By Sarah Groves Dog Training - puppy training specialist covering Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and surrounding areas
When training a puppy from scratch, it can sometimes feel difficult to know where to start, what to train and how to even train a dog!
Everyone who gets a puppy wants to have the confidence to let them off lead and give them the freedom that they need to thrive.
As a qualified dog trainer, here are my top 5 tips on getting started with puppy recall!
Tip #1 - Use a recall word that isn't your puppy's own name
This is something that I always encourage, because your puppy will hear their own name multiple times through the day - and we want to make sure that your pup knows the difference between you saying their own name to grab their attention, and to coming to you when called.
You can literally use ANY word as a recall word, as long as you are consistent in using the same word, and everyone in the household agrees to follow up by using the same recall word.
I would usually recommend using a word which you feel would come naturally to you so that you don't forget your word, or start changing it in the middle of training.
Tip #2 - Make coming back to you valuable and fun for your puppy
One of the most important parts of training recall is making sure that your puppy feels like it's worth their efforts to come back to you - because why should they leave the 'party' with other dogs to come back to you otherwise? What have you got to offer?
There are many ways to build value in coming back - it's all about finding what your dog LOVES, and using this as a part of the rewards for coming back when called - whether it's food, chase, play, fuss, attention, find what they love and use it!
Not only that, it's really important to build a history or a 'bank' of good experiences when coming back when called BEFORE you really need it, so that by the time you REALLY need your dog to listen to you, there's a good chance that they will, because it's brought a good time in the past.
Tip #3 - Use a long lead
By using a long lead during training, not only will you be managing your pup's movements, preventing them from getting to other dogs and people when you're trying to be the more exciting experience, but it will also help in building your confidence to finally let them off the lead when you feel ready.
Tip #4 - Start training your pup in small increments in different places
Training your dog a new skill should always start in a low-distraction space - usually at home so that it'll be easier for your dog to learn and soak in the training.
When training, you only need to spend a few minutes here and there - your training sessions don't need to last for hours!
Start in the house, repeat in different rooms of your house, build in the garden and then in different places on a walk such as parks or fields.
Tip #5 - Always reward coming back - even if your pup takes their time
When building a history of good experiences for coming back, it's really important, particularly at the start of training that you always reward your dog for coming back when called - even if they didn't come back immediately, or took the 'long way round'.
If you punish your dog for taking their time for coming back or reduce the frequency of rewards too soon in training then your dog will start to choose to stay with their friends for longer, and will be less likely to come back when you really need it.
Looking for puppy training in Swansea, Neath or Port Talbot?
Take a look The Puppy Solutions Program - designed to provide you with full training help and guidance during your puppy training journey.
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