A lot of dog owners who call in are looking for better training, better response, and of course, a better recall.
The recall is often seen as a problem solver in terms of “getting” their dog back during an emergency, such as when the dog runs out the front door.
Thing is, for them, is that it’s not about the recall, but about getting their dog back and is safe.
For us, it’s not about the recall because we’d rather prevent the problem of running off in the first place.
The process to teaching people how to solve this problems means our dog no longer dashes out the door. If the dog becomes more disciplined to not dash out the door in the first place, the recall wouldn’t be needed because the problem no longer exists.
I like to have dog owners think in these proactive ways. Instead of thinking of “how do I get my dog back”, we’d rather them think, “how to I stop…” or “how do I prevent my dog from running off in the first place.”
This doesn’t mean that recall isn’t needed or necessary. It is necessary but we shouldn’t put so much weight on the idea of recall to the point to where we neglect the attention we need to put in other areas as far as problem solving goes and overall living a better life.
Aside from need or necessity, recall is one of the best ways to train off leash responsibility and also have a lot more structured fun with our dogs. Check out Lillia and Potato in the video!
The elements of the recall over longer distance involve the dog opening up the throttle and running to a destination (you) - things that dogs naturally enjoy doing. But with recall, we are adding a major element of structure for the dog to follow, rather than running around aimlessly off the leash.
With Lillia, she definitely has been working the recall and practicing. It’s not always simply just about the recall. The recall is a way to have that structured fun with our dog, use up energy, mentally and physically exercise, and have the ability to be engaged with their human - All really great elements to practice on a regular basis while building great off-leash skill.
It’s not about the recall but about the other great benefits that come from dedicated practice, recall only being one of them.