# How do you train a top notch recall?



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I definitely need to improve Babykins recall.

She has good recall in limited settings - in the house and in the various places we have gone for training. I'm training for rally and do a lot of games like throwing kibble between my legs and then calling her - she always comes quickly in close between my legs looking right up at me.

I realize her recall doesn't work in new situations, or when there are more exciting distractions such as other dogs to play with, wild animals to chase or even tons of new smells.

If you read this post you'll see I brought it up and Catherine stepped in with some good advice, as always - she is so helpful and I appreciate the help. I feel I need to refocus on this recall training - and get it right for safety sake.

http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle...-moment-praying-your-training-pays-off-2.html



lily cd re said:


> Keep working on your recall then. Don't allow a dog that doesn't have a great recall a choice about doing it. Keep the dog on leash and reel them in or move towards them while doing so. When you get a good response reward it lavishly. Make sure you don't acknowledge or reward poor performances. The recall deficient dog will learn to come when called. Keep practicing this as a life skill once or twice a week for every week of the dog's life so you know it will be good when you need it.
> 
> All three of my dogs have gone out the front door recently while I was talking to my lawn guy. It was easy to call them back since we do practice it (maybe not as often as I should, but we can modify that). I sent Javelin out the back door just a week or two ago without thinking about where the chickens were. I realized as soon as I heard the cackling and screeching that they were loose and even though I couldn't see what was going on I could envision Javvy chasing each one until she managed to hide under a shrub. I called him instantly and he returned to me at the back door in a flash. I'm not so sure that he would be that reliable if he was chasing a rabbit in an open space, but we are on the way in that direction. I absolutely know I could call Lily of a moving cat since I've done it. Peeves would have a hard time leaving a cat alone, but he does also have a pretty good response to the happy call of "cookies."
> 
> ...


In training for CGC, CGC Community and Therapy Dog training she has always come to her name, and we trained twice a day and she passed those exams. Now in the advanced again we're training twice a day and she comes in between my name when called and does that cute thing where she looks up at me - again for treats. When I've been at the various training places she always comes when called.

The problem is outside with distractions and even worse, when we're at the dog social at the local human society - one hour of well behaved dogs running free to play in a large room - she comes regularly to check in with me and get some petting, but she never comes when I call. In the neighborhood we went through a horrible problem with rabbits and I kept trying to play games with treats to distract her from rabbits and draw her attention to me - to my face with treats (I played the games you mention) and we do sits and downs etc. In the training classes with other dogs she responds when called, but everywhere else, especially if there are other animals - she just doesn't always respond and I continue to struggle with it. Is her "come" poisoned? Or has she decided to only respond in class but not outside and I need a new command outside such as "here".

Sometimes I regret I didn't get her as a puppy because she much prefers to play with other dogs - she is well socialized to people and happy to let people pet her, but she would rather spend time chasing another dog that to be with me or other people. She was one of those puppies kept by the breeder to be a show dog, and while she clearly was used to living in a house, she always lived with many dogs until we got her and I think that is part of the problem.

In the meantime, every time we go out of the house to the bathroom, and when we are out running errands or going to training or whatever - I always make her sit by the door and she is not allowed out until I give her the command. She is good about this - but I know I need better recall and I continue to struggle with it. And I never let her outside without the leash secured in my hand.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

Do you do a lot of practice when you're out and about? Try a long line or retractable leash, so there's no risk of her running away, and start adding random practice to your routine. She may have learned that she needs to listen in specific situations, but she hasn't generalized that to everywhere. Remember that when you raise the criteria in one direction, you need to lower it in another - so if she's around new distractions, make sure that recall is easier for her to do at first (have her closer to you, make rewards more obvious, etc.).

Also, do you use a treat bag in class? If so, put it away and hide your rewards instead. Babykins should never know whether you have a reward with you or not. I admit this is a big part of my challenge with Archie - if he knows I have treats, then he's perfect; if he knows I don't have them, he's going to weigh his other options. Surprising him once in a while and thinking of natural/real-world rewards to use is helpful.

