If you are reading this because you have adopted a new dog, first of all, congratulations! Learning how to train a dog to recall is a skill in itself. Training your dog to have reliable recall—coming back to you when called—is one of the most crucial skills for both their safety and your own peace of mind. Dog recall training is essential for ensuring your dog's safety in various situations and for fostering a strong bond between you and your pet.
Both puppies and rescue/adoption dogs need to be taught recall. One, because it is a brand-new skill for puppies, as for rescues, they need to become familiar with responding to their new name (if applicable) and listening to their new owner.
While there are many methods to teach recall, some dog owners consider using electronic collars (e-collars) as a training tool. What is an E-collar? E-collars are highly effective and humane ways to teach new behaviours and commands, and they aren’t just reserved for animal training experts, as more and more pet owners realise the importance of good recall and training.
In this article, we'll explore the importance of good dog recall, how to teach a dog recall and E-collar training tips for dog recall training.
The Importance of Good Dog Recall Training
Along with the commands, sit and stay. There are plenty of reasons why good dog recall training is important:
- Safety: One of the primary reasons to teach your dog recall is safety; for yourself, your family, your dog, and the people and animals who may randomly interact with your dog over the course of its lifetime. Life can be really unexpected, and dogs can find themselves in dangerous situations with oncoming cars, hazards, animals and even running away. A strong recall will mean the dog will remove itself from a dangerous situation and back to its safe bubble; you. Preventing a lot of injuries or tragic situations.
- Off-Leash Freedom: Life is about simple pleasures, like being able to take your dog off-leash in a dog park. Designated parks in Australia legally allow dogs to be off-leash and being allowed to freely roam around a park will be the best part of your dog's day. You will also have some peace of mind, confidently knowing your dog will return at your call thanks to effective dog recall training.
- Emergency Response: In times of urgency or emergency, you need to be in control of your dog. A sharp recall will stop dogs from jumping on strangers, getting distracted by other animals or calling them back from hazardous areas. Sharp recall saves lives.
- Social Interactions: Dogs are social creatures by nature and good recall opens up a world of opportunity for them and yourself. When a dog has good recall, you will feel more confident to allow the dog to socialise with other people and their dogs, further enhancing the pet-owner experience. Effective dog recall training ensures your dog can enjoy these interactions safely.
- Bonding: The time and effort spent training a dog, creates a special bond between pet and owner. It’s just something money can’t buy.
- Legal Compliance: Good dog recall training is not only beneficial but also a legal obligation for pet owners in many regions. Dog owners in Australia are legally responsible for their animal’s behaviour. Having a dog with strong recall is part of being a responsible pet owner.
E-Collar Training Tips for Dog Recall
Recall training for dogs can be rigorous and time-consuming but an e-collar can make the dog recall training process more effective. Some tips for how to train a dog recall using e-collar dog training include:
Make Sure You Have The Right Training Collar
Did you know that not all e-collars are made the same? It can be a common mistake made by new pet owners. There are bark collars, citronella collars, boundary collars, vibrating collars, ultrasonic collars, using shock collars to train dogs and remote dog training collars. There’s different collars to teach your dogs different tricks.
The best collars for teaching a dog recall are remote dog training collars.
Make Sure The E-Collar Fits Well
Just like normal collars, an effective e-collar needs to fit well. Snug but not too tight, you should be able to fit two fingers under the collar. E-collars should sit high on the dog’s neck and just below the ears. Ensure the E-collar’s contact points touch the skin for proper stimulation, especially in long-haired dogs.
Find The Right Setting For Your Dog
E-collars have different settings on them, start at the lowest setting and gradually turn it up high enough for your dog to notice. Larger breeds of dog will likely require a higher setting of stimulation than smaller dogs. If a dog gets distracted by whatever they are doing from the collar, it means the collar is working and this is the desired level to start your training.
Introduce The Recall Commands
Find a safe space that’s quiet and free of distractions, with a bunch of reward treats on hand. Call out the recall word for your dog to respond to, then activate the distraction feature on the e-collar whilst encouraging the dog towards you. As your dog approaches and completes the command, switch off the stimulation then reward your good boy!
Timing is paramount here, deliver stimulation straight after announcing the command and remove the stimulation as soon as they complete the command.
Pairing a negative reinforcement tool (the vibrations from the e-collar) with a positive reinforcement (the treats or praise) will quickly teach your dog to positively associate the recall command.
Consistency Is Key
Ultimately, be consistent with commands and rewards. This helps the dog build a strong recall response. Try to keep the command consistent too, if you start with the training command “come here,” do not change it to “come back”, “come on” etc as it may confuse the dog and reduce the effectiveness of training.
Dogs respond better to shorter, more frequent training sessions as these help capture their attention and enthusiasm.
Enhancing Dog Recall Training with E-Collars
E-collar training is an effective tool for improving your dog’s recall behaviour when used correctly and responsibly. Electric collar training offers benefits such as long-range control and immediate feedback, making them useful for off-leash training in various environments.
