Recall training and longlines

[KingAlex]

A have a 1yo Spaniel, the first dog I've owned independently.

Her recall has always been good, but not perfect. Since being back at dog training class I've been using the longline and planned to continue doing so until her recall was 100%.

So she's been on the longline for every walk for month or so. I've taught her lots e.g. come, sit, stay, down (all at a distance) and she'll also come to heel, middle, side etc.

However yesterday and today I let her off the lead (empty field) to see how she did and her off-lead recall has gone down the pan. She just sits and looks at me, but doesn't want to come back in case I put her back on the lead. I never had this issue before, she would always happily come back.

I've been trying to fix this by calling her back and holding her harness as I would if I was going to leash and then letting her go again. And having lots of fun and treats while on the lead so she's happy to be on it.

The trainer says that eventually if you use the longline for long enough she'll simply 'forget' that ignoring me is an option and always do as she's told when loose.

But I'm worried she'll get so fed up of being on a lead all the time she'll take any opportunity of being off it to do as she pleases.

I didn't expect her recall to be perfect yet btw, but at least as good as it was before I started having her on a lead all the time.

Any thoughts? TIA

Reward her more when she comes to you in the house every single time.

It is not the lead that is making her recall slower it is how it is reinforced (and her age got to love a clever teenage dog)

Recall is your dog chasing back to you, not just doodling back to you. I see so many owners reward a poor recall and then wonder why their dog stops coming back. If she does just doodle back to you then run away with high energy and reward the run back to you.

So at home get the best toy ever , with a spainel a tuffy soft toy would be great run away from her calling her name let her play with the tuggy, give her a treat to release the tuggy and of you go again.

When she is loving the tuggy and comes back to you pop the long line on then play the best tuggy game ever.

You need recall in her mind to be the start of somthing fun not the end of something fun (which is it at the minute)

When recall is a bit more solid then you can recall pop on the long line play like mad and then immediately let her off the long line again. SO ling line does not mean the end of the walk but the beginning of a game.

But do work on short fast recalls at home a lot each day, reward her every time she comes up to you. Keep treats in all your pockets.

The long line is not a tool to good recall - the long line just gives you control. So recall needs to be taught it will not just happen because she is jerked back on the long line

Thank you so much for that reply! Lots to work on.

As it happens her recall in the house is also rubbish. She seems to take such joy in just sitting and staring at me when I call her e.g. in from the garden, even though I know she wants to come in

I never knew how much work it was to train a dog! I put so many hours into it and she learns so quickly, but that doesn't mean she will necessarily choose to listen to me.

Ok so dont expect any recall out and about if it is not happening in the house.

Try by doing it the other way around. Can someone hold her in the house and you recall her into the garden - huge reinforcement to come to you. Do this for several days and then try from room to room.

Recall her to her meal times.

If she is not "listening to you" then try different rewards. Food is great and easy but the reward does not last long. A game of tuggy or chasing you to catch the tuggy may be better (it may not) but try different things. Maybe a fluffy toy she gets to hold might work, a ball she can catch , or treats scattered on the floor so she can sniff them out.

One of my wcs loved brushes so for quite a while I took a hand brush out on walks with us. Bent down swept the floor, gave recall command and she charged back (I looked a bit of a dick but had the best recall of all the dogs) [smile

Another thing to work on is just a positive noise or word. I use a clicky kissy sort of noise with my teeth. Every time I make the noise I reward I do use treats for this. So have her close by make the nose reward.

Very quickly she will associate the noise with good things happening eg the treats. You cn use it to stop her doing something you may not like her doing eg digging up the garden or make the sound walk away and she will follow you. Dont abuse the noise only do it if you can treat and dont always stop her doing what she was doing just interupt reward and back free again.

I will start working on all of these, thank you

It is hard work teaching recall to some dogs, particularly at that age - she has hit teenage regression !

I'm very experienced with dogs, but honestly, I thought my youngest was going to be on the long line for ever!

Leave the long line on until the recall is reliable - she can still run around and have fun, it's important that she has fun and forgets she's got the line trailing behind her - you have the confidence you can grab it / stamp on it and she has the illusion of total freedom.

Call her back frequently- just reward - don't touch her - lots of praise and THE BEST food reward ever. Use something (roast chicken?) that you only use for recall. You are building positive associations with the act of coming back to you.

The two dogs I walk off lead are frequently recalled just to treat. Don't try and rush it. My youngest is two, I got him at 6 Months. It's only in the last month that I've been confident about his recall when there are distractions. If I spotted other dogs, or people, I would reel him in, or put him back on lead until we were past. Now I call him into heel and he trots next to me looking up adoringly - at the treat 😉. The other dog (3yrs) had pretty perfect recall from the start, only a blip in her teens, but that's because of her breed and personality, not because I'm a brilliant trainer !

You just have to work with the dog you have - some take longer, but the methods are the same. Coming back to you has to have a higher reward value than running away from you. With most dogs that means food, for some it's a toy or ball.

It will try your patience, but if you ARE patient and consistent you WILL succeed. 😎

Thank you. I will keep going with the longline, I was just worried I was doing something wrong!

We'll keep ploughing on.