Long lines are one of the best tools you can have, for off leash walks, I still use long lines today on both dogs for various reasons ( apart from in Rotorua where there is a 2m leash length restriction).

Long lines are great as they provide your dog with some freedom but you can easily capture them (if the leash is dropped) or they are attached to you (as a normal leash but longer)

What's the difference between a long line and a flexi leash you ask?

Well long lines are a stationary set length leash (usually 5m -10m or 16-32 ft) as opposed to a thin line that is able to be locked and retract.

The reason why I do not like flexis is that they are easily tangled, they can be heavy, sharp and can snap easily.

I have had my leg caught in someone else's flexi before it was around my leg and then they tugged for their dog to return to them and in the process sliced my leg open.

Now if this was one of the boys it probably would have amputated their legs, they can be very sharp and I have heard so many other horror stories they just are not worth it in my opinion. We used to have one until we realized it was not helpful in training and the stationary long line can just be folded up and let out instead.

We prefer long lines to be attached to harnesses as it is harder for the dog to escape and if they are “off leash” ie you are not holding the long line they cannot choke themselves if they get caught on something. This is not necessary just what we prefer and always use.

The use of the long line when training a dog helps to set them up for success. You work in non distracting environments like an empty park and practice calling the dog when they hit the end of the line. Be the best most exciting thing ever, this includes making sounds and running backwards like you are playing a game.

Then reward the dog. We use high value treats and if the boys are in the mood we will swap treats out for toys and or praise.

For us praise works as a reward because of our bond and the previous rewards the boys have gotten from returning to us when called. One of the biggest things I can think of with recall is make it fun. Returning to you must be more rewarding then running off and playing with the dog over there. If you make returning to you constantly negative say by recalling to put leash on and go home only, then the dog is not going to want to come to you. When we are out and about the boys give voluntary check ins, I also recall them - reward and release. This means that coming to me means fun things like food or toys.

Do you have to carry treats on you all the time? No

I do but that is because I like to, that is a whole 'nother thing.

However if you do not reward with something from time to time the dog may grow bored and find something else to self reinforce. The hiker pup talks about this on her Instagram a lot as well as some other walkers and trainers on larger accounts.

Ed has a very very low prey drive so for him the biggest distraction is other dogs and or people. Being the grumpy 3 ish year old that he is, he prefers to be with us and or dogs we know then other people so I really do not bother with him. He still gets rewarded for checking in and was trained by long line. Eds emergency recall word is Bye Bye as he feels like he is going to be left behind and will scream while running at you so you do not forget him.

Huxley has 110% prey drive (we will discuss this in another post). He needs to be recalled and kept a close eye on. As he has gotten older he is allowed more and more off the long line walks but I always keep leashes handy to re-leash him if and when needed.

With Hux not only are we working on creating a bond, we also carry a hunting bumper and treats to be more fun than distractions. This means that when he is off leash he wants to come back. Huxley also knows touch (when he touches something with his face - usually my hand) this helps to refocus him on me and can recall back to a touch more often than a sit.

At home we work on hide and seek - where the boys are waiting (usually in their beds) for me to say “find me/come”. With this we are building up the excitement of coming to me and again building the bond. This has been really useful as Hux ages with his recall as he loves to play games and we can have fun running around at the beach and or park. If Hux is far away I can call him back and run in the other direction so he chases me and we play a game with multiple rewards in it (depending on how high the distractions are). It is really a trial and error thing but your dogs safety comes first. We go to some places (like the farm) where Hux is on long line only and not off leash because his prey drive will take over and he will self reinforce (ignore me for hunting prey).

With that being said, knowing where and when to let your dogs off leash is important.

How good is their recall ?

Is the area safe / around stock, animals or busy roads

How big are the distractions? - you should be setting your dog up for a win not to fail

Are dogs actually allowed off leash? Do not be THAT person (please) - I will provide Akl walks in other posts.

Points from friends via Instagram questions (slightly paraphrased and summarized) :

Rosa - Practice, practice, practice. Small distance recall training works best and is your friend. When I was training I used to run in the opposite direction if she didn't listen to me. This made her start chasing after me. Another tip is to be the most interesting thing, like others said be fun and have a little party. I also find hiding from her if she goes to far helps, this makes her conscious of where I am and reinforced checking back in every so often.

Cookie and Buster - 1. Limit rehearsal of not coming back by using a long line until proofed. 2. When they do come make it worthwhile, play tug and have a mini party.

Ludwig and Berger - Never use recall if you feel the dog will not return as this weakens/ erodes the command. Use a long line and build up distance with recall. Giving the command and stepping back will encourage them to come towards you. Then crouching down a little and standing upright will encourage the dog to end in a sit. Also never practice a return to heel and a recall together in the same session as it can confuse the dog.

Bowzer - Using fun and quick recall “games” to pull out during training or play time. Call them to you and then toss treats. If you are on a walk with two people stop and do some recall training between both of you. Start with small distances and increase over time at your dogs pace. Every little training session helps your dog.

Mia - Start with a long line and do not raise your voice if they don’t come back just praise them for good behavior. Have something they love to come back to eg. for Mia it is a tug toy or a stick not treats.

MaxyFleury The thing that works for Drew is a plate of food.

Do you have any more questions? I feel like that was a tiny bit repetitive but I hope it was helpful. We are lucky here in the sense that their are so many wonderful places where I feel confident to let a hurricane terrier off leash and am happy he is safe.