Think of things in terms of rewards. In these distracted situations, what does Babykins want? If she enjoys focusing on or chasing the rabbits, then you need to either find something she wants more, or you need to make it impossible for her to do it and find a way to give her access to something else that she wants instead. (Or you can allow her to investigate them AFTER she proves she's listening to you, but only if there's a safe way to do that.) Manage the situation around other dogs so that if she doesn't come to you, she doesn't get to be around the other dogs. Either she's dragging a leash you can reel in, or you're close enough to pick her up and remove her from the situation. Make it so that if she doesn't recall, she doesn't get what she wants - but if she does come to you, then she gets something extra nice.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

I think one thing you need to do is to stop telling her to come when she can ignore you. Then all she learns is that she can blow you off. Don't even use the command unless you know you can enforce it, i.e. she is on a leash or long line. Work on it in the environments where she isn't reliable, and you need to make the reward better than the distraction. 

I also worked on an emergency recall - you choose a different command than come and practice it daily with a super high value reward that is only for that command. Basically one person holds the dog, the other lets the dog smell the treat and then runs away and gives the command, the helper releases the dog, and the dog should charge right to the person with the treats. You practice it over and over. I had to use it with my Dane puppy one time and it worked.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

This is such a great place to talk about these kinds of things. The other posters have added really important ideas. One of the important things mentioned above is to make it a no fail situation, so never ask for a come to you unless you have a way (leash) to make it happen. I also like the idea of separately practicing with your emergency only words and very very high value rewards. 

Related to that concept, Lily has a pretty large vocabulary and knows that here while at home means I would like to be able to see you and communicate directly. Come means moves directly towards me until I give you a different order, as for a drop on recall where after the drop the order is front meaning sit straight in front and close to me. Get close means set up next to me sitting in proper heel position. Peeves knows nearly all of those same orders and Javelin is making progress.

Don't forget an emergency sit or down in place from a distance as a great skill to teach. It is useful in situations where calling a dog might put it in front of heavy traffic.

Another thing that just popped into my head is being able to give orders to a dog that you don't have eye contact with. At one of the Ian Dunbar workshops I did we were a demo team for giving orders without stopping with the dog, with the dog already behind us and from funny positions like lying on the floor. Since I was somewhat embarrassed to realize that Lily wasn't great at any of those things I have since then worked on all of them. She now has a moving stand (like for utility) but also a moving drop and sit. I can call her to heel with her 'get close' order at significant distances.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I'll share a chapter from the book I was writing. It is what I have done and continue to practice every single day in some way, be it only a very few reps or a purposeful session in this big field I have near me. I have not done it with my poodles yet, but with my Doberman, he learned to recall reliably with prey involved. I practiced using the Premack principle and a helper, a 5 gal. bucket and a rope and a faux prey. I could call that dog off of deer on our hikes, mid chase. He was a Doberman though. lol. Anyhow, here's a very long thing but it may have some little things that really can make a difference, such as not calling your dog to do something icky. Also, I don't remember if I included it or not but be sure to use a release word when you are going to let your dog go again after having come. The dog must not take it upon himself to bolt once he's come. 

Also, an emergency recall is a good thing to teach. I think I posted that somewhere on here a long time ago...if you want to try a search. That comes later, after your basic recall is very good.

This is long so it will require a few posts I think. But there may be a few little tid bits you might not have come across that may possibly be of use.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

You'll want to look at tone of voice, too. Archie responds very differently if I use my ohmygoshI'msoexcited voice vs just saying it casually. Even just using his name, there's a particular sing-songy way of doing it that gets better results for some reason (it's kind of an "a-ARCH-ieee" sound). I think I accidentally reinforced those differently, and reinforcing different tones and energies is on my training list. 

I certainly know that the more frustrated I sound, the less likely he is to come all the way to me. I've never punished him for coming or anything like that, but I think based on my tone he sort of goes, "Uh-oh, something not so great happening over there...I think I'll just stick to what I'm doing."


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Teaching a reliable recall (rough draft)

With any new behavior, I do not give the cue first until the behavior is reliable without. It's nothing but babble to the dog at this stage. He does not understand English and it's just one more thing for him to have stuffed in his mind, adding one more variable for him to sift through. To learn the word, it will need to be associated with the actual behavior, which I'll explain more in a minute. I prefer also, to avoid, if possible having to force the dog to come with a long line or leash. I'd much rather the dog use his own head and have the opportunity to choose to come. He‘ll develop more drive and self control this way. 

What I do is start in the house where there are few distractions and then advance for a little outdoor practice in the yard. Only do this off leash work in a fenced yard or other enclosure, otherwise you’ll have to use a long line. For the purpose of describing this method, I’ll be referring to this as it is done with no leash. 

