Breeds with good recall?

[Sharpcattlegridheavyhat]

We live in an area with a lot of open fields with rabbits popping up a lot and the odd cyclist and dog walker (though mostly these fields are empty.)

Just wondering if you could help me with breeds of dogs known for their good recall- I’d hate to have a dog with such a high prey drive I could never let it off leash, and a lot of breeds I have read say you must do exactly that.

What dogs have you got that have got good recall? (Obviously with training!)

Thanks!! (Very long drawn out research process as kids too young to get another dog as yet...sob)

Hey sharp. I’d add too that our poodle is also absolutely fine with cats. She will chase the odd bird but that’s about it. I think poodles are just people dogs, they want to stay close to their people and to please!

Maybe a poodle is the way forward doing...

Yay! Here’s a pic.

My current dog is brilliant for me but not 100% with other people, but that's anxiety not obedience (she just goes home if she gets scared!) She's a JRT/collie cross.
My Mum used to have a Shi Tzu cross who was also brilliant, super little dog in every way.
My other favourites for recall and sheer intelligence are Border Collies, but you need the right dog and the right environment.

Best recall I came across was a Toller, he was brilliantly behaved in general though
His owner was a vet and spent loads of time training him

What a lovely little thing!!
Are Tollers difficult to come by in the U.K.?

Yes they are but they are beautiful dogs
Bit like a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Collie

Our first dog was a German shepherd - naturally quite protective she never strayed far and had good recall. I now have a husky - she isn't allowed off because she is distracted by everything on a walk and is an ignorant little bugger! She did go off when younger and was fine but then I lost my bottle and kept her on lead as I was worried one day she would just go as everyone says so!

So German sheperds are getting good marks on this thread!

If you start young then most dogs can be trained for good recall. Gundogs are generally good but saying that, I have a Labrador who just could not give a shiny shit. I have to scream at him to get his attention. Luckily he is pretty chill and too lazy to run anywhere so no chance of losing him and my other dog is an angel and can pretty much be counted on to get him back in an emergency. She's smarter than he is.

Just no hounds or terriers and not a Husky.

Well speaking as a beagle owner I can only say avoid scent hounds...

My best tip for getting through the adolescent phase is to walk the puppy with other dogs who have good recall and can give the younger dog an extra incentive to stick with you, rather than wandering off. Training will pay off in the long run, but in the short run well-behaved reinforcements can help a lot.

tiny there are some great lab crosses next door, they never go on lead from the front door to the fields so they’d be good to walk with- thank you.

My lab was good as a puppy sod as a teen and had go back on lead .By about 18 months started to improve.He is a food and ball lover so helped loads in training
At nearly 4 is pretty mmuch 100%(would never say perfect as sods law be thatjust one time

Calls back from deer etc ok as well though gives a longing look.
Water is his thing and occasionally have to use mix of whistle and my oh feck voice

Your ‘oh feck voice’? This sounds like a voice I need to have

I have a Toller and he has fantastic recall - I whistle-trained him and there is nothing quite like seeing him turn around on a sixpence when he hears the whistle and come hurtling back to me with a big smile on his face

We’re currently training our nearly 5 month old smooth collie puppy and she will come away from other dogs she’s playing with so doing pretty well too

We do lots and lots of recalls on walks, reward with something high value and then let them off again to play so that recall doesn’t equal the end of fun

I second whistle training, BUT make sure you get a whistle with a known tone (such as Acme).
I made the mistake of training to a custom stag horn whistle before realising I'd be fucked if I ever lose it. Had I used an Acme it would just be a case of buying on at the same tone.

I used to walk with my young dog and his two mates, all off lead. First two back got a treat. They loved that game!

Over the years we've had several working Springers. The ones we've had from young pups have all had excellent recall, especially my current male dog who is amazing. One whistle & he's at my side instantly.

The female we got at four months was OK most of the time but would occasionally get that glint in her eye & be off. But by far the worst was our very first one, a bossy demanding rescue bitch who was a complete diva & did exactly what she wanted to. She came to us aged about two & coming back when called was just not something she did. No more rescues for us after her.

So just out of interest... can I ask the Toller owners.... this ‘scream’ they have, is it as bad as Youtube makes it sound?!

So annoying, my favourite breeds are not known for their good recall! Beagles and Dalmatians!

We don’t hear it often - only in times of extreme excitement which usually involves a combination of water and balls (and weirdly when I close the cat flap ). It’s a high-pitched ‘yipping’ sound, described (accurately) as if someone’s feeding the dog into a wood chipper but ours doesn’t do it every day or even every week and it’s a very short-lived sound so not a problem really. He doesn’t bark much which makes up for it

Have ben reading this thread with interest and am totally crushing on duck tollers now

Yeah Tollers are ticking a lot of boxes! And my husband immediately liked the idea of them when I showed him this thread. Definitely on the list! Are they good with children?

They’re brilliant with children - they’re very happy-go-lucky characters who love playing. Here’s mine after a good game of fetch in the river. Not a good breed if you live in a pristine house though ....

I remember thinking my mini schnauzer would never learn recall! Schnauzers can be pretty stubborn anyway, but now she's 2 and has pretty much perfect recall. I trained her using the Pippa Matthison book Totall Recall (really recommend this book), But what has also helped is her going out with other dogs in a pack, shes at daycare 3 days a week and she learnt a lot from the other dogs.
I remember feeling really down when the lady running the puppy training class looked at my dog with disdain and said "why on earth did you choose a schnauzer they are so difficult to train"

But in fact she's the easiest dog I know!