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allyboo · 07-02-2009, 01:15 AM

Hiya

One of the important things I had drummed into me at training classes was never to treat until you have touched their harness (or collar). Let them smell the treat, touch or hold their harness, treat, then let go. Every time they are recalled, they should be touched on their harness before treating.
If every time you reach for the harness, it is to put them back on leash (restraint), they will quickly learn that it is going to end their free running if they allow you near the harness, so it's important to ensure they never make the association between touching the harness, and being restrained. Touching the harness at every single recall, and recalling several times during a walk, helps prevent this association.

Pairing the recall with a sit is the next step after a recall (in the UK this is part of the silver award in the Good Citizen Dog Scheme – recall alone is the bronze award). They need to learn that replying to a recall is the correct behaviour but, if you recall, then ask your dog to sit, then treat, she or he thinks the treat is a reward for the sit, not the recall, and the actual recall would (in the dog's eyes) have gone unrewarded. So the recall should be learned first before it's paired with a sit.

It might be worth trying this method

I can't take any credit for it, but using this technique, my own dog has 100% success rate with recall, so it might just work for yours

I hope it goes well for you! If your trainer has any other suggestions, I'd be interested to hear how he does it!

07-02-2009, 01:15 AM	#5
allyboo Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: UK Posts: 67	Hiya One of the important things I had drummed into me at training classes was never to treat until you have touched their harness (or collar). Let them smell the treat, touch or hold their harness, treat, then let go. Every time they are recalled, they should be touched on their harness before treating. If every time you reach for the harness, it is to put them back on leash (restraint), they will quickly learn that it is going to end their free running if they allow you near the harness, so it's important to ensure they never make the association between touching the harness, and being restrained. Touching the harness at every single recall, and recalling several times during a walk, helps prevent this association. Pairing the recall with a sit is the next step after a recall (in the UK this is part of the silver award in the Good Citizen Dog Scheme – recall alone is the bronze award). They need to learn that replying to a recall is the correct behaviour but, if you recall, then ask your dog to sit, then treat, she or he thinks the treat is a reward for the sit, not the recall, and the actual recall would (in the dog's eyes) have gone unrewarded. So the recall should be learned first before it's paired with a sit. It might be worth trying this method I can't take any credit for it, but using this technique, my own dog has 100% success rate with recall, so it might just work for yours I hope it goes well for you! If your trainer has any other suggestions, I'd be interested to hear how he does it! Last edited by allyboo; 07-02-2009 at 01:17 AM.