The next step is getting the pup ready for fun and games and I run the other way, enticing the dog to come, even using a squeaky toy or playful voice. I'll hide behind the big, fat cedar tree or lilac bush and really play a game with the pup. I make sure that I don’t run very far because I don’t want it to be too difficult for puppy and have him lose interest. Puppies love finding their owner. When the pup comes to me, I reward with a high value treat and give lots of praise. Then go run the other way, again enticing pup to come along. I give treats every time and make it the best time ever whenever the pup comes to me. Once he is coming reliably this way, I begin to use the cue words, "lets go" if it's an informal recall, to come fairly close to me and "come" if it is a formal recall, which means he is to come right close in front and sit facing me. I start out with "let's go" and later work on the formal recall. 

If your puppy starts following you as if he’s glued to your ankles, he isn’t getting a chance to actually come since he’s already perpetually there. If that happens, change course and ask for a sit or a down and come back to the recall when he’s not expecting it. There are other fun games which I’ll describe in a bit.

This is important when working the recall: Do not use the cue first before the pup begins to come to you. Wait until he is close, very obviously coming to you. If you use the cue prior to his arrival and he decides something else is more interesting, you just lost him. The cue becomes "poisoned," meaningless and you will likely need to choose another cue word to teach the recall. So, make absolutely sure that he is just inches from you, get hold of his collar so he can’t bolt until you release him, then say the cue word, reward and praise lavishly. (Feeding yummy treats in association with grabbing the collar serves a double purpose. It helps prevent a bite from a dog that is startled or may re-direct aggression onto his owner if you ever have to grab his collar in an emergency. Never associate grabbing the dog’s neck or collar with punishment or anger. Instead, condition him to liking to have his collar grabbed) Then give your release word and let him go back to what he was doing. When he begins to come to you from some distance, you can make quick, repetitive, happy noises; kissy noises, “tee tee tee tee tee.” Stacatto, happy noises will tend to cause an animal to speed up and intensify whatever it is he is already doing. If he is running the other way after a wind-blown leaf or squirrel, do not use those quick, high pitched noises. It will only make him run faster in the direction he’s already going. Conversely, when you want a dog to slow down or stop an action or behavior and you want to use the no reward marker, (a word which means, “woops, wrong,“) use a low, calm and slow tone of voice. This tends to lower the dog’s adrenaline level, heart rate and calm him down. 

When he becomes very reliable where you're enticing, he's coming, you're giving your cue word in association with the act of coming, not before, not after, then you can try out the cue ahead of time to elicit the behavior. But first he has to connect the English words with the behavior. Spend a long time....weeks doing these things before moving onto the next step.

When you progress to giving the cue before the behavior, do not use the cue if he is interested in something else, watching a squirrel, sniffing around a bush, where you're more likely to fail. Set him up for success by starting in low distraction areas. Give him the cue when it is very likely that he will be motivated to come to you. All this takes time. Don't rush it. Let each phase have time to sink in and be practiced. 

Any time your dog comes to you, even on his own accord, praise him lavishly. Always make coming to you wonderful, a party, the best thing ever no matter what he did prior. 

Later, when he is getting very reliable, you can move to a fixed reward schedule, every third time, say. Do this for a few days and then move onto a variable reward schedule where you do not reward with a treat every time, but still always praise. A variable schedule of reinforcement, remember, is not a totally random delivery, but you do skip around. You must not withhold a treat for too many correct responses or that behavior will regress. If you play the slot machines and you don’t get a pay out for a very long time after putting your tokens in the machine, you finally will give up and go home. So, just before he is going to give up, or stop offering the behavior, he will likely come to you with all the gusto he can muster. That’s when you jack pot him and he will try that much harder next time to come faster, more promptly or closer to you. You can then raise your criteria and start reinforcing only the best recalls.

Never give a cue more than once. He heard you the first time. This is why I don't rush into using a cue word at all at first. If, for some reason after you've done all this right and he is still more motivated elsewhere in his environment, do go to him and help him to come. You can give him a no reward marker....."nope, that's not it, try again." But I do not recommend associating any collar corrections, scolding or unpleasantness of any kind, especially with teaching the recall. It must be all good associations or all the hard work you’ve put in for a reliable recall can fall apart.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

As you very gradually add in a few distractions, if he has trouble, it means you need to go back to fewer distractions and work there for a while longer. If he fails, he is not being "stubborn" or needing an attitude adjustment. He is more motivated elsewhere in his environment. He is a dog and this is how they operate. He is simply under trained in distractions and needs more practice where he can be successful. It's up to the owner to set up his environment which is conducive to learning for a dog. 

