Does your dog have 100% recall?

[Puppypuppypuppy]

My 14 month old has developed a bit more confidence and selective deafness so is back on a long line for now in situations where I know he's likely to ignore me. But I read on here all the time that dogs should not be off lead in a public place unless they have 100 % recall. This feels a way off for me at the moment. But does any dog really have 100%? (and any tips on how you got there welcome!)

No and she never will and that's ok.

I don't think there's any such thing. ANY dog can bolt. They're not robots.

My beagle is around 90% recall overall, but it's very area dependent. At the beach he's 99%, but up the woods it's more like 50%, which is why he's kept on a long lead there

Before I got a dog I thought dog walks were just lovely relaxing rambles. Now I know that you’re also constantly assessing the situation at the same time

Yes to this. I thought oh lovely I can listen to audiobooks and call my mum and maybe even jump on a work call! Pah!!
We rescued a gorgeous thing with a lot of problems around other dogs, so every walk even 2 years on is like a training session. So vigilant around dogs and always batting away other idiot owners and 'friendly' off lead dogs with poor recall.

@poorbuthappy

99% usually. 100% if I'm holding tennis ball and flinger. Border collie.

Ditto

We're in the 90-something percent, high 90s depending on how you count it.

I'd be wasting my breath if I told him to come when chasing a squirrel, so he's only ever off lead where it doesn't matter if he chases one. I'd never trust him around livestock so he's never off lead near them - thankfully we live in a city.

He'll also go strategically deaf when rolling in something awful, but that doesn't affect anyone else, he comes as soon as he has finished rolling.

Anyone who says their dog has never had a recall failure is lying though. Every dog has an off day - and seeing as they function cognitively at the level of a 3 year old human, that's hardly surprising. Every toddler has an off day too.

One of my dogs does. She will stop in her tracks even if chasing a squirrel. My other one is selectively deaf - if he sees something he is gone no matter what. Don't know why I trained them the same. Personality differences.

About 90% so he doesn't got off lead.

Depends what I'm calling her back from. She's got selective deafness where other dogs and anything small and furry that runs is concerned (terrier) and so I only ever let her off when I can see for a good way the coast is clear.
However if I have a ball then I'm (or rather my hand) is her sole focus, I've seen her literally jump over another dog she'd normally confront when I have a ball in my hand.
She also thinks every human is her friend, but is reliable on coming back when I call her in that situation.
Little twat spends a lot of time on the lead 🤷

Bugger all recall out of the house! Shih tzu and very stubborn.
Brilliant in the house!

98% I would say. 2 year old terrier. No prey drive, can call him away from a squirrel. Not interested in people, other dog's balls or anything like that. But turns his ears off every now and then if he decides he's going to go and make a new doggy friend. Most of the time he will listen and stay by me, but every now and then he gives me the finger and runs off to say hello. So if I see a dog approaching on the lead I put him on the lead too.

My patterdale x doesn’t have 100% recall but he has a 100% stop , down and wait so as good as .

I don't think any dog is truly 100%, even a dog who has absolutely never been distracted before can get distracted by something new and interesting.

Ddog 1, collie/terrier has about 90% recall, but it took her a long time to get there.

Ddog 2, lab/German shepherd has 0% recall because she is a new rescue who is terrified of everyone and everything so she will run away if she sees people. She has perfect recall in our (massive) garden though so we know she understands it. Hopefully one day with more hard work her recall in public places will get better, but for now she is always on a lead.

Mine is pretty damn good. He does love a spaniel though, so that’s when we’ve had our two big fails - the first time the spaniel ran all the way across a field to us, then Spudpup followed it back 🙈 The second time the spaniel was free hunting in the woods miles away from its owner, came whizzing past us to catch up, and Spudpup went too! He’s pretty good for a 6 month old though (albeit the long line is ready for the teenage phase). I think he’s going to be pretty good.

Old Spuddog was also pretty damn good. Was he 100%? No. He wasn’t a robot. The possibility of a fail was always there and is for every single dog. You have to be sensible - for example, I personally wouldn’t have a dog off lead near to sheep, no matter how good they were, because my dogs don’t see sheep often enough (and in any case, it’s only fair to the farmer, who doesn’t know how good your dog may or may not be). But he was near as dammit.

My youngest I'd say has 100% recall. She's a sprocker spaniel, never wanders far from my side and comes back instantly. I've never ever had to ask her twice. She's so biddable, it's a miracle.

Her bastard of a brother however is a working cocker and his recall is brilliant until he gets wind of a pheasant, then he is completely deaf to me. Therefore I walk with a squeaky toy/tennis ball on me and rely on distraction.

Nothing is ever 100%.

Mines been off lead or on a long line since he was a puppy. His recall is brilliant but as others said he's not a robot!
That being said I don't know how he would have got to brilliant if he was on a short lead the whole time- you can't 'proof' the recall if you don't practice it. Get a longline so you can still practice but have a back up if it doesn't work.

Nope. Rescue terrier cross sight hound=high prey drive so anything that's small and moves quickly is fair game.

He is pretty reliable, he listens and he often comes to call, but can be selective. He doesn't really bother with other dogs though, so we let him off in the woods and large park/field areas and he's v happy to chase his ball or whizz around in the trees.

But if he sees/smells a squirrel, all bets are off.

My doodle is near as dammit 100%, I can read him very well so I know his reaction state. As others have pointed out, a dog walk is not merely a stroll around with your dog, it's an interactive event. PoshDog gets the right hump if I dare look at my phone never mind talk on it. He squeeks his squeeky ball incessantly until my attention is back to him. Walks are 'his' time. But I can call him off a cat or rabbit chase with a whistle or Oi, and he won't even give chase if he gets a 'leave it' command first -so I am always scanning the ground around us. He's mostly off lead, and will give dogs on leads a wide (and quiet) berth on a 'leave him' command.

My dear departed Lab was bullet proof too, we could walk through a field of sheep and he'd be glued to my side. He walked no more than a lead length from me whether he had it attached or not, only breaking distance if I threw a ball and then straight back to my side again. In all my years of dog ownership, training remains ongoing and the attention level on walks constant and high. I'm sure some people think I am ignorant as I pay attention to the dog when I am near and passing people - to keep that link going at the time it is needed most.

My retriever was getting pretty good at recall, now at 17 months he’s got a lot worse for some reason so he’s only off the lead on field walks if we can see a long way for other dogs coming, while I work on his training.

Nope. 90% good, 10% totally ignored.

My dog is pretty good, he's only bolted once and that was because he saw a cat before I did!! He did go crazy for a bitch in season once as well.

But other than those occasions he's v reliable. That said I'm careful about when and where he's allowed off lead.

@Puppypuppypuppy mine is a similar age and his recall has suddenly got a lot worse.

I can see him hearing but can also see him choosing to come back when he's ready. Unfortunately it's normally when he's seen something he wants to chase at which point he chases (say a pigeon) and then immediately comes back afterwards! So we are back to working on keeping him with us before he goes into chase mode (I can see the look in his eye!)

Mine returns to whistle every time
She does look around to see ‘why’ 😂 but will always come back

Anything from 40-80% depending on the scenario.
she is rescue and a yorkie and highly food motivated so loves to harass people having picnics etc. And roll in dead slugs

We only really let her off in big spaces where we can see what's coming.

No, but I'm very aware of what his triggers for failed recall are and make sure I avoid them/ put him on lead.

Tiredness
Approaching our car signalling the end of the walk
Livestock and horses
Other people or dogs balls (although I have made huge progress recently with him recalling or, at least stopping and staying, so that I can retrieve a stolen ball).