Before You Start

• A whistle, if you’re using one
• A standard lead
• A long line
• Suitable rewards
• A treat pouch

Really think about the association your dog has made with the word you currently use to call them back. What have you done to make that word extra special?

When your dog hears it, we want them to think:

‘YES! I need to get back to my owner because brilliant things happen when I hear that word.’

Now think about how you use that word over the course of a normal day.

How many times do you say it and then don’t reward your dog?

Because language comes so naturally to us, it’s easy to assume dogs understand words in the same way we do.

They don’t.

Dogs recognise the sounds that words make.

So whereas we would recognise the word banana, whether it’s said in anger, high pitched, gruffly etc, your dog doesn’t. They simply recognise the tone of voice and the pitch associated with that word.

This is why I always recommend a whistle - it stays the same and isn’t influenced by other tone or pitch. (And you don’t use a whistle in day to day conversation!)

Choose a sequence - one long peep, three short peeps, whatever sequence you want. And this will be your recall cue moving forward.

If you choose to use a word, then it needs to be

1. 1Something you’re comfortable hollering across the park
2. 2Said in exactly the same way every time you use it
3. 3Not something that you use without thinking in day to day conversation

This is important.

For example, if your recall word is come, then your dog will likely hear that over and over in various contexts throughout the course of the day. They don’t assign any special meaning to it at all, it simply becomes white noise. Then they hear their owner shouting “FIDO COME” , but ignore it. Can you see how that would happen? Maybe that’s why your dog isn’t currently responding to the word they “know”.

This is what we are going to change first.

Today I just want you to pick a brand-new recall word.

It could be ‘Mayday’, ‘Pup pup’, or absolutely anything you can shout across a park without dying of embarrassment, and taking into account the 3 points above.

For now, don’t use it with your dog.

Just choose your word - you’ll need it in Step 1.

Notice What Your Dog Does Now

On today’s walk, make a note of how often your dog chooses to look back at you or check in with you without being asked.

Write down the number as we’ll be needing it later.

Throughout Recall Rescue I refer to a whistle. If you prefer to use a verbal recall word, that's absolutely fine. Simply use your chosen word wherever I tell you to blow your whistle.

Using a long line while your dog’s recall is unreliable is sensible management, not a failure.

• Don't use your recall cue when your dog is so absorbed in something that you don't realistically expect a response.
• Don't keep repeating the cue. If your dog can't respond, make the situation easier instead.
• Use a long line where it helps. It's there to stop your dog reaching something and rewarding themselves, not to pull them back to you.

Throughout the programme, you're teaching your recall, not testing it.