When it’s time for Fido to get his nails clipped or have a bath, some grooming necessities which most dogs find unfavorable, unnecessary and indeed, some find as invasive as we find having the dentist drill a tooth, do not call him to come. That is like punishing him for coming to you. Go to him instead. We‘ll talk more in a later chapter about conditioning your puppy, or brain washing him, if you will, to be as willing as possible when it comes to those oft nasty and unpleasant grooming chores. You’ll learn how to turn those distasteful procedures into pretty pleasant experiences for your dog and you. 

If Buster is having a wee of a time at the park and you are ready to go home and take a nap, call him to come, reward him, snap the leash on him, and turn him loose again to play for a few minutes. Repeat that another time. Then bring him to the car and give him another cookie. If you call your pup to come in from playing in the yard, do the same thing if he would rather be outside. Then when he must come in, don’t end all the fun. Give him a few minutes inside for a game of tug or a favorite toy. Avoid ending the good things in life in association with recalling your pup.

Remember about reinforcers, how they must cause a dog to repeat a behavior and therefore must be rewards that he really loves, not just something you think he should love. Keep in mind how a tastier treat is even more tasty when it is delivered after a less tasty treat, how it is more valuable when received by a somewhat hungry dog. Don’t forget that when there are very few environmental motivators which compete with what you have in store for your dog, the probability of success increases. Timing is everything. If you reinforce later than 3 seconds after the dog has come to you, the dog is not going to associate that reinforcer with the act of coming to you. He will already be onto something else and that will be what you’ll be reinforcing. 

An older, untrained dog can learn that it is much better to come than not. The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is a fallacy. Older dogs are often calmer and less prone to distractibility than puppies, but their old habits need to be un-done or torn down and replaced with an alternative behavior, just as remodeling an old house needs to have some of the rotting floor joists taken out and replaced. Preventing unwanted behavior and giving the dog an alternative which is more reinforcing for him is always the best foundation from which to build.

Since dogs are living, breathing individuals and not machines, there is always a chance that something in the environment will out-do you. Dogs all have drives and instincts and some dogs have a stronger prey drive than others. Although some dogs are close to perfect in their recall, no dog is one hundred percent reliable, no matter how well trained. Do not take risks anywhere where there is the danger of automobiles or any other peril. Dogs can be stupendously reliable, for years even. Owners tend to get lax, trusting their dog to not run out in the road. This is a sad mistake. Trust sneaks up on us over the years like a cancer. “My dog would never disobey me. “When we come home from anywhere, when I let my Boomer out of the car, he runs straight to the front door, never interested in the neighbor’s cat or a squirrel. He has been this way for years.” Trust. Then it happens. One time, that one percent chance and Boomer does chase the cat across the street and is killed by a car. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this happen to owners who love their dogs, but develop that faulty trust in their animals as if they have a dial set on a certain behavior and it can not vary. I’ve seen the heart wrenching pain that people have created for themselves by this denial or misplaced trust. Don’t let it happen to you. If you take your dog off leash for his exercise, make sure it is in a safely, fenced area or out in the wilderness where you are far from a road. And make sure your dog has a reliable recall that he doesn’t run off too far from you. There can be other animals that can harm or kill your dog. If you have any doubt, use a long, 30 foot or longer lead line. 

There is nothing better than a dog who has a reliable and prompt recall. It might save his life. It is quite possibly the most important skill you can teach your dog. And getting a good start from puppy hood is the best way to form the pathways in his brain, to create a habit in your pup to come when called, to desire nothing better than to come when summoned. Give him every reason to comply and you will have a beautiful recall. 


_My poodles have a stupendously reliable recall in most all situations, but they definitely need to move onto prey training._


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Absolutely, a rock solid sit/stay is necessary for dangerous situations where coming could lead him right smack in front of a moving car. 

Another good skill is a drop to a down from a distance. I used that one for a couple of situations. It stops a running dog in his tracks. My Doberman was chasing a dog through our pasture and I thought he was going to kill that dog. I was 150 or so feet away, up on my porch and I called to him, "Halt" and then "down." He obeyed me and the dog ran off. (it turned out my Doberman, when it came right down to it was a marshmallow and didn't ever wind up doing anything to dogs he reacted to but at that moment, I didn't know that for sure. lol.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Wow, lots of help here. I'm going to save everything and condense it down into a plan and start this weekend.

