How many different ways can you recall your puppy/dog? I wanted to avoid using my recall word, COME, when all I wanted to do was get Oban to come so I could put his leash back on for the walk home. Yes, we did lots of recall, play, praise and let go back off leash but I wanted some more. Here are several that worked and were fun for me to try. Even with these I didn't always put the leash back on; I wanted coming to me, with me to be part of the fun. No words, whistles or usual hand signals. Turn my back. Walk away. Run away. He'd come running to catch up. Crouch, sort of a human play bow. Crouch with arms open. Crouch with arms open and crab walk towards him. I did this for fun down the trail yesterday and he turned and ran right back to me. If you try this note how very slightly you need to crouch to make it work. Look intently at something on the ground. He'd come to see. Play with a piece of grass. He come to see what he was missing. Throw a piece of grass and run and get it myself and not let him have it. This one would drive him wild and would often result in him jumping on me, which I would allow since we were playing. Simply jump up and down myself like I was taking some kind of fit. He come to see. Sit down, lie down, pretend to fall down. He'd come. This last one we had fun with last Autumn. Some researchers were doing work to see if an owner fell would the dog go back to the owner? Most didn't. I tried it down the trail, Oban came back right away and lay down beside me. I heard later some neighbours saw me doing this, they Didn't come to see if I needed help. LOL Wanna play and see if your dog responds with a return to you on any of these?
It depends where I am and the level of distractions. Out and about on our normal, everyday, routes I'm more likely to fall over my dog than have to recall him. I can make any noise, do anything, and my dog will recall. He is doing voluntary recalls and check ins all the time anyway. And all my cues that involve him being close to me involve a recall - attention on me, close (heel), front (sit in front), 'ready to work', 'lead on' - all my cues work with distance, so he recalls to follow them. In areas of high distraction, only my whistle recall is guaranteed to work. Even then, I general try 'attention on me', calling his name, and then my recall. My recall is always my last, never my first, resort. If he is just disengaged, and it's safe to do so, I'll just stop and wait. If he wants the walk to continue, he has to recall.
I work on continuous engagement, but if they're away from me for whatever reason, I'll use: Open arms without a noise - I've used this since they were young puppies and it signals playtime. Kicking snow - bound to bring Willow running to chase it. Whistle with my mouth - least guaranteed method because nine times out of ten, it doesn't make a noise. I'm rubbish at whistling. It's such a rare sound, though, that when it does happen, it's always bound to get their attention. Hand targeting is a game to them, so they'll always come for that. Saying "Reaaaaaddddddyyyyy...... steeeaaaaaaaddddddyyyyy......" "What's this?!?!?!" in a squeaky tone - generally means I've found a sausage tree or something equally amazing. Taking their leads out - they've been heavily treated for having the leads put on, so they come over when I take them off my waist. Falling over definitely works for my two. It happens a lot!
Honestly, I've had to proof against falling over! I did it this morning. Put them in a sit, walk away, fall on my bum with arms waving in the air, get up, look back .... dogs still in a sit. Yay!
