What's the most common recall training mistake?
Written by
David Smith
Reviewed by
Prof. David Walsh, Ph.D.The most common mistake in recall training occurs when taking dogs to new environments before they are reliable in the presence of distractions. How many dog owners "take" (as they stop to smell or play) their dog goes off-leash at the park or on the trails when they are still struggling with basic distractions. This creates massive patterns of failure, leading to a loss of confidence. They learn they can ignore your commands and it ultimately ruins all the hard work you put into their foundation.
Confidence Damage
- Repeated failures create avoidance behaviors
- Dogs learn ignoring commands has no consequence
- Self-doubt develops regarding recall ability
Habit Formation
- Ignoring becomes reinforced through repetition
- Distraction responses override training
- Long-term reliability becomes compromised
Safety Compromise
- Unreliable responses in genuine emergencies
- Increased risk near roads or hazards
- Trust in off-leash freedom diminishes
Premature advancement teaches the dog that ignoring a command works. With every failure, they continue to learn that all they have to do is ignore the command, and the reward eventually comes. Repetition makes this habitual. The dog, without much thought, then "defaults" to dog distraction responses, rather than compliance with recall commands, permanently jeopardizing their safety.
Set very demanding reliability limits before altering habitats. Demand that your dog score at least 19 out of 20 successful recalls in the garden before upleveling to the house, and 17 out of 20 before taking them to the park. Record responses honestly in training logs to guard against wishful thinking.
Get comfortable with distraction ladders. Start with small distractions, such as a radio playing quietly in the background. Work up to visual distractions - food bowls at a distance. Work up to something moving like a ball rolling away from you. If you're working near distractions, work up to doing longer, higher-level distractions close to outdoor work. Habituate yourself to each rung of the ladder before going higher.
Long lines are safety nets during periods of environmental shifts. They are used for three sessions after moving to new environments, and if there's an over 15% failure rate, return to the previous environments. Otherwise, you may reward ignoring while trying to build true readiness.
Patience develops lasting reliability quicker than rash advancement. An extra week or two spent mastering the foundations will save you months later when you retrain. The dogs gain confidence as they succeed at each level. This methodical approach will build a rock-solid foundation for lifelong recall.
Read the full article: Dog Recall Training: Essential Guide