We just finished our class and the new one doesn't start until Jan - so I'm going to focus on both what I will call "here" since the come is clearly spoiled and and what I think will be an emergency "sit" since she has always been good about sitting and I think in an emergency it will be easier to get her to sit and stay than to just stay.


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## Summerhouse (Jun 12, 2015)

Any suggestions on how to do this without using food as the reward ? Not all dogs are food orientated. Mine won't eat anything outside of the house, he doesn't bother with meals sometimes. Even tasty treats offered in pet shops are refused and he wouldn't have to work for those.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Summerhouse said:


> Any suggestions on how to do this without using food as the reward ? Not all dogs are food orientated. Mine won't eat anything outside of the house, he doesn't bother with meals sometimes. Even tasty treats offered in pet shops are refused and he wouldn't have to work for those.


I would suggest interactive play, like maybe a tug toy, for a dog that isn't food motivated. In a setting where the dog has given a great recall from playing with a dog buddy release back to go play is another idea. We also do hide and seek recalls where we are in different parts of the yard and call them back and forth between us. Each time it is one persons turn to recall the other one moves to a new place before calling the dog again.

If you play quick release recall games make sure you have control of the dog before releasing. Have them sit or down and wait for the release or hold their collar and turn it into a motivational recall where you jazz them up about being able to leave before allowing them to do so.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

Summerhouse said:


> Any suggestions on how to do this without using food as the reward ? Not all dogs are food orientated. Mine won't eat anything outside of the house, he doesn't bother with meals sometimes. Even tasty treats offered in pet shops are refused and he wouldn't have to work for those.


What does your dog like the most? Think of some things that make your dog really excited and happy (play, seeing you at the end of the day, chasing things, whatever), and we can help brainstorm ways to use them as a reward for recall.


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## Summerhouse (Jun 12, 2015)

Lily cd we used to do the Yoyo recall as a puppy. He's not really into tug games. I tried to get him motivated for that when we did agility.

Things that get him excited, empty 2litre plastic bottles, frisbee, me coming in the house even if I've only been gone 5mins, throwing large shells on the beach, pine cones, squeaky ball, rabbits, cats, other dogs. 

I carry a squeaky tennis ball size when we go out. If he's just mooching about at a distance or staying too long saying hello to another dog, if I squeak it he comes running but the reward is then a game of throwing the ball for him to chase. This is good for most of the time we just carry on with our walk I throw it a couple of times to keep his interest on me and not go back to other dog. Then I tell him "all gone" and ball goes back in my pocket to keep its value high.

It's if he sees another dog, that I haven't seen before him and I don't want him to go running up to, or if he sees a rabbit, cat while off lead I want to have the solid recall. The squeaky ball "might" get him to turn his head but not come back. If he did come back the reward couldn't be the ball throwing as he'd just go back to doing what he was doing as he hadn't completed his mission if that makes sense. He's very very difficult to distract once his attention is on something, total deafness.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Hhmmm, Summerhouse that is a bit of a problem. What about a squeaky toy on a rope? A ball might not work too well since I see it coming off the tether and then off your dog goes with his prize, but a skinees toy tied to a sturdy string of about 5-6 feet long and with a thumb loop to help you hang onto it in case he decides to leave. You could squeak it and then toss the toy down by your feet and then make a move like you will run off with it to encourage him to make a grab. Then tug just a little bit to make it have "life" that will make it fun to play with. Make it easy for your dog to win the game at first to encourage him to like playing this way as his reward for coming.

For those whose dogs don't love these types of recall rewards try running away from your dog once you've called and under controlled conditions. Use a long line or a flexi. Make sure there are no trees to get tangled up with. A large part of what I did with Javelin last summer was me calling and running away in the yard. I was home during the day and often didn't have a puppy recall partner. He has the best yard recall of any of my dogs.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I have a hard time accepting that an animal doesn't want to eat...unless there's something medically wrong. Food is a _primary _reinforcer. It's necessary for survival. So when people say their dog isn't motivated by food, it baffles me. Their stomachs are probably full. What if his rewards were his _only_ food? Do you mean that your dog is_ never_ hungry? Stop feeding him in a bowl and use his regular dinner for reinforcers. If he has to work for his food, AND it's his _only_ food, believe me, he'll get motivated. Dogs like to work for their food. If animals weren't motivated by anything, they'd either be seriously depressed or have a physical illness. It goes against life to not be motivated by anything. If your dog doesn't want to eat at all, I'd recommend a vet visit. Has he been losing weight?

