Episode #243 Off Leash Recalls & Checking In

Are teenage dogs really that bad? How do I teach my puppy to respond off-leash to my recall? What about checking in? Get those questions and more answered today. Thanks for listening.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Off-Leash Recalls
• 0:42 Embracing the Teenage Dog Phase
• 1:25 Natural Puppy Following Behavior
• 3:20 Building Strong Recall Foundations
• 5:37 Practice Tips and Long-Line Training
• 7:55 Episode Wrap-Up and Goodbye

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Today's episode is a blast from the past. We are going back 100 episodes ago to where I talked about off-leash recalls and check-ins. We're revisiting that one today. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started.

Speaker 1: 0:42

Do you have a teenage dog? People tend to fear the adolescent phase of a dog's life, but I like to tell you it doesn't have to be scary, it can be fun, I promise. Just like having human teenagers, it can be fun. The hard part for me is adapting to a new phase, so going from puppy phase to teenage phase. But once I do that and it becomes the new normal, having a teenager is awesome. They have longer attention spans, they know the basics, they're energetic and love to learn. Sure, they test boundaries and they're more distracted by things in their environment, but even with that, take time to observe them being so curious and you'll be fascinated at what you learn about them. This leads me to today's topic off-leash recalls and fostering a good check-in. This is something that we all dream of, right? We call our dog a come. This all stems, you guys, from having a good relationship with your dog.

Speaker 1: 1:34

Just this past week a client and friend brought home a new puppy. She brought it over to my home to visit and say hello. I know I'm super lucky. I get those kinds of things quite often. It makes my day.

Speaker 1: 1:45

So this sweet puppy was on a leash but didn't really have any leash skills because they were so young and the well-meaning child was helping the puppy walk to my backyard. Immediately you could see the resistance by this puppy, as she did not want to be told what to do or forced to walk in a certain direction. These are all natural, normal, common behaviors for a new puppy or new dog who has yet to learn leash walking skills. So very normal. But you could see in this puppy the tendency to just want to resist. So I said you know what? Let's try something else. Let's just try to take this puppy off leash and let's all start walking towards my backyard. I bet this puppy will follow us.

Speaker 1: 2:26

Now the thing about young puppies, if you guys know already, is that they do not like to be alone. That's why, when we teach crate training, this can be somewhat of a challenge and the reason why we keep the crate close to us in the beginning. Sure, this puppy may explore for a second when they're off leash, but shortly they will wonder where we are and hurry to catch up. So we all started walking to my backyard and, sure enough, this little eight week old puppy came running along behind us. No leash, just the desire to be close.

Speaker 1: 2:52

So if you are getting a puppy soon or have one currently, take advantage of this stage of life, where they want to be with you, to practice getting them to follow you. Now, obviously, this is most safely done in a fenced backyard, right? We don't want this puppy to wander off into a road or a street. So be smart and be safe, but try to focus on getting your puppy to willingly follow you on their own. Let them do it on their own. Don't require them to come along with you because there's this leash pressure there. Just take the leash off. Practice getting your puppy just to follow, because that desire to be close to you is real. Now reward them when they catch up to you.

Speaker 1: 3:29

So I like to start walking away again as soon as they come to me. Right, they come in, they check in, I pay them a reward and then I just start walking away. In my backyard I like to hide behind a tree or a patio piece of patio furniture. Then when the puppy finds me, I reward them and I go hide again. This starts to create the feeling of hey, don't miss out on what Amy's doing. She's unpredictable. This is super fun for puppies. They love this game and I love it because I can't be frustrated. I didn't actually ask my dog to do anything. Therefore, if they don't do anything, guess what, I'm not upset. When they do something, I reward them and they learn doing something equals good things. Pretty soon we have this really beautiful pattern of Amy hides, puppy finds, amy puppy gets rewarded.

Speaker 1: 4:10

The puppy is learning to check in frequently and all on their own. Rewards always come for it and they know that there's a strong pattern of that there for them. This evolves to recall practice. Start putting the recall on cue. I like to use puppy, puppy come. I find that multiple syllables and a happy tone make it more friendly and inviting. My puppy will be more likely to want to come to me because it sounds friendly. Now remember to reward them for coming all the way to you. Sometimes I'll just take a couple steps backward and keep moving as they come to me to make sure they make it all the way to me and they don't stop short. Once you reward them, then walk away. So that's another key point.

Speaker 1: 4:47

When my puppy recalls to me, I do not want to immediately leash them or stop the fun of exploring, especially outside. Feed them a reward, hold their collar as you do so and then release it and let them go back to sniffing or playing or whatever it was that they were doing. I do this 10 times for every one time that I do stop the fun. We want a recall to be a check in go play, not a time to be done cue. Does that make sense Now? I guarantee your dog will want to stop playing the time to be done game right away.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Okay, yes, sometimes we need to get our dogs. Yes, we want them to answer to every recall, but training it this way, where nine times out of 10, they get to go right back to play, really helps them want to recall to you. Also try not to overdo. A good thing. I find that two to three reps of any exercise is a good number. Then move on to something else. Mix it up. Keep your dog guessing what cue you will say or practice next. This builds drive in them to want to keep playing or training with you because you are fun and unpredictable. Notice, I said playing right. After all, that's what training is. We are having fun with our dogs. If you turn into a drill sergeant, your dog may start resisting training exercises. No one likes to be bossed around, including your dog. We want them to enjoy being with us. Listen, yes, but have fun while doing it. They see the benefit and value in doing things we ask because we provide things they love and enjoy along the way.

Speaker 1: 6:15

Recall practice is something simple and fast. You can practice daily. If you have an adolescent, puppy or older dog you are just getting to know, then practice recalls using a long line. This is a 10 to 30 foot lightweight leash that your dog can drag around when you ask for a recall or a check-in. If needed, you can step on that line or hold it to prevent your dog from running away. Sometimes you get that look at you like should I come, should I not come? And then they dart away. This long line will prevent that darting away. Then I just wait patiently for them to check in with me instead. With that long line they can't go far and pretty soon they realize the best option is to check in with me. After all, nine times out of ten they get to go right back to what they were doing in the first place and your dog knows that because you've practiced it. So be patient. It takes time to let them know that and understand that, but that's what we're going for Now.

Speaker 1: 7:03

Once your dog recalls regularly in your yard and once your puppy is fully vaccinated, that's important. Using the long line at a park is an excellent way to practice. At the next level, bring a long line squeaky toy, frisbee or ball with you to give your dog fun, exciting rewards once they check in. Checking in may mean the ball gets tossed or the Frisbee gets thrown or the toy gets tugged. You get the idea. Switch it up if needed.

Speaker 1: 7:27

In all of this it's important obviously to know your dog. What do they like, what do they dislike, what excites them, what motivates them, what interests them right. Use that knowledge to build a strong relationship built on positivity and trust. These are key to a good recall. All right, that's it for today, you guys, baxter has his cousin Chura over and it's time to go play. So have a great week and happy training. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.