Hi I have previously used a whistle for recall which was working fairly well under certain circumstances but recently Benji has started to ignore it. I have purchased Total Recall and it says to use a whistle. My question is because I have used a whistle in the past and it has been ignored, should I continue to use it? If so should I stick to or change the number and length of the pips? Or am I best to not use one altogether. I plan to start from the beginning again and complete the exercises in the book. Any advice greatly received...
I would start again with a different set of pips. I had a few recall blips, so I changed from my three pips to five and started associating that with great things. It worked really well. I actually went back to three shortly afterwards and they're back on form with that now
Jumping in here, I'm still pip pip piping Enzo as he's already running towards me, when do you think is the best time to try it out when he's just ambling about. I don't want to whistle and get no reaction from him
I'm no expert but, I think you need to do your recall pips ONLY when your dog is moving towards you until he/she has associated the pips with the recall process. Then you can try the recall in low distraction areas at a short distance, then build up. There is more to it than that and you will need to read up to make sure you don't "poison" the signal but hope that is a start to your answer.
Thanks for the reply, to be honest that's what I've read and already know . I'm still only using whistle while he's already decided to run to me, I know he shouldn't be too distracted when I first use the recall, but how do I know when he's associated it? He runs towards me with such enthusiasm, picks other things up fairly quick. But, big but, like you said, I don't want to poison the call
I guess in that easy non distraction situation have a contingency - if no instant response then rattle his bowl with food (open a cheese wrapper ) act stupid get his attention however you can then repeat the whistle pip when he is coming full pelt back. Then go back a step to what you know he will do every time. I think (with the proviso I am not a regular whistle user)
Thanks again for your reply It makes sense, and yes, although he doesn't have it often he LOVES cheese haha
The ping pong game is great when training a good FAST response to the whistle. Basically have a handful of large treats. They have to be big enough for your dog to easily find when thrown, and be really exciting! We used big chunks of chicken hot dog sausage. Then with whistle ready...throw a piece of sausage about 12 feet to your right.(with dog in front of you) Dog runs to get the treat. The instant they look up after finishing the treat, blow your recall whistle AND throw another treat same distance (around 12 feet) to your left. Dog runs in, gets the treat, and then looks up and starts to turn....pip your whistle. Do this no more than 5 times each side, making sure you capture the moment the dog starts to move towards you. We have 2 types of recall, one is verbal, which just means come back however you like...BUT the recall whistle means comebackreallyfasttogetsausage! The funny thing is now she always runs past me!
At first, you introduce distractions that are under your control. So don't start trying this when you are out and about and you don't know what amazing thing your puppy is sniffing. So you start in the house, then the garden, then an empty field - using people, food, toys, other dogs all under your control. The key thing is that the puppy gets no access to a reinforcer for ignoring your whistle. So the distraction disappears or refuses to interact with the puppy (that's why you need it under your control). This way, the puppy learns that responding to the whistle is the ONLY thing that gets it a reward, not continuing to try to get to the distraction. Here is Betsy learning to recall while ignoring her food bowl. If she diverts to get to the food, it's removed - the only thing that matters is there is no reinforcement for ignoring the whistle. Only once you've got this idea firmly in your puppy's head do you try it with a (very low level) of distraction that isn't under your control. recall by food bowl by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Now both for the replies and suggestions. Julie, your puppy looks very well behaved, Enzo would never sit in his crate while I was the other side of the room, no chance, he's sits but doesn't stay. looks like I really have to work on his stay a lot more first
This isn't a stay, it's only specific to the crate (at the moment). It's easy to do, and takes no time at all. It's just a release cue to leave the crate, that's all. You can google it. You'll need the same for the back of the car, or waiting on one side of a threshold etc.
I will look into it, thanks, to be honest enzos crate is always left ajar to come and go as he pleases apart form night time or if we are out. When we go to let him out he is then jumping up on the gate with excitement to see us, I do wait until he sits to open it but he'd never stay in there.
Ok. The crate isn't really part of the recall exercise - it's a bit beside the point, really. Just get someone to hold his collar.
I'm just about to start whistle recall training with Ted, a bit late (he's 14 weeks tomorrow) for various reasons. Well we did start off with verbal recall in the garden and were lulled into a false sense of achievement when he raced back and forth between two of us on hearing his name. Big mistake. Now he runs off or carries on with whatever is more important in the shrubbery. Then I bought the wrong whistle - a cheapo from the local pet shop. Then I got Total Recall and now intend to start. Ted's in a very challenging stage....
Don't forget that before you can train anything, you need a dog that is attentive to you, finds you interesting, and really wants to be with you because exciting things happen by you, not by the shrubbery (or whatever). A recall is critical, and of course must be trained and trained very well, but don't forget that step one in any training is a dog that wants to focus on you. Without that, you can train a fabulous recall and then you'll just bust it when you use it because if all you have is recall you'll have to use it again and again, and your dog will just recall, get his chicken, and leg it again.