If he likes a ball thrown, that's fine too. Anything the dog really likes can be a reinforcer, but only if it also changes behavior.

If you're using the squeaky toy as an attention getter, you may be inadvertanly bribing him...offering the reward before the behavior. Remember to only reinforce AFTER the behavior. Don't call your dog or try to get him to come unless he's already coming for a long time until...well, it's all in my loooooong post. Oh, but I see it's not exactly wanted.


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## Summerhouse (Jun 12, 2015)

I'll see if I can make something on a rope, worth a try.

Poodlebeguiled, yes it's quite unbeliveable I know for people who have food motivated dogs. It isn't that he doesn't want to eat, he refuses food when out There's nothing medically wrong he's always been like it from 8 weeks old he maintains a constant weight. He hasn't been fed when we go out, he didn't used to get fed all day went we went to training in evening and still wouldn't take treats even though he must have been hungry. 

At home he likes to have his food as a game so his food goes in food balls, empty plastic bottles, egg boxes, puzzle toys. He turns his nose up at chicken wings, raw bones too much hassle chewing. Most dogs would chew up and eat say a muffin case with cake crumbs. He'll bring it to me as a present for his ball throwing or a homemade treat. He doesn't eat any human food that accidentally gets dropped, you can leave a plate of food in his reach say if you've forgotten a fork and he won't touch it. He's unique in the dog world I know.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

If he were starving, he'd eat, I have no doubt. But of course, we can't let our dogs get that hungry. Well...you just may have to accept it. Without a reinforcer, there is no training. So, you have to find some thing that your pup likes a lot in order to have behavior reinforced. Maybe praise is enough for some. Another thought...if he won't take a solid treat, have you tried a wooden spoon with peanut butter on the end or cheeze wiz? Liverwurst...something you can just squeeze quickly into his mouth? He might change his tune with Cheeze wiz. LOL. Good luck. I hope you find something that helps reinforce behavior you like to see from him. :smile:


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

summerhouse, maybe your guy is the perfect example of the dog who works for praise. you say he is not treat oriented but gets excited when you come home. so you are high value. see if praise from you works - maybe followed by a high five or something that suggests a reward without moving away from you - even being asked to jump into your arms, while not being allowed to jump on people at any other time. there is some research that shows some dogs will choose their owner over a treat. not all, but some.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Following up on what patk said, yes, try praise. Wild enthusiastic goofy behavior, give me a hug, cheering, praise. Try it in your living room and see if your joy lights your dog's candle. Noelle likes praise, and my happy goofy behavior, as a reward. And with recall, sometimes a reward can be, "go right back and do what you were doing." Within reason, of course.

We play, Come, go play, COME, go play, all the time in the yard. They don't connect recall with the party ending, but with the party starting. Because I'm the party! I'm fun to be with. Maybe your dog is motivated by your joy? 

What makes your dog happy? That's what you use to reward recalls. 

A hunk of leftover meat? 
You acting like a happy bouncy goofy person? (Noelle likes this)
A new toy that only appears for recalls, so it's super special and rare to play with? 

Another thing you can do is ask for a sit/stay and then hide somewhere out of sight, and call, COME! Hide and seek is fun for dogs. I usually, ahem, act like a complete crazy person when Noelle finds me. I make a fool out of myself because it makes my dog happy. 

Hiding behind trees is fun, too. Peek a boo! In the silliest voice possible, then hide behind the tree. Repeat until curiosity gets the dog to come flying, and then have a party.



















I want Noelle to believe that I am the most fun thing in the world. As far as Noelle is concerned, sniffing the grass might be more interesting than a chunk of rare steak. So, I use praise as a reward a whole lot. Try enthusiastic praise and see if that motivates your dog.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I'm glad this post has brought out more questions on this subject.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

This is a fun and interesting discussion! I think we often aren't doing enough "good dog" fun things. After all, most people who have dogs have them because they want them to be fun, bring joy, help us feel happy when we are sad, right?

