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Recall training for dogs is essentially teaching your dog to come to you when you call them. It is one of the most important and useful commands a dog can learn. The recall command is useful in a variety of situations, from simple everyday tasks to potentially life-saving situations. Imagine your dog runs off chasing a squirrel while you’re out for a walk in the park. Being able to call your dog back to you quickly and reliably could prevent them from running into traffic, getting lost, or encountering other hazards.
Yet, many dog parents worry they’ve got a dog who can’t be trained to come when called. But have no fear! Let SpiritDog Training trainer Steffi Trott explain how recall training can be a success with any dog.
No Matter What, Your Dog Can Learn Recall Skills Too
I’ve been getting a lot of emails about SpiritDog’s Recall Expert Course. Many of them ask whether it’s suitable for specific dogs. Here are some thoughts and answers to the questions I see most often.
My dog is stubborn, will this work?
Some dogs are born with a lot of will to please. Others mostly want to have fun, regardless of what the human thinks.
If your dog is part of the second group, we can still teach them great recalls! The secret to a solid recall is not considering it a “command the dog has to obey.” Instead, we teach recalls through a game-based system that makes your dog want to come. Our step-by-step approach will show your dog that nothing is as fun and rewarding as coming to us when we call. After all, who doesn’t love treats for a job well done?
My dog’s breed is not very trainable. Can they learn to come when called?
No breed is “too stubborn” to learn to come when called, and to illustrate this, we actually feature several less traditional breeds in this course. You can watch us demonstrate recalls with a Beagle, a Borzoi, and a Silken Windhound! They belong to the professional trainers on our trainer team who can help you with many tips and tricks on working with unusual breeds.
So absolutely, we and you can teach your dog, no matter their breed.
My dog has been bad at coming when called for a long time. Is it too late to try a course?
It’s never too late to turn things around with training! We created this course to teach recalls step-by-step from the ground up, just as it’s needed for dogs who have been ignoring their recalls for a long time.
The only adjustment I would recommend is to pick a new recall cue, as it’s a lot easier to start fresh than to re-train an existing cue that your dog ignores. In the course, I explain in detail how to do this and ensure your dog never ignores this next cue!
My dog is not food motivated. Does this course use food?
Depending on your dog’s interests, you can use food and/or toy rewards in the course. We also include a special bonus for the picky dogs, The Hungry Hound Handbook: Unleashing Your Dog’s Food Drive, as one of our two eBooks on treats and food. So far, we’ve been able to help every student with working through lower food drives.
SpiritDog Loves Them All
SpiritDog loves all dogs and watching them succeed. They designed this course to work for dogs of all ages, breeds, and prior training. So, are you ready to turn your dog into a recall superstar?
Start your dog’s recall journey with SpiritDog Training today!