I was talking to my friend who does obedience very very successfully (multiple OTChs) about people we know who get bad ring nerves, one to the point that she says she suffers nausea over going into a trial. This nervous person comes to my open class and she is starting to collect herself. We have worked a lot on attention and focus and having her improve her footwork so she is sending clear signals to her dog. Therefore her dog is doing better and as a result she feels better. The friend who I was talking to though made the comment that it doesn't make sense to do this sport if you are physically and mentally suffering through it. We are the ones who make the choice to do it. We are the ones who fork over $30 on average for the entry fees. Why do we continue if it isn't fun? We all know most dogs would be happy to be napping on the couch with us, so why make them do something that can't really be fun for them if it isn't fun for us?

I know this is tangential to the discussion of reliable recalls in many ways, but I do think it cuts back across the idea that you need to make yourself fun! Then your dog will seek you out all the time.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I want to thank everyone who posted. I copied everything into a word document so I could go through it carefully and then devise a plan. OMG the information was priceless and so helpful. Clearly I was doing a lot of things wrong. Even when I knew they were wrong sometimes you can't stop yourself. As oshagcj914 pointed out, I knew not to call her to me when she wouldn't come but the words just escape out your mouth from gut reaction sometimes.

I now have a plan - a good plan and I'm confident that we will make this work.

Lisasgirl mentioned the tone of voice - and it's something I have to work on - not right away during training - but when I'm in a situation where I do need to call her back. I tend to get nervous - in fact when we were in the off leash park (we will never go to off leash parks again) she was chased by a Doberman who wouldn't let her go - I was scared and my tone of voice was demanding and scared - definitely not fun and friendly. I'm not sure how I will handle that in the future. I don't plan to let her off leash in unsafe places but accidents can happen and I have to really think about how to handle the tone of my voice.

Poodlebeguiled, I appreciate the very long and generous information. I will definitely start off without giving the cue until she is consistently coming to me "as I run away as part of the training game". And I will take your sage advice of doing this slowly building up a solid behavior since this is important. ily cd re is right - I need to set this up as a no fail situation in training.

It was also helpful that ily cd re and Poodlebeguiled explained they had different words for what appears to be "come" but they are "come" with specific goals - each one different adding to our dog's vocabulary.

Since I already have "come" as her cue to run towards me and sit down between my legs looking up - I will have to think about the right words to use for other situations. And I have a little time since I will follow Poodlebeguiled's advice about not giving a verbal cue until I have consistent behavior of her running to me.

One good thing is we've been training "go out" where she has to sit next to me in heel and I send her away from me to a stanchion for Rally - she is used to me holding her collar with my right hand while my left hand gives her the signal to go and get the food treat. So she had a good association of treats when having her collar held.

I am so thankful I found PF - having a reliable recall is so important. Thanks everyone, it takes a village to raise a poodle.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

What I have found along the way is that I really don't think it's necessary to change the "poisoned" word if you don't want to. You can attach new meaning to that word as you go through the training process. It can go from not meaning anything much since it never did before to...meaning something _now_. lol. You pair that word with really high value stuff and it can go from nothing to something pretty fast. So, imo...don't worry about a "poisoned" cue too much. Dogs are smart and can learn what happens when they hear a word. 

That's terrific that you've handled the collar holding thing just right. Excellent! 

It sounds like you're getting all organized in your mind and will implement a really successful program. Way to go girl!:cheers2:


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

On the other hand I think changing a poisoned cue out for something novel can be very useful for the owner/handler to give new context and meaning for the person. I changed my go out order a couple of times until we both finally were on the same page about it.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> On the other hand I think changing a poisoned cue out for something novel can be very useful for the owner/handler to give new context and meaning for the person. I changed my go out order a couple of times until we both finally were on the same page about it.


I do know that as I head towards Rally there have been several things that I've had to modify or change - sometimes I wished I had been taught things differently in the beginning. But I realize it's part of the process to modify and work on things til it works. I do know I need a new word because I was using "come" which wasn't working outside the house/training facility as a recall...........but is working perfectly in training for rally for her to come in between my legs.

One of the things I wish I had been taught differently is "heel". I was taught that she should bob my hand and to feed her kibble which worked well........ until Rally when you move your arms and body to signal to the dog which way you are both going to move. Babykins was following my hand inappropriately. Now I have a target area on my thigh that she has to keep her nose on - and she gets her treats fed on that target. My arms are no longer the target. 

haha - it's a good thing I have a smart dog.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Really good heeling should be head's up from the dog so that if you look down towards your left side you make eye contact. Otherwise just call it "loose leash." If you go back over to the Javelin performance thread you will see how to start good heeling.


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